Local residents are coming out against plans to expand a Milton quarry, with some of the subject lands in Halton Hills.
Citizens and regional councillors questioned Dufferin Aggregates about its proposal at a public meeting Wednesday (May 17).
The company filed an application in 2021 asking the Region to redesignate a 30.5-hectare parcel of land as a “mineral extraction area.”
The actual extraction area within that area will be about 15.8 hectares. Most of the quarry is on the Milton side of the municipal boundary. However, if allowed, the property will spill over further into Halton Hills.
Several residents took issue with the expansion, like John Kowalski, who lives north of the property.
“We purchased [our] property seven years ago, restored a home, made it our dream home. And as a result of the blasting, the house is crumbling; our well has been compromised,” Kowalski asserted.
In response to Oakville Councillor Allan Elgar’s question on the subject, planner Brian Zeman, on behalf of Dufferin, said “there is monitoring that takes place for every blast that takes place.”
“The blasting is within provincial limits and those provincial limits are designed to ensure that structures and foundations are protected,” Zeman elaborated.
President of Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER) Doris Treleaven made it known that “POWER does not endorse the application for a new quarry.”
“This is a new quarry; this is not an extension,” Treleaven contended. “The [Niagara] Escarpment is being diced up by a thousand cuts and bleeding to death.”
Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville asked what sort of public consultation Dufferin has done, beyond the ones required by law.
“We do operate a community advisory panel,” Dufferin Director of Property Kevin Mitchell said. “It consists of two councillors form Halton Hills, two councillors from the Town of Milton and also three or four neighbours.”
The application will continue to be reviewed by the Joint Agency Review Team (JART). The team consists of Halton Region, specific concerned local municipalities - in this case Halton Hills and Milton - and any other relevant agencies. The JART process will bring forward a report to regional council, at which point council will vote on the matter.
"The timing of this report is dependent on the nature of the issues being explored and the timing of responses from the proponent (Dufferin Aggregates) related to technical questions from the JART," reads a report to regional council.
