Issues - Quarry

McCarthy Questions Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) Process

07/09/09 - Compass - Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh Echoes Councill's Concerns Over EBR Process

06/28/09 - Compass - Councillor Tries Final Appeal to McGuinty

06/16/09 - Review - McCarthy Questions Process

06/11/09 - McCarthy Letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty

QUARRY FOES TAKE BATTLE TO QUEEN'S PARK

03/12/09-Compass-Will MOE Revoke St. Marys Cement Permit?

11/14/08-Review-Horwath Eyes Quarry

11/13/08-Halton Compass-MPP Slams Liberals Over Quarry

11/11/08-Councillor McCarthy Update

Councillor McCarthy's comment on Horwath's Presentation: "She was magnificent. She hit them with their own legislation, exposing the illogical inconsistencies between their talk, and their walk. It was something to see. We were all so proud!"

Minister Gerretsen's Answer: "It was a test, not approval for a quarry. He said there were safeguards built in to protect the water....."

Councillor McCarthy's Opinion of Gerretson's Answer: "He avoided entirely that the Provincial policies were devised to screen out the no brainers like this one in the first place."

A number of similar questions to which I have provided my answers to below.

    1. What is the Mayor's position on the proposed quarry?   Answer: Mayor Eisenberger provided the following statement - "Well done to all. My opposition to this quarry is firm and I will continue to work with you on behalf of the Flamborough residents. Cheers Fred"

    2. What is MPP Ted McMeekin's position on the proposed quarry?   Answer: Ted McMeekin has been noted as being opposed to the proposed quarry, but since it is his government that we need to take a stance against St. Marys, and, we are asking why it is that the Province has not shut them down, better we do that through the opposition party, thus, MPP Andrea Horwath. Beyond that, I will let Ted speak for himself.

    3. How can I contact MPP Ted McMeekin?   Answer: either by e-mail at tmcmeekin.mpp@liberal.ola.org or 905-690-6552.

4. At what point do we start civil disobedience to stop this proposed quarry? Answer: I know that civil disobedience is tempting, and it may come down to some aspect of that in the future. However, for now, we have managed to get this far by presenting credible, articulated, scientific evidence and throwing that back in their faces. If however, our articulated arguments fail to persuade then it might come down to "civil disobedience". I know from my experience that too often people's arguments can be wiped out if they are labeled as extremists. Fortunately, together, our community's credibility is beyond reproach because of our articulated arguments to date. Now if we have to employ measures of civil disobedience it will be difficult for the press, or government, or St. Marys to label us as extremist and dismiss our arguments. Bottom line ....if by doing everything by the book no longer wins the day for us.....we may need to explore other methods!
(This is a question asked of a resident, to which an answer was provided, but does not necessarily mean a planned course of action)

MPP Andrea Horwath-Transcript of the November 6, 2008 Queen's Park Question Period: attached

11/07/08 - Councillor McCarthy, Milton Councillor Jan Mowbray and Community Participants Thank MPP Andrea Horwath for Arranging Queen's Park Presentation

PERMIT TO TAKE WATER
Issued by Ministry of Environment on July 8, 2008
First Test Commenced: July 21, 2008

04/09/09 - Compass - St. Marys to Keep Water Permit

01/22/09 - St. Marys advised the MOE that they are refusing to repeat the water pumping test as required by the MOE. An Aggregate Resource Act application was also submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources the same day.

11/7/08-Review - MOE Rejects Quarry Pump Test Results

11/6/08- Spectator - Test at Quarry Site Must Be Done Over - St. Marys Cement Plan Suffers Rain Delay

10/30/08-Halton Compass-St. Marys Looks to Alter GRS Testing (page 4) (page 5)

08/21/08-Compass-St. Marys' VP Says Water Tests "Success" (first page) (second page)

08/22/08-Review-Anti Quarry Group Questions Reliability of Pump Test Results

08/14/08-Compass-St. Marys' Water Tests a Huge Flop, Says FORCE (page 1) (page 2)

07/25/08-Review-Pump Testing Proceeds

07/24/08-Compass-St. Marys Begins Pump Test Despite Citizens' Group Appeal

07/23/08-Spectator-Rain, Rain, Go Away
(Councillor McCarthy Comments: "We have had exceptionally uncharacteristic rain fall, and because of that amount of rain, we have seen a reduction in the amount of water normally required to meet water demands for the area in question. It is my position that because weather conditions have been atypical this season, an accurate evaluation of the effects of the St. Marys Water Taking Permit cannot be evaluated."

