<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2857">When it comes to working on aggregate issues in Ontario I've worked with the following groups/individuals</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2859"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2860">Food and Water First (Highland Quarry) - impacts of quarry on food security</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2860">Mohawk elder Danny Beaton (Highland Quarry: Traditional knowledge and treaties) <br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2855">PERL (Mount Nemo quarry expansion) - impacts on threatened species, private properties and poor EAs</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">CCOB (Brant/Brantford/Oxford County) - impacts on well water & chemical contamination of rinsing aggregates from farmlands</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Council of Canadians - long term water quality and quantity & privatization of water</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Gravel Watch - air emissions, traffic and ecological impacts</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">CRAND - Air quality and lack of reasonable monitoring and SLAPPs</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Terry Lynn Brant (Issues of source water protection & sustainability impacting Six Nations)</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">We also have groups lobbying for better aggregate regulations including:</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Ontario Greenbelt</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">STORM coalition ((Oak Ridge's Moraine)</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Ontario Nature </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Ecojustice</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Environmental Defense</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Canadian Environmental Law</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">David Suzuki </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">I'm thinking we really could form a coalition on this issue. The more we can proceed with this in a collaborative way the better and with First Nation's support it makes it all the stronger. We all are united by sustainability objectives and the need to protect water. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">I'm thinking we could approach each group to gather a summery report ( 1-3 pages) on what they want to see in revised aggregate legislation. What are the issues and solutions? They are welcome to provide attached reports/Info/weblinks to support their issues and it's good to provide so we have a mechanism to access case examples to use to illustrate the need for policy reform.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Once the data is centralized, we can begin to craft our master report which is a summery analysis of the feedback from these groups. Then we circulate the draft report to have peer reviewed to make sure everyone agrees on how they are represented in the document and once we have a consensus that the report is approved we then approach the Office of the Federal Auditor General.as a coalition of groups rather than simply GREN. That will carry far more political weight plus it is newsworthy. We can issue a formal press release issued by GREN once the information has been provided and in taking this approach, it will move GREN to a higher level of public awareness and promotion plus it opens us up to larger grant opportunities since it shows we take a collaborative approach. Supporting us supports others too. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">In my view the greatest issue we need to resolve is the Ontario MNR's judicial disconnect with the MOECC's mandate on source water protection. We can't protect the water without protecting the function of those rocks but the judicial boundaries are keeping us from viewing the totality of the risks during the planning, permit and enforcement phases. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">We also have issues with the fact the MNR is the promoter, regulator and enforcement body for aggregates and the Province of Ontario is the largest buyer. Going at this from a federal review will hopefully offer us more objective analysis without the overwhelming conflicts of interest.<br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">We can also use this as a vehicle to help push for a National Water Strategy. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">The first step I recommend to GREN would be to contact former ECO Minister Gord Miller to help guide us in the effort. He has been quite vocal on the need to revise aggregate practices to achieve long term sustainability objectives particularly in regards to source water protection. He is very familiar with the issues specific to the protection of the Waterloo and Paris Galt systems and I think he would be an excellent person to work with to help GREN craft our own position paper. Once our position paper is created, we can use that as a template for other groups to help form their reports with. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_5230"></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">In the attachment is the power point I submitted for the Ontario Aggregate review process. It is a document specific to Waterloo Region that provides a brief overview of some of the local risks and policy solutions that could be implemented. I'm sure man other GREN members have ideas to contribute to this as well so feel free to chime on on that. </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">So this is the vision I had on how this could be happen. What say GREN? Is this an approach you'd like to take? </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833">Lulu :0)</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"> </div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1457719515347_2833"><br></div></div></body></html>