Tomlinson is proposing a new pit, referred to as the East Oxford Pit (Pit), to be located at 1486 O’Neill Road at the intersection of O’Neill Road and Pattersons Corners Road, in the Municipality of North Grenville. The proposed pit requires an Aggregate Resources Act License from the Ministry of Natural Resources. The type of license being applied for is a Class ‘A’ license for a pit below the ground water table. The Pit is in an area containing high quality sand and gravel resources as identified by the Provincial Aggregate Resources Inventory Paper 183 and the Municipality of North Grenville Official Plan. This is further supported by the presence of existing pits in the area.
Tomlinson is proposing a licence area of approximately 44.1 hectares (109.0 acres), which includes an extraction area of approximately 37.2 hectares (91.9 acres), the remaining 20 acres will be used for setbacks and vegetated berms.
The proposed operation will extract sand and gravel, referred to as aggregate, from above and below the water table, which will take place over five extraction phases. As each phase is extracted, it will be restored in accordance with the rehabilitation plan. Areas not being extracted will remain in agricultural use. The proposed operation will also include processing, washing, and stockpiling of extracted material on the site. Aggregate extraction could include use of a front-end loader, excavator and dredge (for below water extraction). The aggregate will be stockpiled within the extraction area and processed for shipment to market. “Dewatering” or removal of groundwater will not occur at the Pit and is not required to extract aggregate below the water table. Aggregate extraction will occur to a maximum depth of approximately 8 to 13 metres. The proposed maximum annual tonnage limit is 1,000,000 tonnes.
Trucks would access the East Oxford Pit using a new entrance located along the south boundary of the site on County Road 20, which is an existing truck route. Trucks would not be permitted to use the existing accesses along O’Neill Road and Pattersons Corners Road. The proposed haul route is by way of the existing truck route, east along County Road 20 towards Highway 416.
During “peak hours” at maximum production, there could be up to 26 truck trips per hour (13 inbound, 13 outbound). These volumes reflect peak operations and are not anticipated to occur on a daily basis or throughout a full day of operation.
Pit operations would typically take place during daytime hours. Limited overnight operations may occur to service projects that require overnight work, e.g. highway projects. There are limitations on the equipment that could operate between hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and the use of noise barriers such as vegetated berms to mitigate noise impacts. Furthermore, a permit to operate at night is required from the Ministry of Environment. These permits require extensive acoustic studies, public notification, coupled with Ministry of Environment oversite and review before operating can take place.
As required under the Aggregate Resources Act, the Pit must be rehabilitated in phases over the life of the Pit, meaning that the operation will be conducted in phases to ensure that rehabilitation is occurring in a progressive manner once extraction is complete within a particular phase. Following completion of aggregate extraction on the site, the site will be restored as follows:
The proposed Pit has been evaluated by professionally licensed hydrogeologists with decades of experience. The pit will not increase flooding risk in the surrounding area, as water will not be discharged (pumped) from the pit. A setback will be in place to shield the adjacent western wetland. A proactive surface water and groundwater monitoring program will be in place during the Pit operational and rehabilitation phases, until the licence is surrendered, with regular reporting to Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), and Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Based on the results of the groundwater assessment completed for the application and the review of nearby wells, it was concluded that well interference attributable to the proposed Pit is highly unlikely.
However, a comprehensive complaints response program has been developed. If a well complaint is received, Tomlinson is required to investigate the matter using professional hydrogeologists or engineers. If it is concluded that well interference is due to Pit operations, then Tomlinson would be responsible for immediately providing a temporary water supply and implementing a water supply restoration program which could include deepening the existing well or supplying a new well.
As noted previously, Tomlinson is required to monitor groundwater levels around the perimeter of the Pit. This will serve as an early detection system for potential impacts, although impacts are not anticipated.
If it is determined that the well interference is due to Pit operations, Tomlinson would be responsible for any replacements or modifications that are required to restore the water supply. This is legally enforceable by the Environmental Protections Act.
The proposed Pit will not include activities with potential to impact water quality. As such, no adverse effects to groundwater and surface water resources and their uses are anticipated as a result of the East Oxford Pit.
Tomlinson has developed Best Management Practice Plans (BMPP) to control dust on site. These plans are reviewed annually, and training is provided to staff operating the site. Dust is managed by way of wetting down the aggregate as it passes through the processing plant, wetting down onsite haul roads, and installing guards and dampers to reduce airborne particles. Management of dust is an ongoing process which is tracked and conducted daily. It is a requirement of the Aggregate Resources Act that dust be mitigated on site.
Similar to dust management, Tomlinson has BMPP to control noise on the site. Freefield Limited, a licensed acoustical consultant with decades of experience, has modeled the site’s operational activities including truck traffic, processing, and extraction. The Acoustic Assessment Report is included in the submission documents as part of the license application. The operation must comply with the Ministry of Environment sound level limits for surrounding homes and sensitive uses. As a result, specific noise control features are incorporated into the Site Plans including berms and reduction in equipment operations at specific times (as required). Furthermore, an Air/Noise Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) will be required to operate the processing plant on site. The ECA assigns site specific rules to the operations on site to ensure no adverse affects exist.
The proposed pit requires approval from both the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Municipality of North Grenville. To licence the pit, Tomlinson has applied for a “Class A Licence” to the MNR under the Aggregate Resources Act. Applications under the Planning Act to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law have been submitted in conjunction with the licence application.
Technical studies have been prepared regarding water resources, natural environment, noise, traffic, archaeology, cultural heritage, and land use planning.
The aggregate licence application will be circulated to several agencies for review and comment including MNR, MECP, Municipality of North Grenville, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and others. Planning Act applications will also be circulated to agencies and the public.
Questions regarding the application should be directed to Craig Bellinger of Tomlinson at cbellinger@tomlinsongroup.com or 613-690-3262.