The title of the article in the Waterloo Region Record on March 31, 2023 was "Gravel industry arguments don't hold water". The President of the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition is Mr. Doug Tripp. He takes no prisoners in his critique of the gravel industry's claims that gravel mining is safe for water. Mr. Tripp is confident that both ground and surface water suffer when the nearby overburden of sand and gravel are removed from aquifers. This reduces the amount of filtration of contaminants fom the surface. He also feels that the actual equipment being used by gravel operators often is not well handled and spills of fuel and lubricants occurs. Then there is the use of below water table extraction which leaves a lake behind which is a direct conduit to the aquifer. Other issues include water being used as a dust suppressant on roads as well as for washing gravel. All in all Mr. Tripp is very skeptical of most of the claims of aggregate being a clean, pro environment industry.
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