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Friday, May 29, 2009 - Flamborough Review
Quarry objections under review

Officials with St. Marys Cement (SMC) will spend the next several months trying to resolve the objections of residents, municipalities, government agencies and key community stakeholders to its application for an aggregate licence from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). The company is seeking a licence for a proposed quarry on 11th Concession East and Milburough Line.

Read the Full Story (57 KB)

Thursday, May 28, 2009 - Halton Compass
MOE now objects to St Marys' application

In perhaps the most damning of indictments thus far, the Ministry of Environment has now objected to the St. Mary's quarry application, presently sitting in the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Read the Full Story (467 KB)

Thursday, May 21, 2009
FORCE submits objection to MNR and St Marys Cement (CMB) - 45 Day ARA Consultation Period Ends

FORCE submitted objections to the Ministry of Natural Resources and St Marys Cement (CBM), during the offical 45 day public notification and consultation period as outlined in the Aggregate Resouce of Ontario Provincial Standards. The following doucments and experts reports were included with our Communities' submissions:

FORCE Objection Cover Letter (51 KB)
FORCE ARA Community Issues Review Report (374 KB)
Aquatic Environment Review - Aquafor Beech Ltd. (48 KB)
Hydrogeologic Review - Intera Engineering Ltd. (105 KB)
Natural Environment Review - North-South Environmental Inc. (157 KB)

We now move into Step 5 of the ARA Application process, "Resolution of Objections".

During this phase, which can last up to 2 years after the public notice, St Marys Cement will attempt to resolve all objections to its proposal.

If objections are resolved, St Marys Cement is required

If objections are not resolved,

We must be ready to respond to St Marys recommendations within the 20 day notice period. Sample responses and contact information will be provided for everyone to use.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Community and Stakeholders overwhelmingly object to proposed Flamborough Quarry

Consultation results leave St Marys Cement "between a Rock and a Hard Place"

Municipalities, government agencies, key community stakeholders, and the public all responded with an overwhelming "NO" to St Marys Cement and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) during the 45 day notification and consultation period for the proposed Flamborough quarry. The deadline for filing objections, under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) process, ended May 21, 2009. In addition, FORCE is aware of more than 750 individual letters of objection that were copied to the community group, by local residents, farms, and businesses, and by supporters from across the GreaterToronto Area, who value the area for its cycling, hiking, local food, and natural features. Hundreds of comments were also filed on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry. More than 500 people attended both the FORCE public meeting on April 15, 2009 and the proponent's public information session held at the Waterdown Legion Hall on April 27, 2009. This level of public engagement is significantly higher than typical applications receive.

The objection letters filed were comprehensive and covered numerous issues, including hydro-geology and drinking water, natural features (such as Provincially Significant Wetlands, Significant woodlands, ecologically sensitive areas, connectivity, and species at risk), transportation and haul routes, other social and economic community impacts, loss of agricultural lands, air quality, noise and vibration, rehabilitation, and Official Plan and Greenbelt Plan compliance, among other matters. The agency stakeholders noted that these numerous outstanding issues and concerns made the license application, in their professional opinions, and supported by peer reviews, unacceptable. Even MNR has written to St Marys Cement indicating that "...the ministry is not in a position to support the license, at this time." Also importantly, many individuals took the time to write very personal letters of objection that highlighted the issues to them that make this such an outrageous proposal within our communities.

A sample of the objecting municipalities, government agencies, and key community stakeholders include:

We congratulate everyone who took the time and effort to object, and thank our community stakeholders for uniting together to object to this massive open pit mine. We will continue to work together with key stakeholders and our supporters to stop the quarry! St Marys Cement will review the results of the consultation and has until April 3, 2011 to attempt to resolve objections and to get stakeholders and the public to withdraw them.

To review all documentation related to St Marys Cement's Aggregate Application go to our ARA page.

Friday, May 1, 2009 - Flamborough Review
Water, traffic top quarry concerns

Hundreds of local residents flocked to the Waterdown Legion Monday evening to voice concerns and learn more about St. Marys Cement's proposed Flamborough Quarry and the company's application for an aggregate licence.