07/22/08 - Spectator - Cement Company Starts Tests - Move Forward Despite Community Group's Plea Regarding Proposed Quarry

07/19/08 - Spectator - St. Marys Going Ahead With Carlisle Testing

07/18/08-Review-Water Testing to Start

07/17/08 - Halton Compass - McCarthy, FORCE Stunned by Non-Appealable PTTW

07/15/08-Spec-Water-Pumping Test Slated for Next Week

07/09/08 - Spectator - Test Permit Surprises Quarry Foes

07/07/08 - McCarthy Letter to MOE Regarding Work Conducted by a Lab, at the St. Marys Property, who were charged with fraud by the Hamilton Police Department.

06/19/08 - Halton Compass - Milton and Conservation Halton Look into St. Marys Property Infractions (page 6) (page 16)

06/13/08 - Review - McCarthy Pitches Delay on PTTW to Premier

06/12/08 - Halton Compass - McCarthy Goes to the Top Over St. Marys PTTW

06/07/08 - Spectator - Waste Records Call Water-Taking into Question: Councillor

06/07/08 - Spectator - Source Water Protection Committee - Panel's Task: Keeping our Drinking Water Safe

06/06/08 - Councillor McCarthy Submission to MOE Outlining Her Concerns with the Draft PTTW

06/06/08 - Councillor McCarthy Request to Premier Dalton McGuinty to Hold Off on Issuing the PTTW

06/05/08 - Halton Compass - City Staffers Missing Key Quarry Info, Says McCarthy

6/1/07 - Flamborough Review Article - Quarry Water Test Unproven: McCarthy

5/31/07 - Halton Compass Article - St. Marys Water-Taking Permit Still on Hold

5/25/07 - Spectator Article - "Blast Could Dry Out Carlisle Wells"

05/23/07 - Details on letter sent to St. Marys from the Ministry of the Environment outlining why approval has not been granted to date
Click here for the Ministry Letter

05/16/08 Review-Community Reacts to Draft PTTW for Mountsberg Quarry

05/14/08 - Spectator - Water Worries in Carlisle - MOE Inviting Public Comment Unitl June 6 on Draft Terms of the Permit

The full, 13-page draft permit can be read at the Environmental Bill of Rights registry website, www.ebr.gov.on.ca. Search for Registry No. 010-3469.

05 /07/08 - FORCE Press Release - McGuinty Government Poised to By-pass Clean Water Act

03/28/08 - Review - Improve Application Process: Ontario Environment Commissioner Gord Miller

03/26/08 - Spectator Article - Process for Dealing with Quarries Flawed - Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

03/10/08-Councillor McCarthy Meets with Ministry of Environment Officials

03/07/08-Review Council Notes Submitted by Councillor McCarthy - "Protect, Prevent"

03/07/08 - Review Article - Council Notes - "Protect - Prevent"

03/07/08 - Review Article - City Seeks to Protect Water

12/14/07 - Review - MOE Alerted to Potential Water Problems at the Quarry

12/13/07 - Spectator Article - Health Concerns Over Water Test for Quarry - Could Cut Off or Contaminate Groundwater

12/13/07 - Halton Compass - Environment Commissioner Questions St. Marys Application.

12/13/07 - Halton Compass - FORCE Lauds City for Water Warning

10/26/07 - Letter from Public Health to the MOE advising that "Approval of the temporary PTTW in the absence of addressing the following concerns could have an adverse effect on human health in the form of groundwater shortages or groundwater contamination........"
Councillor McCarthy Comments on this Letter: "This is very good news in terms of having substantive support for the community's concerns with this application."

___________________

Halton Region and Town of Milton Assisting in our Fight
Against the Quarry

07/16/08 - Halton Council Receive Update from Their Staff on St. Marys Quarry Proposal

06/26/08 - Compass - Halton to St. Marys: "Slow Down" page 1 page 2

06/25/08 - Milton Champion-Town Voicing Concerns about Quarry Property

___________________

ST. MARYS SITE CONTAMINATION CLEANUP

05/09/08 - Review - MOE Orders Cleanup at Proposed St. Marys Quarry Site

05/08/08 - Compass - St. Marys Site Contamination Cleanup - MOE Requirements Following April 24, 2008 Site Visit

NOTICE OF MOTION

IMPACTS ON THE CARLISLE GROUNDWATER-BASED
MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER SYSTEM

ST. MARYS PROPOSED QUARRY - HAUL ROUTE EVALUATION STUDY

3rd of 4 Meetings

Firstly, let me begin by stating that our Mayor wishes he could be here
tonight with us. In his absence, I have a statement that I would like to
read out on his behalf.

