Blais: Ontario shouldn’t be giving the gravel industry a free pass

The entire article by John Blais appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on January 15, 2024.

For years, the aggregate industry in Ontario has operated with total impunity, while simultaneously complaining about too much “red tape.” Gravel extracted from pits and quarries is essential for new building and infrastructure needs, yet this non-renewable resource is heavily over-exploited by an out-of-control industry.

 

The strip-mining of aggregates radically transforms landscapes into moonscapes. The ongoing operation of a pit or quarry with its heavy-duty truck traffic also affects the surroundings with noise, blast vibrations, air pollution, flyrock, damage to aquifers and wear on public roads.

Read More on The Ottawa Citizen Website

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