[All] Concerned Citizens of Brant County need your help!

Wed Sep 26 10:47:27 EDT 2012

Hi folks

Went to a meeting last night held by Concerned Citizens of Brant. Here's the low down of what's happening here and at the end I'll tell you how we can help them. 

Dufferin Aggregates purchased 641 acres of farmland, about a square mile of land. with the intent to turn it all into a gravel pit. The permit they hold is 38 years old. They intend to extract the aggregate, wash it, retain the waste water in an SWM pond and reuse that water but the pond will also serve to recharge the aquifers below with this used water. 
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Funny business with the MOE and the GRCA

The proposed quarry is over primary recharge and according to the Source Water Protection Draft plan, it also sits in the critical protection zone of municipal wells. Area residents report some funny business happening with the GRCA on this one at their Source Water Act meetings held recently. The public presentation had included a list of risks to aggregates and in in section 19 and 20 it has provisions specific to quarry pits. During public presentations, 10 and 20 were OMITTED however they didn't bother to renumber the remaining risks so the presentation literally showed concern number 18 followed by concern number 22 onwards. 

Also they secured the data that the MOE rejected it's own committee's recommendation to include pits as a risk. The order for that came from the Minster's office. The initial delineation of the vulnerability zones showed the unconfined aquifers in the area but when it was revised the unconfined aquifers in the area were EXCLUDED as amended. Unconfimed aquifers means these areas are highly vulnerable to contamination risks. 

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So these good folks called my home and invited me to see what's happening with all this. I contacted the city to secure the hydrogeology reports but found out they are not yet complete. I'm trying to secure the terrestrial reports and field notes related. Area residents confirm Blandings and there is a likely possibility other threatened animals are on site or in the adjacent ponds, possibly Jefferson Salamanders. The current study zone negates the review of adjacent ponds outside the 120 m buffer surrounding the proposal in spite of topography. 

Ironically I did get a preliminary report from Conestoga Rovers promising they can replace water volumes, they can maintain water quality etc. It's amazing the levels to which these people will predict results in the absence of the actual hydrological report. If anyone wants to review the report just email me and I can relay. 

Here are the 5 main concerns of residents: 

1) The project intends to remove 15 meters of aggregate down to 1 meter over the aquifer with some below ground activities. 

2)The SWM pond as proposed is 12.5 acres. Lots of water. 

3) They want to pump 5127m3 per day (5,127,000 Litres) at 3560 litres per minute. Of that 200m3 (200,000L) will be used to top up daily. Now, imagine this impact on this high yeild aquifer for the full 30 years. 

4) Risks of contamination or deleterious fill on the rehab site is a major concern. They only intend to leave 1 meter of aggregate on top to protect it with 6 inches or so of top soil. They can't really replace the function of this land for farming after use. That's not going to protect the aquifer for the long term. 

5) Risks to the source: After years of working these lands for agriculture, pesticides accumulated in the soil, if the area rocks are rinsed that will remove the nitrate/phosphate/atrazine particulates and other chemicals bound to them releasing them into the SWM pond for infiltration into the municipal aquifer. They intend to wash 1 million tonnes per year. Reusing that same water from the basin will increase the levels of the toxicity higher and higher with every rinse. The impacts for the near by Gilbert Creek and the Grand River are voiced.

Area residents fighting this project are told by politicans: Sorry it's a done deal, we've got our hands tied etc. When they voice concerns for their farms they are told it's just NIMBY. 

CELA is helping these good people, and there are planned meeting with the MOE, the MNR coming up.

Dufferin Aggregate is owned by a Swedish firm called Holcim who haven't got the greatest track record in terms of ethical practices globally speaking. 

Residents also mentioned a group called Walton Industries from Germany is buying up massive tracts of land with the intent to put subdivisions all over. These folks have a lot of influence with area politicians. 

Here's how we can help

There is a council meeting in Brant on Oct. 2nd starting at 7pm. The more folks there the better. City website here: http://www.brant.ca/index.shtml
There will be a PUBLIC RALLY on October 13 that will take place downtown on Saturday morning downtown Paris Ontario. All folks are welcome to come by and the more bodies they can get the better. 

Any letters to the editors that can be sent in to area newspapers are greatly appreciated. You can send them to editor at brantnews.com or submit to the Brantford Expositor here: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/letters

The official website for Concerned Citizens of Brant is here: http://ccob.ca/
Their facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/CCOBrant

Any support you can lend to the cause or donations to Concerned Citizens of Brant is greatly appreciated

Any correspondences to the group can be sent to their secretary Sandra Parsons. Her contact info is cyrilparsons at hotmail.com and her phone is 519-512-1616

Thanks folks! Please feel free to circulate this email to let others know what's happening here. The more the merrier! 

Lulu :0)
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