“I have been and continue to be opposed to the development of the quarry
in Flamborough and I support the good and thorough work that councillor
McCarthy has done to keep the community and council appraised of the issue as it evolves. Having opposed the proposed Steetley landfill some years ago my views on quarrys on fractured limestone that could potentially
become a landfill at some point have not changed. The concern over ground
water and depleting the aquifer adds to my concerns. I applaud the
community and your councillor for your thoroughness and diligence on this
issue, and confirm my support for your efforts.” Cheers, Fred Eisenberger

Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who has come out tonight to make
the point that democracy is alive and well in our community. By being
here tonight we assert our basic right to determine the kind of community
we live in, and we establish our unified opposition, and demonstrate that
St. Marys has, once again, failed to deliver adequate arrangements for
public participation.

In addition to the total disregard of democratic process, the 'social
engineering' techniques being employed by St. Marys and their lobbyist and
consultants are unacceptable. This aspect of behavioral science is
outlined in further detail in my hand-out but, as your elected
representative, it is my advice - my warning - that these 'workbooks'
and the programmed responses that they are designed to elicit, will never
serve any beneficial purpose for the community, and they will, almost
certainly, be used to our disadvantage.

It is not in our best interest to have anyone complete these workbooks, or
subject themselves to two and a half hours of behavioral targeting
techniques. While everyone is here, I trust that all representatives will
make themselves available to answer questions from the public, however, I
recommend the public abstain from providing any information or answers
under this undignified process.

Look at who has provided these hand outs, look at who will be standing
over you when you fill them out, look at who will be interpreting this
information. This would never pass the test of being an independent, non
patrician, or objective analysis.

Ask yourselves why isn't the first question on this work book, "when you
turn on the tap at home, how important is it to have water come out of the
faucet? Crucial, very important, important, some what important?” That's
what's not in the 'work books', they don't want that raised because that's
the show stopper, and they know it. St. Marys are very smart people, lets
prove once again that we are too. Don't buy into it.

Dear Community and Neighbours,

We, as a community, have never wavered from our original, very public, position: THAT NO
REASONABLE PERSON WOULD EVER LOCATE A QUARRY on the proposed site on the 11th Concession East. The veracity of this statement was readily evident to many qualified,
REASONABLE people and the evidence before us has solidified this reality. Despite this, as a community we have been thrust into a process, that is expensive, time consuming and, at times, seems arbitrary and biased. But it is a process that we cannot ignore, for it is the very air we breathe, the water we drink, and the place we call home that is on the line.

Perhaps the greatest issue before us is, why, if something fails to meet the threshold of reason on the face of it, does ANY community have to endure the distress and indignity of undertaking to defend that which is patently obvious. This is a question that requires investigating, but today, I must provide an appropriate response to the many calls and emails I received regarding this 3rd Public Haul Route meeting.

As far as this January 9th meeting goes, the major concerns raised were that the arrangements offered by St. Mary’s

1) failed to meet the minimum criteria of open and equal access for a public meeting,

2) violated privacy rights by suggesting any kind of registration was required and

3) that the structure of the public exchange process, by using a pre-programmed agenda with hired moderators, would be, without exception, prejudicial.

In my position as a democratically elected official, having sworn an oath of office, it is incumbent upon me to ensure that I uphold and protect the right to public participation. It is not an option for me - it is an unquestioned obligation.

It is also not the place of the applicant, CART or anyone else to attempt to limit or redefine public participation in a fight, not just for a minimum quality of life, but for the very essence of life - the air we breathe and our precious water.

For those of you who expressed concerns regarding privacy issues, when looked at in its entirety, there is every reason to believe that any personal information, can, and will, be used to build profiles or other psychometrics used in Behavioural Targeting campaigns. I do not wish to over simplify or under emphasize the significance of this issue so allow me to
get back to this in a moment.

