CAT BITES DOG, REGION STICKS UP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

OK the first 3 words of the heading are a touch sarcastic. Seriously though I am shocked by this story in yesterday's K-W Record. Here is the link to it. The ramifications of this are incredible. First of all the Region of Waterloo are clearly saying that removing sand and gravel, also known as overburden is not good for groundwater quality. Secondly they are focusing on the Mannheim West wells as well as the Wilmot wells used by the Region. It seems pretty obvious that if sand and gravel extraction near one wellfield is bad then clearly it can't be good near any wellfields.

I think that the province are showing their true colours here. Keep in mind that the Ministry of the Environment is an Ontario provincial ministry. How can you have a province (government) give absolute priority to the aggregate industry without exemptions based on environmental factors? How can this same province pretend that they have any true environmental ethics or priorities?

I have no doubt that some kind of a deal will be done and it will be done out of the public view. Nevertheless kudos should be given to the Region of Waterloo. Imagine any level of government actually digging in their heels and saying no to a higher tier government.