The hall was divided into seven areas: site plan, planning, traffic, noise, water, natural environment and blasting. Attendees, including members of the anti-quarry group FORCE (Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment) and Ward 15 councillor Margaret McCarthy, had the opportunity to ask the field experts in each sector questions.

Read the Full Story (57 KB)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - Halton Compass
Milton Pushes MNR to dump St. Marys application

While most of Milton's councillors have at one time or another expressed concerns over the St Marys' quarry application, those issues were hit hard and put on paper for the first time at the April 27 council meeting.

Read the Full Story (368 KB)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - Ontario Farmer
Quarry opponents vow to fight on as MNR opens consultations

Carlisle - Opponents are girding for a protracted political battle against a quarry that St Marys Cement wants to install in a farming area outside Carlisle, now the Ministry of Natural Resouces has said the international firm's license application is ready to be put formally to the public.

Read the Full Story (368 KB)

Friday, April 24, 2009 - Flamborough Review
Opposition remains strong

It has been almost five years since residents in northeast Flamborough learned that plans were afoot for a quarry on the north side of 11th Concession Road East near Milburough Line. But despite the passage of time, the groundswell of community protest remains as strong today as it did when news of the proposal first surfaced.

"The numbers matter," said Graham Flint, chair of the anti-quarry group FORCE (Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment) as he commended area residents for continuing to stay engaged in a process that is lengthy and at times, for affected homeowners, very frustrating.

Read the Full Story (32 KB)

Thursday, April 23, 2009
Copies of St Marys Cement’s Aggregate Licence Application documents are available for Community Review

FORCE has arranged for copies of St Marys Cement’s Aggregate Licence documents to be available for public review at both the Waterdown Municipal Centre and the Carlisle Branch of the Hamilton Public Library. The hours of the Carlisle library should allow those with typical weekday responsibilities to access the documents in the evenings and on Saturday.

City of Hamilton
Waterdown Municipal Service Centre
163 Dundas Street East, Highway #5
Monday through Friday, except holidays.
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Carlisle Branch Library
496 Centre Road, Carlisle
Hours:
onday: 2 - 8 pm
Tuesday: 2 - 8 pm
Wednesday: 2 - 8 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: Closed

Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tremendous Turnout in Opposition to Licence Application! Thank You!

Close to 500 Community friends and neighbours gathered at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School on Wednesday April 15th 2009 for an update on the St Marys Cement proposed Flamborough Quarry. For almost two hours we reviewed how the proposal poses real threats to our water, our rural economy, and our safety in driving, biking and walking within our community. We also explained the aggregate licence process and provided instructions on how to object to the Aggregate Licence Application.

Toward the end of the evening good news from Hamilton City Hall was welcomed with a round of applause. Councillor Margaret McCarthy’s motion that the City of Hamilton object to the Aggregate Licence Application, and that the City calls on the Minister of Natural Resources to refuse the licence application was unanimously passed by City of Hamilton Council.

It is both compelling and remarkable that as the fifth anniversary of our fight approaches, close to 500 people are still making time on a weekday evening to learn how we can all work together to defeat St Marys Cement! Hundreds of objection letters were collected during the meeting and will be delivered to both the Ministry Natural Resources and St Marys Cement. Thank You to everyone who made the night such a tremendous success.

(Friends and neighbours who could not attend the April 15th meeting at OLMC and who have not yet objected to the ARA application can find complete instructions as to what needs to be done on the home page of this website.)

Thursday, April 23, 2009 - Halton Compass
Councillor slams St Marys' pitch as 'bribery'

When St Marhs made a special appeal to Hamilton City Council on April 15, the day of a council vote on them, Flamborough Coucillor Margaret McCarthy slammed them, calling their tafctics "little better than thinly-veiled bribery."

Read the Print Copy (439 KB)

Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Flamborough Review
Letter of the week

Thank you for all of the recent coverage about St. Marys Cement and its application to develop a quarry in our community. I was able to put this week's FORCE meeting and the upcoming company open house into my calendar.

