Media Release: Residents’ Group Files Legal Challenge Against Ontario’s Approval of Quarry Dewatering

Media Release

Lawyers representing Tyendinaga Township residents have applied to Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal for leave (permission) to appeal the recent issuance of a water-taking permit to a local quarry operator.

The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) issued the permit to C.H. Demill Holdings Inc. to allow the company to pump millions of litres of water out of the Long’s Quarry in order to facilitate aggregate extraction below the water table.

“We are greatly concerned about the potential impacts of this massive quarry dewatering upon nearby private wells, farms, and Blessington Creek,” said Susan Munro, Chair of the Citizens Against Melrose Quarry (CAMQ), an incorporated residents’ group which has strongly opposed the issuance of the water-taking permit.

“Our client’s position is that the MOE’s decision to issue the permit is unreasonable and could result in significant environmental harm,” stated Richard Lindgren, a staff lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) in Toronto. Two CELA lawyers (Mr. Lindgren and Joseph Castrilli) are providing legal assistance to CAMQ in its fight against the water-taking permit.

CAMQ has also retained two hydrogeological consultants, who have identified a number of serious problems with the water-taking permit and the adequacy of the supporting documentation filed by the quarry operator. In particular, these consultants have concluded that the industrial dewatering activities at the quarry may cause unacceptable or significant impacts to local domestic wells and Blessington Creek.

Copies of CAMQ’s leave-to-appeal materials (including a detailed technical report prepared by CAMQ’s consultants) may be viewed at: www.citizensagainstmelrosequarry.com

It is anticipated that the Tribunal may make its decision on CAMQ’s leave-to-appeal application in the next 4 to 8 weeks.

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For more information, please contact:

Susan Munro (CAMQ) 613-968-5943;
Richard Lindgren (CELA) 613-385-1686;
Joseph Castrilli (CELA) 416-960-2284, ext. 218