Q-and-A with NDACT regarding Strada's pending aggregate application in Melancthon

Details

Published on Friday, 18 March 2022 10:03

Hits: 11974

If the plans prove viable, NDACT will not oppose

By Tabitha Wells, Orangeville Banner
Thursday, March 17, 2022

As the North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) continues to work with Strada regarding an expected application to dig below the water table at their current operation in Melancthon, they are also working to help property owners stay apprised of the best ways to proceed.

In early March, the NDACT sent out an email advising property owners to hold off on providing Strada access to their properties for hydrology studies until the two groups have a signed agreement.

NDACT chair Karren Wallace says the hydrology studies will take place over the next year or two.

We spoke with Wallace to find out more.

Q: Why should property owners wait for an agreement between NDACT and Strada?

A: The benefit to waiting would be a clearer understanding of the Wells and Natural Features program being developed, including the extent of the study area and access to the remediation fund should someone's well/natural feature be impacted in the future.

NDACT is not recommending that landowners shouldn’t participate in the well/water studies. Should a landowner deny access to a proponent to conduct water studies, and should they be impacted later, it would be hard to prove fault without a baseline.

We are just asking them to wait until the agreement is signed.

Q: If property owners do not grant access to their properties, will this impact the study?

A: Absolutely. The wider the study area is, the better for not only Strada, but the landowners. In order to get a widespread baseline, the more landowners that participate, the better.

Q. How are talks going?

A: We had a very productive meeting with Strada on March 11, 2022, in which a greater understanding on both sides was achieved with some common goals reached. The discussions are ongoing.

Q: If NDACT will not challenge the development based on the viability, what purpose does an agreement serve?

A: The agreement is all about the scientific viability of the quarry and also provides for benefits to the community. If the studies conclude that the quarry could not operate without adverse environmental impacts, then Strada will not proceed with the application. If, on the other hand, the science proves that the quarry is viable, then NDACT is prepared not to object to the filing of the application.

NDACT and Strada are negotiating both a Community Recreational Improvement Fund and a Wells and Natural Features Program.

At this point, no one knows, including Strada, whether the proposed quarry is viable. By bringing the necessary pre-application tests and their results into the public domain … this can support public confidence in the project.

Q: Some concerns online surrounded the belief NDACT is against gravel excavation and development — what response would you provide?

A: NDACT is not against aggregate. During the Megaquarry, NDACT did not fight against aggregate but did fight for better planning and solid science behind an application. Since the Megaquarry days, NDACT has learned much — particularly that a seven-plus year battle is costly (in more ways than financial) for all participants and the community and that there just has to be a better way to manage through the ARA process.

Q: Anything else you think is important for homeowners who could be impacted to know?

A: NDACT has agreed to work with Strada in order to make sure that no homeowner is negatively impacted. That is our purpose.

Other things we encourage is for people to get involved, reach out with questions and be informed. We are here to help and find/facilitate answers. Identify the water and natural features (ponds, wetlands, creeks and waterways even if those are seasonal) on your property and have those registered and monitored with Strada once our agreement is signed. This would hold true for those landowners who might not be within one kilometre of the proposed site but are concerned even so they might be two or three kilometres from the Strada location on the 4th Line, Melancthon.

Discussions with Strada Aggregate set to begin this week

Details

Published on Monday, 14 March 2022 17:45

Hits: 14956

Written by Paula Brown
March 10, 2022,  Shelburne Free Press

Discussions between grassroots organization North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) and Strada Aggregate regarding a proposed quarry are set to begin this Friday (March 11). 

But, in the meantime NDACT published a news release recommending landowners wait to provide access to their property pending an agreement between Strada and NDACT. 

“We’re suggesting that it might be better to wait because if [the proposal] goes through there’s no requirement for a fund of any type should water be compromised. Individual landowners have to take the proponent to court and prove their damages and that’s costly,” said Karren Wallace, chair of NDACT. 

In early February, Strada Aggregate agreed to meet with NDACT to discuss the local groups proposed terms and conditions regarding the proposal to quarry below the water table. 

NDACT previously released a list of key terms and conditions they were requesting Strada Aggregate follow. The first condition the local taskforce requested was the hiring of a community trusted consultant, whose findings would dictate the other conditions. 

NDACT said if the consultant agreed with the science behind the application and deemed it viable, the taskforce would be prepared to not challenge the application. As part of the agreement not to challenge, Strada is asked to create a substantial fund to aid in court costs for residents who may experience water problems as well as commit to an annual funding of 10 cents per tonne of their extracted aggregate to the Honeywood Arena. 

