NEWS FROM PITSENSE

The following is an extract from a recent newsletter which I received from The Pitsense Team.

- On December 10, 2010 many sections of Canada's Environmental Enforcement Act ("EEA") came into force. The EEA amends the offence, sentencing, penalty, and enforcement provisions of nine federal environmental statutes, including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, which states, in part, the objective of: “pollution prevention or the recycling, reusing, treating, storing or disposing of substances or reducing the release of substances into the environment”; These changes are pertinent to our concerns regarding the McCormick Pit, but could have little or no effect unless changes are made to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources inspection and enforcement capabilities. Consider the following:  

There has been a 52 percent decline in the number of MNR aggregate inspectors since 1994, when the government replaced annual inspections with industry self-reporting .

MNR inspectors attempt to visit only 20 percent of aggregate operations in person each year to verify industry compliance reports. Of those visited/surveyed in 2006-2007, 83 percent were found to have compliance problems.  

The problems are obvious; the solutions remain a bit obscure. PitSense needs your help to both identify and further analyse the issues related to inspection and enforcement, and bring pressure to bear on those agencies that can make the necessary changes to policies and legislation. This needs to happen before any new pits such as McCormick are approved. It is not possible for a few individuals to succeed without the active support from a united community. Please contact us to learn how you can help.  

- Part of the PitSense Mandate is to advocate a reduction in demand for ‘virgin’ aggregate by means of re-use, recycling, and material substitution. Progress does not stop, in fact it accelerates. Our research has uncovered a number of interesting projects. One exciting project involves proposals for reducing the use of asphalt on roads by substituting, of all things, glass! Please see:

http://www.pitsense.ca/alternatives.html?r=20110701103935  for a link to a short video on these developments. We believe that once the principle of ‘True Cost Accounting’ is applied to the aggregate industry then seemingly radical alternatives will become much more feasible. We intend to help this process along. Will you help us in our research and advocacy?  

- PitSense continues to monitor legislative and regulatory developments in other jurisdictions in order to add ‘state of the art’ information to our database. There have been two such developments in Quebec recently. One has to do with tightening up approvals for mining operations in the vicinity of settled communities. The other has to do with air emissions. In the 1996 Caledon Planning Report #96-36, in comments regarding the proposed James Dick pit expansion east of Kennedy Rd. it was stated: “Although dustfall levels exceed the provincial criterion, the marginal increase in dustfall resulting from the proposed expansion is not expected to have a noticeable effect.” [emphasis added] Reassuring words, but what is the reality? PitSense would like to know what actually happened, now that we are 15 years further down the ‘gravel’ road. Before the McCormick Pit proceeds any further we need to establish the relevant baselines for air and water quality. Again we urge you to get involved, become informed, and let your representatives, and PitSense, know where you stand.  

- With regard to PitSense efforts on behalf of the community and municipality to obtain compensation for economic damages caused by the McCormick Pit application, we have been advised by our legal counsel that we have a good case. They are recommending an approach that involves negotiation on behalf of our group at a high level with MPAC as opposed to individual appeals to the Assessment Review Board. To do this effectively they would like to be representing as many affected residents as possible. We already have a list of some of the property owners in the area who have submitted a ‘Request for Reconsideration’ to MPAC. We are now asking if there are any more community members who would like to be part of this action. Whether or not you submitted an RFR, please confirm your interest so we can give our counsel an idea of the numbers involved. WE will then share all related developments with those concerned. Refer to the map on our website at: http://www.pitsense.ca/targetmap.html?r=20110701105757   in order to determine if your property falls within the affected zone and the degree of potential economic impact.  

A number of you have been recently added to our email list. Please get in touch if at any time you wish to be removed from our list or if you know of anyone who would like to be added.  

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT and have a Happy Canada Day!  

Sincerely;

