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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">Dear Greners,
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<div>I called Chris Gosselin, environmental planner for the Region to check if there were any modifications made by the Province to the new Official Plan. </div>
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<div>The news is pretty bad. The protection of ESPAs (environmentally sensitive policy areas) from aggregate extraction, which had been in force for 16 years, is gone. There are still "some conditions", but the general prohibition is gone. The Region's prohibition
of aggregate extraction below the water table is also gone. These reverses have major implications for protecting groundwater quality, natural habitat protection, landscape integrity, and environmentally sensitive landscapes. The province had already deleted
the Region's proposed prohibition of aggregate extraction in the original terms of reference for the new ESL policy, and the ESLs are full of ESPAs, so if aggregate extraction can proceed in ESPAs, the ESLs are particularly weakened. Chris says they have never
seen such major reverses before in revising the official plan.</div>
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<div>I told Chris that I hoped the Region would appeal the decision. Please note that the window for appeals is very small. The Province announced approval of the butchered Plan on January 4th, and appeals must be in by January 24.</div>
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<div>I'm away until Jan 28 and can't do anything until then. Kevin, perhaps you could put the issue on the agenda for the next meeting of the ESL Liaison Committee and propose a motion of concern. GREN also needs to consider some action. Chris says that
they will be discussing concerns at the next Regional planning committee meeting (I think it occurs in the next few days) and then it will be brought up soon after at a Council meeting. Could the GREN executive pass a motion of concern and support for the
original safeguards and make an appearance at Council? This would also provide an opportunity to emphasize the importance of holding firm on the countryside line. I'm sure that there are other groups that would give support as well, but need to be mobilized.
The KW Field Naturalists are one, Gravelwatch (does anyone have a contact?) and the groups active on Waterloo moraine issues are other possibilities.</div>
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<div>I'm still here tomorrow.</div>
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<div>- Greg</div>
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