I did not even find the tiny community notice ad that St. Marys Cement, my so-called "good neighbour", placed in the Review’s April 3rd edition about its license application and open house, until a real neighbour drew it to my attention.

Please keep up the good work! Your local paper is an important source of information on this community issue, especially for those of us who do not have Internet service. I look forward to reading about what is happening over the coming weeks.

Bev Childs, Campbellville

Read the Print Copy (27.51 KB)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - Hamilton Spectator
Two quarry meetings tomorrow

St. Marys Cement's controversial quarry application will be debated at two public meetings tomorrow night.

As Hamilton city council considers a motion asking the provincial government to refuse a licence for the quarry, at least 400 supporters of anti-quarry group FORCE are expected to gather at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Carlisle.

Spokesperson Mark Rudolph says the FORCE meeting is intended to prepare people to ask questions at a five-hour walk-in session the company will hold at the Waterdown Legion Hall April 27.

Read the Full Article (42.8 KB)

Thursday, April 9, 2009 - Halton Compass
FORCE adds muscle to its roster

Perhaps one of the strongest citizen advocacy groups ever created in these parts, FORCE is not content to rest on its laurels.

FORCE (Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment) sprung up several years back, made up of northern Flamborough residents, all with a single goal in mind - to stop the St Marys quarry application.

Read the Full Article (415 KB)

Friday, April 3, 2009 - Hamilton Spectator
Now's time to comment on plan for huge quarry

St. Marys Cement is starting the countdown to an almost-inevitable provincial public hearing on its controversial plan for a huge limestone quarry northeast of Carlisle. A notice in today's Spectator announces the beginning of a 45-day period for individuals, organizations and public bodies to comment on the company's application for an aggregate licence from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Read the Full Article (58 KB)

Friday, April 3, 2009 - Flamborough Review
Quarry meetings this month

St. Marys Cement triggering the 45-day consultation and notification period of its aggregate licence application today (April 3), opponents to the Flamborough Quarry are taking additional steps to strengthen their position on the proposal.

Even as their lawyers and technical experts are reviewing the large amount of documentation submitted by the aggregate company in support of their application, members of FORCE (Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment) are mounting a vigorous campaign to voice objections to the proposed 66.4-hectare quarry on 11th Concession Road East near Milburough Line.

Read the Full Article (86 KB)

Friday, April 3, 2009 - Flamborough Review - Opinion Letter
A third option open to MNR

I find myself unsettled by comments from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) concerning the recent application under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) by St. Marys Cement for a licence to establish a giant quarry in my community.

In the March 13 issue of the Review, Dianne Cornish quotes an MNR source as saying that there are two possible outcomes to the ARA application process.

Read the Full Article (121 KB)

Monday, March 30, 2009
St Marys Cement ARA Application update

Many local residents will have received or will be receiving a letter from Harrington and Hoyle Ltd, on behalf of St Marys Cement, notifying them of the Aggregate Resource Act Licence Application made by St Marys Cement. We believe these letter were sent to residents within 120 metres of the proposed quarry.

A full program has been prepared to assist the community with this next stage of activities. Further information will be posted to the website by Friday April 3rd, the start of the official commenting period. A community meeting has also been arranged for Wednesday April 15th when details of the application will be reviewed and the steps of application process will be explained. Any objections or comments on the licence application must be submitted during the official comment period which will run between April 3rd and May 21st in order to be considered. Template objection letters will be made available on the website and at the community meeting. Until the comment period begins there is no action recommended.

Please check the website frequently for further updates.

Thursday, March 19, 2009 - Halton Compass
Halton's Health Officer weights in on St Marys

Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton's Medical Officer of Health, has expressed grave concerns over the St Mary's quarry application to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The proposed quarry, which falls on the Campbellville-Flamborough border, could have adverse effects of the Halton residents' water supply, warned Nosal in a letter to Diane Schwier, an aggregate specialist in the MNR's Guelph office.

