LEGITIMATE GRAVEL PIT RULES IN CONTENTION

Today's Elmira Independent carries this story: "Several outstanding issues stall gravel pit expansion". The Woolwich Observer which isn't on-line until tommorrow also carries the same story. Two of the biggest issues, and to my mind most important ones, concern the "sunset" clause and the "vertical zoning". Far too often in the past have local gravel pits never been "rehabillatated" because the operators claim that they are still in production. The fact that the production may be for only a week per season makes it clear that the operators have no urgent need for the gravel. They are simply avoiding the "rehabillatation" . Furthermore you will see that I've put quotation marks around the word "rehabillatate". The sand and gravel removed was in fact filtering and cleaning groundwater on it's way to the nearest surface water body. Do not be fooled, every gravel pit and tonne of gravel produced has an environmental cost.

Secondly is the issue of "vertical zoning". All pits in the beginning must indicate whether they are excavating above or below the water table. Pits below the water table do far more environmental damage than those above. Not only is the removal of shallow gravel removing a filtering mechanism but below the water table extraction actually is removing parts of the aquifer itself. This aquifer is the transmitting roadway for groundwater to travel to it's discharge point ie. a creek or river. There are issues here with less water flowing into surface bodies as well as disruption for local wells. Finally also as the aquifer is now exposed at the surface there is a huge potential for surface contamination to reduce the quality of the groundwater. The argument from the proponents of this gravel pit on Middlebrook Rd. that they are already compiling with their Provincial License (Ministry of Natural Resources) does not hold water. One they can have the depth of extraction amended by the Province unilaterally and secondly if they are sincere about staying 1.5 metres above the water table then what is the problem having that condition as a Municipal condition as well as Provincial?