The company behind a proposed expansion of the Duntroon Gravel Pit defending its plan.
Walker Industries Vice President Ken Lucyshyn says there is, at most, a year and a half of rock resources left at the current quarry.
He says this is the only limestone sources in the western end of Simcoe County, which makes it very valuable, and that aggregates gets used in everything from roads to glass, makeup, and paper.
Lucyshyn says that when they move across the road, if the expansion is approved, the old quarry would be filled up with water, and become a lake.
He says that’s part of their rehab plan for the old site, which includes developing fish habitat in the bottom of the quarry, and adding islands as well.
Lucyshyn also says that they won’t be 75 meters below the water table at the expansion site — which is a number that has been used against them.
He says the majority of the new quarry would be at the same level as the old one — about 25 to 30 meters below the water table — with the middle a bit deeper.
Lucyshyn says that would have no impact, though.
He says that even though they are limited to 500 trucks coming and going each day under the expansion, there won’t be that many.
Lucyshyn says the most truck traffic they’ve had in one day has been 384.
And he adds that the only reason they have asked to have a 2.5 million tonnes per year licence is just so they are ready in case a super project comes along, such as a major highway in the area.
The quarry’s current licence is 1.8 million tonnes per year.
Approval for the quarry expansion will have to come from the province’s Consolidated Hearing Board, which has scheduled ten weeks of hearings, starting April 12th in Creemore.
Walker Industries has also made a deal with Simcoe County and Clearview Township that will see part of County Road 91 become a restricted access road.
Walker Industries will also cover most of the cost of a 10.5 million dollar project to improve roads in Clearview, with the township paying just one million dollars.
The deal also means that Clearview will support the expansion of the pit at that hearing in April.
Lucyshyn says the agreement with Clearview and Simcoe County is a win-win.