KUDOS TO THE REGION OF WATERLOO REGARDING GRAVEL PITS

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record has this story "Region fights for control over depth of gravel pits". I seriously doubt that there is an environmentalist or hydrogeologist out there who would deny the importance of protecting underground aquifers from being excavated and exposed to surface contaminants. We've all seen manmade lakes resulting from below water table extraction. The groundwater is pumped out while extraction is ongoing but afterwards the below water table holes slowly fill back up with groundwater forming small ponds and lakes. From this point on the gravel that had originally protected the groundwater by filtering out surface contaminants including agricultural runoff or even wildlife excrement is no longer there to do that job.

The Region of Waterloo while disappointing me on a number of environmental fronts nevertheless deserve credit for their efforts to protect groundwater from aggregate extraction. Their Official Plan limits the depth (below groundwater) that gravel pits may be allowed to excavate. Especially for a region so dependent upon groundwater, this is the right thing to do. Woolwich Township are also on board with the Region's attempts at "vertical zoning". At the moment there apparently is not a firm timetable as to when the Ontario Municipal Board will hear arguments concerning "vertical zoning".