THE REAL GRAVEL PIT ISSUES (For Me)

I have no doubt that residents in both Conestogo and Winterbourne will have negative impacts from the Jigs Hollow Pit (gravel). This would occur whether above or below groundwater extraction however below will exacerbate those negative impacts. At the same time I understand that the proponent (Kuntz & Preston Sand & Gravel) have a right to timely due process which they have not received.

For me it's about the bigger picture. It's about the proliferation of gravel pits all across the Region and across Ontario. Aggregate producers like to pretend that they are environmentally responsible by having a multitude of different gravel pits everywhere thus allowing them to underbid gravel contracts if their put is closer to the required gravel needs than their competition. I don't buy that for a second. It's all about them making more profit via more contracts via having the most pits licensed. The gas and diesel savings from haulage are going directly into their pockets and the nearby residents to these pits are merely collateral damage to their profits. Of course our Ontario government and Ministry of Natural Resources have been in a form of collusion with the aggregate producers forever. Why wouldn't they be. The association of aggregate producers are far more likely to make political party donations than the nearby individual residents.

There are indeed some necessary uses for sand and gravel. House and road construction come to mind. But each and every gravel pit located along the Grand River (and others) is death by a thousand cuts to the water quality in those rivers. That sand and gravel located along the rivers act as natural groundwater filters in removing sediments, bacteria, and other harmful matter from discharging
into creeks and rivers. Once removed by extraction that loss of a filter is permanent to the water body. As far as restoring prime agricultural soils via remediation after gravel extraction, that is just plain hooey. We had that explained by experts at the OMB hearing into the Hunder Pit (outside Conestogo) several years ago. Disturbed soil put into piles and then eventually regraded back takes decades to ever have its microbiological components restored to their original quality.

Gravel is a natural resource but it historically has not been extracted to the benefit of society or the environment as a whole. It has been extracted solely to the benefit of the aggregate producers and their fellow political travellors at the regional or provincial levels.