The MECP is currently considering changes to the Land Use Compatibility Guideline. Public comments to the proposed changes are invited until August 6, 2021 on the Environment Registry of Ontario: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2785
Changing land use compatibility guidelines can have a substantial effect on how aggregate operations are conducted and their location and impact on Caledon residents. The West Caledon Communities Aggregate Group’s principal concern is the unwarranted exemption, from application of the Area of Influence (AOI) and Minimum Separation Distance (MSD) in the Guideline, to land use decisions for new or expanding aggregate operations proposed near sensitive land uses. Read the letter and attachments at: Aggregate
To support us in requesting these changes are made by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, please consider copying the following into your personal submission to the https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2785 before August 6th. You can submit without setting up an account.
I support the recent letter and supporting documentation sent to you by the West Caledon Communities Aggregate Group (July 28th, 2021).
I respectfully request,
- that the MECP remove the unwarranted exemption from application of the Area of Influence (AOI) and Minimum Separation Distance (MSD) in the Guideline to land use decisions for new or expanding aggregate operations proposed near sensitive land uses.
- that MECP acknowledge “flyrock” (the ultimate adverse effect of blasting quarry operations) as a contaminant, pursuant to the 2013 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in Castonguay Blasting Ltd. v. Ontario (Environment);[1] and
- that MECP’s AOI (Area of Influence) and MSD (Minimum Separation Distance) apply to all major facilities, including new and expanding quarry operations, and sensitive land uses.
[1] Castonguay Blasting Ltd. v. Ontario (Environment), 2013 SCC 52 (CanLII), [2013] 3 SCR 323, <https://canlii.ca/t/g1038>, retrieved on 2021-07-12