Your PitSense Team

AGGREGATE IN ONTARIO - TOWARD A NEW STRATEGY

An Evening with Rick Smith hosted by Gravel Watch Ontario
Professor Ric Holt and Elaine La Chappelle intoduced Gravelwatch by a brief historical review and an explanation of the way Gravelwatch serves as a focal point for the aggregate surveillance industry. See www.gravelwatch.org for details.
Rick Smith is a Canadian author, environmentalist and Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada and co-author of "Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health" a major Canadian best seller, featured by Oprah Magazine. Speaking about the Ontario Municipal Board ruling against a proposed Puslinch gravel pit, Smith stated" This is a significant win for this community and others facing aggregate operationsat the OMB, " saying, "It offers a detailed consideration of policies from the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement and makes the key finding that the aggregate policies do not override all other policies.
In Smith's presentation to some 100 attendees, he explained two examples of the toxicity of Phthalates and Bisphenal A "BPA" that are part of a new movement - Green Consumerism - The New Reality. Engaged, environmentally conscious consumers want new products and new ideas in land uses, health impacts, pollution control, toxic chemicals and energy generation. Environmental Defence Canada is leading the way in this area.
They are inititiating a new certification standard - SERA -Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate which is modelled after similar standards control in the forestry industries : FSC- Forest Stewardship Council. The objective is to set a world class standard that would be unique globally. Draft standards are on www.seracanada.ca. He estimates it will take approximately two years to establish the standards and SERA is seen as a mechanism to make the pit application process more proactive between all stakeholders involved. Pit mining companies would voluntarily certify their sites in a process that is more collaborative and less expensive for miners, the OMB and citizen groups.
A panel discussion followed :
Rick Pichette of the Ministry Of Natural Resources - Ontario said 60% of gravel bought by his government. 150 million tons are produced annually and 6 million tons are recycled. Rate of growth/demand in Golden Horseshoe in next 30 years will equal the last 30 years.
Mark Dorfman F.C.I.P., R.P.P. a well known planner in Ontario and author of recent "review of aggregates planning" discussed the Town Of Caledon, Rockford Quarry case and the need to find new approaches to locating pits that are not only sensitive to construction markets but also sensitive to people and nature. Sera, Ontario Aggregate Forum, Glap and Seros are all attempts to bring about a constructive and positive transition .
Tanya Markvart, Doctoral candidate, Urban Planning, University Of Waterloo is conducting research on sustainable natural resource management. She explained how the "top down" decision process must be changed to a collaborative process where all stakeholders work on a level playing field and the OMB high court confrontational method be abandoned as inefficient, lacking in consensus outcomes and unnecessarily expensive.
Interested parties are urged to get involved with Sera to hasten the development of solid, comprehensive standards that will take the Ontario aggregate industry forward into a highly productive and environmentally sound future.
Many of the attendees including Pitsense and Bridgekeepers that are featured links on www.gravelwatch.org were in the audience

TRAILS IN OUR REGION AND BEYOND

With the demise of the railroad network that was established after Confederation across Canada, many of these lines have been converted to trails for hiking, cycling, skiing, snowshoeing and other uses.

These rail lines make ideal trails because they are reasonably flat, they were wll constructed and therefore durable over time and many are well shaded by mature trees along their edges.
Citizens have banded together  to create, develop and promote these trails.

On May 14 this year one such trail - The Kissing Bridge Trailway - was promoted by an event - Spring On The Trail...2011. This is the inaugural event of what is planned as an annual spring event in which individuals and businesses can participate. In spite of the weather, participation was strong with representation by people all over our Region.

Hal Armstrong of Great Canadian Bike Tours and Jamie Hember of Grand Valley Trails Association were on hand and expounded on the many opportunities to get off the couch and get out the bike and go for it.

As has been explained in a book I recently read, Younger Next Year, exercise is the single most important factor to combine longevity with a high healthy quality of life out into your 80's and 90's.

Here are some links to explore to find what turns you on to the trails:
www.springonthetrail.ca     Kissing Bridge
www.grta.on.ca                   Grand River Trail
www.trektravel.com             Global
www.biketoursdirect.com
www.canadatrails.ca            Great Canadian Bike Tours
www.tbn.ca                          Great Canadian Bike Rally - Hamilton
www.bikeontours.on.ca
www.cyclecanada.com
www.rockymountaincycle.on/rockiesw.html
www.everytrail.com
Grab your helmut, gloves, padded shorts and tour pack and TAKE OFF

WATERLOO AIR SHOW

For the first time last year, I attended this air show and found it to be one of the best air shows I have ever experienced.
Starting with easy access to the field with GRT shuttle buses. The pre-show museum and big band entertainment was a treat and a thrill causing one to think back to those WWI and II days.
Many booths were set up on the interior field including food vendors.
The best feature of the show is the exposure to the field which is beside runways where the planes taxi to perform. Excellent photo opportunities to snap a real live operating Lancaster preparing for take-off or a sabre or Mig15.
The air show was one thrill after the other with amazing stunts with a wrapup spectacular show by Canada's own SNOWBIRDS. They make you real proud to be a Canadian.
Waterloo Region residents can be very proud of this show. In my opinion you will have to go a long way to see a better one.