Local group seeks Federal environmental assessment for “Caledon Mega Quarry”

Forks of the Credit Preservation Group appeals to Minister of Environment and Climate Change

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Efforts continue to stop the creation of a massive blasting quarry in Caledon. 

On August 3, the Forks of the Credit Preservation Group (FOTCPG) sent a letter to Steven Guilbeault, the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, asking for a federal environmental assessment for the quarry. 

Brazilian conglomerate Votorantim Cimentos, through its affiliate CBM Aggregates, is looking to build an over 700-acre below-water table blasting quarry south of Alton to extract limestone bedrock. It submitted plans for the quarry to the Town of Caledon's planning department on March 23.

The quarry has been dubbed the “Caledon Mega Quarry” by the FOTCPG in a recent lawn sign campaign. 

The FOTCPG's letter notes the proposed quarry is adjacent to the Credit River, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, Bruce Trail, Niagara Escarpment, and two historic rail trails. 

“If approved, this blasting quarry would utterly destroy vast tracts of prime agricultural land, adjacent forests, and natural habitat — forever,” wrote David Sylvester, chair of the FOTCPG in the letter.

The FOTCPG is a legally incorporated non-profit run by volunteers in Caledon and beyond, who care about the environmental integrity of the Forks of the Credit.

According to the Government of Canada, environmental assessments are done to support planning and decision making. They are led by a review panel or the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

“Through the environmental assessment process, the potential adverse environmental effects of a project are identified,” reads the Government of Canada website. 

If a project is likely to have adverse effects, the Government will identify mitigation or restitution measures that will need to be taken by whoever is managing the project. Projects subject to an environmental assessment can't proceed until a decision statement on the assessment has been issued.

The FOTCPG said while aggregate resources are normally controlled by the Province, it has identified several issues with the quarry proposal that would make it subject to Federal regulation. The group said the issues include fish habitat, eight species of local animals that would be threatened by the quarry, and the exacerbation of climate change.

One of the FOTCPG's main concerns with the quarry is its impact on local brook trout, a rare species. It said as the quarry would be excavating at depths of over 80 feet — below the water table — millions of litres of groundwater would need to be pumped out of the quarry to the Credit River to maintain a dry working area. The Credit River is a cold-water habitat that the brook trout need to survive, said the FOTCPG. 

“It is simply inconceivable that these threatened brook trout could survive the environmental

onslaught,” wrote Sylvester.

Sylvester said he and the FOTCPG would like to meet with Guilbeault as soon as possible to review important details about the quarry proposal.

“Given the profound environmental impacts of this proposal, we emphatically believe that a

Federal environmental assessment would be totally justified in this case,” wrote Sylvester.

In an interview with the Citizen, Sylvester explained the FOTCPG has recently met with Dufferin-Caledon MP Kyle Seeback. According to Sylvester, Seeback told the FOTCPG he will personally ensure that Guilbeault receives their letter, news the FOTCPG found to be encouraging. Sylvester said Federal environmental assessments set the bar very high for developments.

“We're hoping that Guilbeault will pay attention and make the right decisions here,” said Sylvester.