AGGREGATE RISKS & THE WATERLOO MORAINE

Latest News July 14/2010

Region of Waterloo is trying to protect our municipal ground water supply from damages by aggregate interests but there is resistance by the Provincial and Aggregate companies. Click button for details:

 

 

The State of Aggregate Resouces in Ontario Study (SAROS) will determine the next 20 years worth of aggregate extraction in Canada and there is currently NO regard for the value of aggregates left in place or the roll they play in providing surface and groundwater resouces and no value placed on the roll of aggregates to farming and agricultural interests. There is no assessment of the roll aggregate plays in maintaining biodiversity or the affect it will have on the Great Lakes. Scientifically speaking, you cannot separate the roll of aggregates from the flow and flow rates of water resouces. This report raises serious concerns for the integrity and long term sustainability of Municipal Water Supplies and our provincial and national economy and environment.

The MNR released the summery report but I had to use the Freedom of Information Act to get the supporting documents to the public. The data clearly shows aggregate interests dominiated the report.

To view the data, click the button.

 

 

To view Gravel Watch's Criticisms of the Saros Report visit here:

 

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

The MNR at the Provincial and Federal Level PROMOTE the use of Crown Land aggregate and fossil fuel resouces while at the same time, they act as the REGULATOR, issuing permits and assuring environmental compliance by way of enforcement. This is a totally BIASED SYSTEM. The provinces make money when these resouces are exploited. View the Province of Ontario's Strategic Management of Crown Lands for Ontario at this weblink. (pdf file)

This map illustrates areas identified as Primary Recharge in the Region of Waterloo. Note the presence of Primary recharge in Wellesley.

(See the yellow part in the UPPER LEFT CORNER)

This map is the REVISED map to be added to our Regional Official Planning Policy of our Source Water Protection Areas.

Note the ABSENCE of the primary recharge in Wellesley. That area will NOT be protected.

 

 

In the next map, note how much aggregate is anticipated to be extracted along the Grand River, a National Heritage River and the primary water supply for folks downstream.

Primary recharge areas gather 80% of the water in the entire moraine area but only take up 20-30% of the land mass but they STILL allow quarries be built OVERTOP them and they still allow quarries in well head protection areas!

The Waterloo Moraine exists because the sand and gravel, allow our aquifers and the Grand River to recharge. We cannot remove these resources without compromising this natural hydrogeological system.

 

The exclusion of Wellsley's Preliminary Recharge areas in the updated source protection maps violates the following Policies:

PPS 2005 section 2.2.1
Planning authorities shall protect, improve or restore the quality and quantity of water by:
c) identifying surface water features, groundwater features, hydrologic functions and natural heritage features and areas which are necessary for the ecological and hydrological integrity of the watershed.

Region of Waterloo’s Water Resource Protection Strategy (WRPS)
The WRPS is designed to minimize the impact of historic, existing and future water land uses on municipal water supplies. It achieves this through the following four components:

• Identify and map sensitive areas
• Identify potential threats and sources of contamination to sensitive areas
• Develop programs and policies to protect sensitive areas from threats
• Increase awareness of water resources protection issues and what the Region is doing to address these issues to local residents.