<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Hello Gravel Watch
Member</span></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><b><i><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-family: Arial;">If
you are concerned with aggregate issues in your community, this is your chance
to have your concerns heard…</span></font></i></b></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Rural Ontario Municipal
Association (ROMA) is holding its annual conference starting February 27th. This
is an excellent opportunity for municipalities to discuss important issues with
the province. </span></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Per ROMA’s web site, “Issues which
are currently before ROMA include intensive livestock operations, nutrient
management, rural schools, commodity prices, farm taxation, economic
development, roads, bridges and infrastructure, a new Municipal Act, and
ambulance services in rural Ontario.” Absent from this list are issues related
to pits and quarries.</span></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Gravel Watch has recently contacted
rural municipalities across Ontario, urging them to raise these issues at the
ROMA conference. <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is not enough - please
reinforce this message locally. </span></b>Bring your concerns to the attention
of your municipal councils. The following are issues which we believe are key,
and on which we believe a united voice can influence provincial
policy:</span></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><font size="4"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">1.<font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';">
</span></font></span></font><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Increase
royalties payable to municipalities</span></font></b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> to help offset costs related to
aggregate operations, and / or require applicants to pay the costs of peer
reviews required by the municipality. Unless specifically required in the
municipality’s Official Plan, current processes place the cost of these reviews
on municipalities and residents’ groups who have inadequate resources to fund
them.</span></font></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><font size="4"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">2.<font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';">
</span></font></span></font><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Establish</span></font></b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">minimum separation distances between aggregate
operations and settlements. </span></b>The current required setback does not
allow adequate protection of residential areas from negative
impacts.</span></font></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><font size="4"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">3.<font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';">
</span></font></span></font><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Do not allow MNR
to unilaterally, without approval of the municipality, approve amendments to
conditions on licenses and site plans that were set during the public process.
</span></font></b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Current policy allows MNR approval
of many significant amendments, including changes of licenses from “above water”
to “below water”, without approval by the municipality.</span></font></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><font size="4"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">4.<font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';">
</span></font></span></font><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Require better
enforcement of site plans and regulations, including
rehabilitation</span></font></b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">. The MNR is understaffed and unable
to adequately monitor operations. Pits and quarries are inspected, on average,
once every five to seven years. Further, it is estimated that less than half of
excavated lands are being rehabilitated.</span></font></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Please call, email or write to your
local council immediately. Feel free to use information provided in this email
to make your job easier and your case stronger.</span></font></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><b><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Time is of the
essence… please act now.</span></font></b></p>
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<p class="yiv1636435886MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Gravel Watch
Executive</span></font></p></td></tr></table>