Finally, regarding the concern that a programmed workshop would inevitably lead to the production of prejudicial data over which we would have no subsequent control. When requested to do so, Mr. Moroz provided me with a draft copy of the workshop booklet. I have had an opportunity to review the material and my initial observations are:

1) It is misleading.

Its very structure presumes that, REGARDLESS OF HOW UNREASONABLE SITE SELECTION is believed to be, citizens should be expected to rank, essentially, which
limb they would like cut off first in this death by a thousand cuts.

This entire proposed operation has an enormous annual carbon footprint and the trucking is only one of many factors. This is just one reason the workbooks are completely misleading. It is not possible for anyone, let alone a pre-selected small group of individuals, to determine whether, by way of example, the loss of aquatic habitat should be of more or less importance than creatures being killed by trucks. Everything and everyone is at risk.

2) It is shameful.

The very hallmark of an enlightened and just society is its ability to defend the rights of those least able to defend themselves yet, the workbook, in several instances, uses a 'negative option' approach in an attempt to have residents diminish the protection afforded to those areas with the fewest homes.

If you recall my comments earlier about collecting data for profiling and psychometric purposes, this is certainly one way to identify those that do not value the very fabric of rural life - strength of community, from those that would take a stand - not just for themselves - for
the good of the community.

Rural communities have a constitutional and human right to protect their culture and their values. It is reprehensible and shameful to put any community member in a position of having to choose their own survival at the expense of their neighbour's. I believe I speak for the vast majority when I say, WE STAND TOGETHER AS ONE COMMUNITY.

Furthermore, this is a blatant, and not particularly clever, attempt at 'social engineering'.

Social Engineering:
A collection of techniques used to manipulate people into performing actions or devulging confidential information.

1st of 4 Meetings

Thursday, June 21st, 2007
5:00-8:00 p.m.
Royal Botanical Gardens - Burlington

- Update #5
Councillor McCarthy has asked that the following two articles that appeared in this week's Flamborough Review be forwarded to our Quarry Distribution List for your information. The links to view the article by Dianne Cornish and the Letter to the Editor are noted below:

September 19, 2006
Councillor Margaret McCarthy
Public Meeting on the St. Mary's Quarry Proposal

Hundreds of area residents attended my meeting and received the latest information with respect to this application. A copy of my power point presentation along with that of Ian Macdonald, a hydrogeologist hired with WESC (Water and Earth Sciences Associates) and Graham Flint of FORCE is also available for viewing at the following link

What happens next and when is really up to St. Mary's. While we wait for their next move the City and I will continue to work at updating our aggregrate mapping to prove that this location is totally incompatible for such a proposal. FORCE will also continue working with the City and Province to challenge St. Mary's and keep the community informed via their website: www.StopTheQuarry.ca

The Ministry of the Environment is currently reviewing St. Mary's application for a temporary Permit to Take Water to undertake a pilot project for a Groundwater Recirculation System (GRS) which is proposed to simulate future conditions if a quarry was located on the subject lands. It looks like St. Mary's is attempting to support their recirculation system through this pilot project.

Please see the following link to the MOE posting on the EBR for the permit to take water for this pilot test. Councillor McCarthy has indicated that should you have any questions or concerns regarding this pilot project you will need to submit your concerns in writing directly to the MOE at the following location, and the deadline for such submissions to be received is December 1, 2006. Our office cannot forward these inquiries on your behalf.

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/028733ei.htm

January 11, 2007 - Ministry Timeline For Their Decision for this Permit to Take Water Application
Again Extended to Mid-March - Click Here for Further Details

Original work for the Official Plan would have included vintage aggregate resource mapping, but with the approval of the attached motion it will now proceed with the direction of work to be completed and budgeted by the City to update the aggregate resource mapping. Now incompatible land uses will be uncovered in this new updated mapping. Timelines and costing will be reported back to the Planning and Economic Development Committee at a future date. - Margaret McCarthy, Flamborough Councillor, Ward 15"

Councillor McCarthy spoke with the Vice-President and General Manager of St. Marys CBM Aggregates today. Click here for an outline of their conversation. The Councillor would like to receive your feedback with respect to the following two points:

1) would you be interested in attending a tour, hosted by the owner, of their other facilities?

2) would you like to see a public open house held to hear submissions by St. Marys CMB Aggregates?

Please forward your comments to: mmccarthy@hamilton.ca