Read the Full Article (358 KB)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - Ontario Farmer
Quarry application faces hurdles

A controversial bid by St Marys Cement for a license to install a limestone quarry in a farming area north of Carlisle is running into more obstacles from some public agencies and a grassroots group of farmers and residents opposed to the project.

Read the Full Article (345 KB)

Friday, March 13, 2009 - Flamborough Review
MNR clarifies quarry application process

Even as the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) joined Hamilton’s medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, in expressing the need for St. Marys Cement (SMC) to complete water pumping tests at its proposed Flamborough Quarry before proceeding with the aggregate licence process, SMC was making arrangements last week to hold a public information meeting as part of the consultative stage of the process. The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), which ruled the application complete last week, stepped into the fray this week in hopes of clarifying the process by providing answers to questions posed by the Review last week.

Read the Full Article (88 KB)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 - Halton Compass
Will MOE revoke St. Mary's Permit?
As strongly-worded letter from the Ministry of the Enviornment's Hamilton office indicates that the MOE is poised to pull St. Mary's Permit to take Water (PTTW) later this month.

Responding to a letter he received from St. Marys questioning the importanct of continued water recirculation tests, Carl Slater, a director with the MOE told the aggregate giant that "it is the Ministry's position that the hydrogeological studies completed to date have not provided information to conclude that the proposed Groundwater Recirculation System is an acceptable mitigation solution for the site."

Read the Full Article (398 KB)

Sunday, March 8, 2009
MOE TELLS ST MARYS CEMENT: REDO WATER TESTS OR YOUR PERMIT TO TAKE WATER WILL BE REVOKED - WHILE - MNR SAYS YOUR AGGREGATE LICENSE APPLICATION IS "COMPLETE"

On March 5, FORCE learned that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) set a March 20, 2009 deadline for revoking the Permit to Take Water (PTTW) issued to St Marys Cement for testing related to its proposed Flamborough quarry. The deadline is contained in a letter that MOE sent to St Marys Cement in response to a January 22, 2009 letter from the company where St Marys Cement said it would not redo pump tests. The letter defended the ministry's decision to require the company to redo baseline pump tests and indicated that if the company does not change its position about redoing the testing asked for by the MOE, the PTTW will be revoked.

The MOE communication is important for our communities because:

So far, St Marys Cement has indicated that it does not intend to redo the pump test. If the PTTW is revoked, no mitigation system of any kind will have been tested on the site. The company will have offered no proven, viable plan to decision-makers at the province, the City of Hamilton and neighbouring municipalities, that it can protect our drinking water, streams, and wetlands. This should make it harder for an aggregate license or Official Plan and zoning changes to be approved.

The MOE action followed on the heels of a Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) administrative decision on March 3, 2009. The MNR decision found the St Marys Cement aggregate license application to be "complete". The company is now authorized to move onto public and agency notification and consultation stages under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) process.

The MNR decision is disappointing, but not surprising. FORCE had asked for a comprehensive review of the application, on behalf of our communities. It was expected, however, that MNR would merely complete an inventory checklist to ensure that necessary reports were present, rather than evaluating their quality.

Hamilton Public Health Services also questioned the completeness of the St Marys Cement application. In a February 10, 2009 letter, the Medical Officer of Health again expressed public health concerns about a proposed limestone quarry on the site. She noted the potential risk for adverse impacts upon groundwater quality and quantity, and asked MNR to consult MOE regarding the completeness of the hydrogeology reports that may have accompanied St Marys Cement's application.

It is important to remember that the MNR decision simply indicates that the application is "complete". It does not mean that the aggregate license is approved. The next stage of public notification and consultation will begin the process of evaluating the merits of the application and identifying all of its objections or flaws.

St Marys Cement has indicated that it will begin the 45 day notification and consultation period in late March or early April. A public information session is required to be held between days 20 and 35. The company is currently booking the date and location for this meeting. Councillor McCarthy's office has been advised that the Carlisle Community Centre has been booked for April 22, 2009. The company must advertise the meeting date and location. Please watch for the ad and further communications from FORCE and Margaret McCarthy to confirm date, time and location.

