Holloway states position on Melancthon Quarry

2011-08-25 / Local News

Dufferin-Caledon Liberal candidate Lori Holloway, reflecting the concerns of her constituents, has announced her strong opposition to the proposed mega-quarry in Melancthon. Over these past few weeks, Ive been talking to as many people as possible about the proposed quarry in Melancthon. Ive been meeting with local officials, community representatives and concerned citizens, to discuss all aspects of the proposed quarry. The more people I talk to, the more apparent it becomes, that this mega quarry just doesnt make sense, she said. People are telling me the proposed quarry is a concentration of too much activity in too small an area, and the potential impact on the water table is simply too much to risk, she added. Water is our most important resource; we cant live without it, and have to do everything we can to protect it. Im a mother, I have children. I am concerned about the environment, our water resources; the impact of an aggregate this size will have on our communities. I want to continue to raise my family here without concern, said Holloway. Beyond the environmental and safety concerns, the proposed quarry impacts the agricultural advantage of the region. Replacing valuable farmland and the crops that are enjoyed by Ontarians every day, with a stone quarry of this size, doesnt make sense. Calling the quarry application unprecedented, Ms. Holloway has drafted a series of steps she promises to take to the government, if elected. She says an unprecedented application requires an unprecedented approach, and she promises to push for action on a number of steps that will better support her community and their concerns about the proposed quarry. Steps she outlined include:

1. Asking the government to declare provincial interest on the issue, to give cabinet the responsibility and right to be involved 2. Imposing a moratorium, whereby the megaquarry cannot be built, without significantly more testing and research:  on class 1, 2 or 3 agricultural land, and/or  on unmapped watersheds, and/or  if the quarry extends below the water table A moratorium using any of these three options would also be used to halt further progression until reviews of the Aggregate Resources Act and the provincial policy statement related to land use planning and development have been completed, and to allow inclusion of additional analysis and testing processes or mechanisms. 3. Extending the powers of the Environmental Commissioner, for the purpose of giving this independent environmental watchdog the ability to evaluate the existing quarry application processes 4. Calling for a review of the Aggregate Resources Act, to keep processes current and better aligned with todays environmental and industrial standards. The current ARA was not set up to deal with an application of the scale of the proposed Melancthon quarry. Additionally, within the current provincial policy statement, aggregate trumps water and agriculture; which needs to be addressed under the PPS review that is now underway. 5. Seeking an environmental assessment, to fully examine the potential impact on the water supply, to give the public more time to be consulted, to bring forth additional critical evidence, plus add a consideration of community and social impact. Im here to defend the rights of my constituents, to fight for a fair and transparent process and demonstrate my commitment to the people of Dufferin- Caledon and my commitment to the environment, she said. I want to be elected to ensure the environment always comes first. If I see that this application doesnt address the issues brought forward as a result of the ARA process and the Environmental Registry, then I will under no circumstances support it.

The people have demonstrated a tremendous public voice, but there has been no strong political voice, said Ms. Holloway. I vow to change that. I promise to be a strong and passionate political voice for the riding on this issue and I will stand up and fight for Dufferin- Caledon. Ive done my homework on this issue and DufferinCaledon needs a champion at Queens Park.