However, if the consultant sees the reports and does not agree that the science is supported, Strada is requested to not continue with the application. 

NDACT said Strada has notified them that they will be conducting a study on ground and surface water resources and have already begun to reach out to properties within a kilometer of the prosed quarry site. 

Wallace told the Free Press that Friday’s meeting will negotiate the creation of the fund once the application has been approved, which will assist certain landowners to remedy water problems experience during the lifetime of the quarry. 

NDACT Press Release Mar. 7, 2022

Details

Published on Tuesday, 08 March 2022 15:55

Hits: 13599

For Immediate Release: March 7, 2022

This public message is brought to you by NDACT.

At our January 15, 2022, Community Meeting, NDACT proposed that if the science behind Strada Application Studies is deemed viable, NDACT is prepared to not challenge the application.

We are working with Strada to negotiate the creation of a fund to be established once the application has been approved. This fund will assist certain landowners to rmedy water problems experienced during the lifetime of the quarry.

Section 12 (e) of the Aggregate Resources Act states that an applicant must show there are any possible effects on ground and surface water resources including provate wells and natural water features.

Strada has notified NDACT that they will be conducting this study. Strada will be seeking permission to access the properties of landowners within 1 kilometer of their proposed quarry site.

As a property owner you should be aware that you do not have to give consent to Strada to access your land.

To protect your interests, NDACT reccommends landowners wait to provide access to their property pending an agreement between NDACT and Strada.

For further information contact:

Nanci Malek

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Strada's Zoning Amendment Documentation 2017 & 2018

Details

Published on Tuesday, 08 February 2022 02:54

Hits: 12294

Local agriculture group shares list of requests for proposed gravel pit

Details

Published on Friday, 28 January 2022 02:36

Hits: 4447

Posted in the Shelburne Free Press
January 27, 2022

Written by Paula Brown

North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce (NDACT) has released a list of requests for Strada Aggregate, a company proposing to quarry below the water table at a gravel pit near Honeywood.

The locally based volunteer taskforce held a virtual public meeting on Jan. 15 to discuss and receive input from community stakeholders on their strategy to approach Strada Aggregate regarding the quarry proposal. The meeting saw over 300 individuals in attendance virtually.

On Jan. 24, NDACT released a list of key components they are requesting Strada follow, starting with the hiring of a community trusted consultant.

NDACT said if the consultant agrees with the science behind the application studies and the science is deemed viable, they are prepared to not challenge the application. They added that as part of this agreement they request Strada create a substantial fund to aid in court costs for people who may experience water problems, and commit annually to funding 10 cents per tonne of their extracted aggregate to the Honeywood Arena.

“We think this is a reasonable approach,” said Karren Wallace, chair of NDACT. “If it’s going to go ahead, these are the two asks that we would like.”

However, NDACT notes that if the community trusted consultant sees the reports and does not agree that the science is supported, they ask that Strada keep their word and not continue with the application.

“Should Strada still pursue an application for a quarry, NDACT would fully engage in opposing such a quest,” reads the NDACT press release.

The Strada Aggregates quarry proposal was first brought up in October of 2021 with a presentation to Melanchthon Council.

Located in the area of 4th Line and County Rd. 17 in Melanchthon, Strada Aggregates has operated as an active gravel pit since 2004.

The company is now proposing an aggregate quarry, with assessments and studies being completed on the feasibility to extract below the water table.

If the reports of a company proposing to quarry below the water table in the region of North Dufferin sounds familiar, it’s because it is. In 2011, an application was put forth by Highland’s Company proposing a limestone ‘mega-quarry’, and was later pulled from the application following a “Stop the Quarry” campaign.

In their presentation, Strada said while close in location to the former ‘mega-quarry’, theirs will be one tenth the size of the mega-quarry, and will be extracting 2 million tonnes as opposed to 10 million. It would also be located in an existing gravel pit rather than on agricultural land.

While Strada indicates the quarry will be different, Wallace argues that apart from size, the community is facing the same challenges and concerns regarding water.

“You need to be sure that once you’ve tapped into that bedrock, you know what you’re doing,” said Wallace.

A decade since their fight against the mega-quarry, NDACT continues to meet on a monthly bases, in preparation for another quarry proposal.

“It’s always been not if it comes back, but when it is going to come back again,” explains Wallace.

She added that NDACT has already seen community members expressing their displeasure since the new quarry was proposed.

“People are weary. It’s one thing when you’re taking gravel at the top of some land, but it’s profoundly different when you start blasting into the bedrock and the aquifer,” said Wallace.

Strada’s projected timeline for submission of application for the quarry is late 2022.