AGGREGATES REVIEW COMING TO WATERLOO REGION

Last Friday's Waterloo Region Record carrys Luisa D'Amato's Opinion piece titled "Gravel pit debate comes to the right place". There will be four days of hearings this summer which will be held in Waterloo Region as part of the review of the Aggregate Resources Act. At present, Woolwich Township which is a major producer of aggregates receives an eleven cent per tonne royalty for gravel extraction. This doesn't even cover the cost of increased road maintenance due to heavy truck useage much less any of the negative quality of life issues. Mayor Cowan expects to make a representation to the review committee and he will also be suggesting that aggregate companies get on with rehabillatation of old pits. Too often they never totally stop removing gravel and the pits continue as eyesores for decades.

The three proposed most controversial pits in Woolwich Township will also be discussed by Mayor Cowan. All three are to be located far too close to longterm residential neighbourhoods. These include West Montrose, Conestogo and Winterbourne. All three have a number of other significant problems associated with them that currently are not being adequately addressed by the Aggregate Resources Act. This Act is outdated and horribly biased in favour of the Aggregate Industry. It's way past time when the rights of citizens and residents are no longer given short shrift. Our governments can reform these abominations through the democratic process or they can start to expect more direct conflict along the lines of Caledonia, Oka and Ipperwash. No one wants that but if and when the people of this country see that democracy isn't working, they will look for other options.