The Concerned Residents Coalition (CRC) says a donation from the township shows municipal support and will assist the organization in hiring expert witnesses for an upcoming Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing.
Guelph-Eramosa Township approved a donation of $70,000 to at a special meeting on June 27.
In a July 12 press release, CRC officials state the funds will assist organization in paying the high costs of bringing expert witnesses to the OMB hearing on the Hidden Quarry scheduled to begin Sept. 27. Council has announced that they will not be bringing any expert witnesses to the hearing.
Council passed a resolution which stated the township’s opposition to the proposal by James Dick Construction Limited for open-pit mining and instructed council’s lawyer, Eileen Costello, to inform the OMB chair of this position and to “request that the OMB refuse the rezoning application and extraction licence.”
Mayor Chris White stated that “The potential impacts related to blasting and to water quality and quantity provide an unacceptable level of risk to our community. There is no demonstrated overall benefit to our township.”
The funds are a boost to CRC’s ongoing fundraising campaign.
According to CRC president Doug Tripp, “The very generous contributions by hundreds of community residents are enabling us to bring pertinent and compelling assessments of the application to the OMB hearing. The community will be encouraged by … council’s support and recognition of their concerns and efforts over the past three years.”
Rather than being taken from general property tax-based funds, the township is using the Rockwood Hydro Fund as the source of the funding, since it is designated specifically for the benefit of the Rockwood community.
White explained council’s decision not to bring expert witnesses to the hearing saying, “Township consultants determined that potential risks could be mitigated through conditions.”
Approval conditions were identified in the planning report received by council in the fall of 2015, and were incorporated into council’s motion to oppose the Hidden Quarry application and to be a party at the OMB.
CRC expressed concern at the time that the conditions weakened council’s opposition stand. CRC has stated repeatedly that members cannot conceive of conditions that would adequately mitigate the impacts of this new, underwater mining operation.
The release states CRC “acknowledges with appreciation council’s confidence in and support for its work over the past three and a half years, and its role as a community voice at the OMB hearing.”
Halton Region and Halton Hills councils, who also object to the application, will be presenting expert testimony at the hearing.
Since the quarry application was made public in March 2013, CRC has made more than 20 delegations to Guelph-Eramosa council, drawing attention to the serious risks members believe the quarry proposal entails.
CRC will be bringing five expert witnesses to the OMB. They will address the following aspects of the application:
– planning (Mark Dorfman, FCIP, RPP);
– blasting (William Hill, P. Eng.);
– hydrology (Dr. Hugh Whiteley, PhD, P.Eng.);
– hydrogeology (Garry Hunter, M.A.Sc., P. Eng.); and
– natural environment (Aquatic Ecologist Dr. Karl Schiefer, PhD).
Several local residents will also make statements.
CRC is holding two major fund-raisers in the fall.
The 3rd Annual CRC Golf Tournament, DriveForeCRC, takes place on Sept. 9 at Turtle Creek Golf Club (www.driveforecrc.ca). An October concert fundraiser is expected to be announced soon.
