Food and Water First
Food Water FirstCompany drops bid for mega quarry
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- Published on Thursday, 29 November 2012 23:24
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MELANCTHON TOWNSHIP
“It was a great day for democracy.”
That was the way Melancthon Mayor Bill Hill described the Nov. 21 decision by The Highland Companies to withdraw its application for a 2,300-acre mega quarry in the township.
The highly controversial quarry, which would have extracted an estimated one billion tonnes of limestone gravel over a 50 to 100-year span, was described as being one of the largest in North America.
The Highland Companies decision to abandon the project quashes any plans to restore a railway corridor through Dufferin County as part of the project, and also resulted in the resignation of company president John Lowndes.
The proposal has drawn considerable criticism since it was first announced two years ago - from politicians, farm and environmental groups, and councils concerned the quarry would lay waste to 2,300 acres of prime agricultural land and possibly impact ground water and local water courses, including the Grand River.
Highland Companies will continue to farm the land where it grows potatoes and packages them, with the help of 60 employees.
by Kris Svela
Published in "The Wellington Advertiser", Nov. 29, 2012