It will be critical for all of us to write in our objections to the St Marys Cement aggregate license application and to attend the public information session. FORCE will be distributing sample letters to help community members respond to the 45 day consultation and to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) posting. We expect both comment periods to have the 45 day deadline.

Stay tuned for more updates. Keep checking for FORCE emails and visiting the website. Events will continue to unfold quickly. For neighbours who are not connected to email and the internet, please print off the key information and make sure that they have it.

Thursday, March 6, 2009 - Hamilton Spectator
St Marys water test challenged

Hamilton's medical officer of health and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment are challenging the refusal by St. Marys Cement to repeat a water pumping test for its proposed Concession 11 quarry.

In a Feb. 10 letter made public yesterday by the citizens' group FORCE, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson suggested to the Ministry of Natural Resources that the company's quarry application was incomplete without data from a series of pump tests.

Read the Full Article (103 KB)

Thursday, March 6, 2009
MOE says 'Read My Lips' and Stands up to Protect Community's Water - Decision to Redo Water Tests Stands or Permit will be revoked

Today, FORCE learned that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has set a March 20, 2009 deadline for revoking the Permit to Take Water (PTTW) issued to St Marys for testing related to its proposed Flamborough quarry. The ministry has also defended its decision to require the company to redo baseline pump tests. The MOE sent a letter to St Marys Cement correcting the record from statements in the company's January 22, 2009 letter to the ministry, where the company questioned the purposes for the test and alleged that the Director's decision was inconsistent with ministry staff technical reviews. If the company does not change its position about carrying out further testing asked for by the MOE, the PTTW will be revoked. Hamilton Public Health Services also recently expressed its concerns about the company's failure to complete the hydro-geological work plan and testing on the site. In a February 10, 2009 letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Medical Officer of Health questioned the completeness of the hydro-geological reports supporting the aggregate license application and restated Public Health's concerns regarding the operation of a proposed limestone quarry because of the potential risk for adverse impacts upon groundwater quality and quantity. FORCE Chair and Spokesperson, Graham Flint noted, "If the PTTW is revoked, no mitigation system of any kind will have been tested on the site. The company will have offered no proven, viable plan to decision-makers to demonstrate that it can protect our drinking water, streams and wetlands."

Read the Full FORCE Press Release - (155 KB)
MOE Letter to St Marys - (111 KB)
Hamilton Public Health Services Letter - (85 KB)

Friday, March 6, 2009 - Flamborough Review
MNR decision draws fire

Even before the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) announced Tuesday that the quarry licence application by St. Marys Cement (SMC) for the proposed Flamborough Quarry has been deemed complete, opponents were lining up to protest the decision. Hamilton's medical officer of health Elizabeth Richardson, in a Feb. 10 letter to MNR aggregate specialist Diane Schwier, asked that the MNR consult with the Ministry of Environment (MOE) about the need for St. Marys to complete groundwater tests before the application is considered complete.

Read the Full Article (124 KB)

Thursday, March 5, 2009 - Hamilton Spectator
Quarry consultation to begin

St. Marys Cement Inc. says the formal consultation process for its Flamborough quarry application will begin with a notice to be published in a local newspaper late this month or early in April.

Read the Full Article (30 KB)

Thursday, March 5, 2009
MNR says St Marys Cement's aggregate license application is "Complete"

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) provided written notice on March 3, 2009 to St Marys Cement that the company's aggregate license application under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) has been deemed "complete". St Marys Cement is now authorized to move to the notification and consultation stage of the ARA process.

St Marys Cement has written to FORCE indicating that the company expects to begin the 45 day consultation period late in March or early in April. A company representative has committed to getting back in touch with FORCE once a date has been set for the public information session on the application.

Writing in so that all of our objections are received before the ARA 45 day comment period deadline passes will be critical. It will also be important to attend the public information session.

MNR will also post notice of the aggregate license application on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) registry allowing us to comment there as well.

Sample objection letters for the ARA and Environmental Registry processes will be made available here shortly and will be distributed via e-mail and other means within the community.

Please check back often for updates and information on how to respond as the ARA process now moves forward.

 


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