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10 - The Canadian-Champlon, Tueaday, October 10, 2000 v/Residents oppose Dufferin's plan for expansion By LISA TALLYN Special ta The Champion Plans by Dufferin Aggregates to, extend its Milton quanry northward has sparked conceros of residents who live in the area. A petition signed by 65 residenîs who live near the quarry and are concerned about the expansion was presented 10 Halton Hilîs counicil September 18. No. 15 Sideroad resident Marion McMeeken said residents in the area are organizing as a group, plan 10 mccl in the future, and hope 10 arrange a site visit wiîh Dufferin 10 sec where the exten- sion of the quarry and buffer lands are. Sarah Lowe, Dufferin Aggregates property resources manager, said the company bas bought 80 hectares 10 extend ils quarry along with an additîonal 160 hectares 10 act as a buffer. She said Dufferin plans to file ils application for the extension in the nexî three 10 five months. . Amendments 10 the Niagara Escarpment Plan as well as Halton "1We want to work with themn te, ininimi as much as possible the damage to, the envirooment, property values, lifestyles and our living condition." Region, Halton HuIs and Milton officia] plans, and a licence under the Aggregate Resources Act would be required. "We want to work with them to minimize as much as possible the damage te the environmienî, property values, lifestylea and our living conditions," said Ms MeMeeken. She added residents are also concemed about the impact the quarry will have on their water qualiîy and quantity. She added many of the quarrys neighbors have lived there for years. "We think our input should count for something," she said. Ms Lowe said moat of the people who signed the petition are 1.5 km away from the future extension ares and three residences, îwo on Sixth Line and one on Townline Road actually abut the quarry extension. "We understand their concernas and that is why we met with them," said Ms Lowe of a, meeting with some concemred residents in May. Ms Lowe said Dufferin Aggregates will not change ils haul route, and that trucks won'î be using No. 15 Sideroad or Sixth Line. 'What you sec is the final piece of the land îhal's available for licencing," said Ms Lowe when asked about future expansion plans. Ms Lowe said Dufferin plans t0 begin exîracting fromn the new quanry area in about eight years, when tbey estimale the current quarry will be depleled of resources. The additional quarry lands shoulId be operational for about l0Oto 12 years. She said Dufferin would be pleased 10 provide residents with a site tour. eDufferin shelis out big funds for environmental r e h a b ili t atio0n By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Over the years, the aggregate industry has taken a blasting with environmentalists. But lately industry leaders have been cleaning up their image wiîh elaborate rebabilitation plans for worked-out pita and quar- ries. Extensive rehabilitation efforts are well underway on the 467- hectare Dufferin Aggregates, which sprawls seross boîh Milton and Halton iEls. It bringing nature back mbt worked-out areas, including turkey vultures and swallows. Overaîl, about 231 plant species and 34 bird apecies se tboughl lo be neaîing in the newly-naturalized ameas. Deer and foxes have been seen scampcring through the cliffs, lakes, ponds, marahea and foliage of the repaired land. The Brue Trail even winds through a portion of il. Has received many awards Overaîl, Dufferin spenîls about $300,000 a ye4r on clesning up ils site, and bas won about 30 awards for ils efforts. In jarring contrast t0 Ibis example of nature in firsl bloom, Dufferin's active quariy bas been busy producing 40,000 tonnes of aggregale a day. Thal'a ils share of thse more than seven million tonnes of sand, gravel and crushed atone coaxed out of Milton earth in 1999. The demand is high. A booming market in boîb housing and road building bas created the need for about 155 million tonnes of aggregate in Ontario alone. But the induslry bas also been actively cleaning up ils image, parîly through the 1997 formation of the Ontario Aggregate Resourcea Corporation (TOARC). TOARC president David Sterrett appeared before lown counicil September 18 10 provide an updstc on the industry's rehab efforts, as well as present the Town wilh a $307,000 cheque. That represents a four cents per tonne fec which TOARC charges aggregsîe producers and tben turna over to municipali- lies. The hefty check is indicative of the amount of work that takes place in Milton, the largest aggregate pmoducing îown in the province. A prime aim of TOARC, which is s partnership bctween the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Aggregsîe Producers Association of Ontario, is 10 colîcct s trust from aggregsîc rev- enues. 'TOARC W55 10 do certain things the Minisîry of Natural Resources had previously donc," ssid Mr. Sterrett. "These ser- vices, once delivered in the province, are nol costing the tsxpay- crs money." Money from the trust is largely used to rehabilitate absndoncd pits and quarries. Il bas also been active in revoking the licences of producers who don't budget for quarry rehabilitation, which bas been mandatory under the Aggregaîe Resources Act since 1990. Since TOARC formcd, 34 licences bave been revoked, and a dozen or so more are under notice, said Mr. Sterrett. s