Two years after passing revisions to the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA), and six months after consultations began with the industry, the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF) posted amendments to the ARA Regulations and Standards, according to the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (OSSGA).
Changes made include:
- New and updated technical reports and information requirements for applications to establish a new pit or quarry including enhanced water study requirements.
- Updated site plan requirements for new pit and quarry applications.
- Enhanced notification and consultation requirements for new pit and quarry applications.
- Updated conditions that will apply to newly issued licences and permits.
- New application requirements for existing pit or quarry operators wishing to make an amendment to extract below the water table or to expand into an adjacent road allowance.
- New rules requiring custom plans to be prepared for applications seeking to extract from land under water.
- Exemptions from needing a licence for some small excavations on private land if rules set in regulation are followed.
- New rules to allow self-filling of some minor routine site-plan amendments (e.g. re-location of some structures or fencing as long as setbacks are respected).
- Updated operating requirements that apply to all pits and quarries authorized under the ARA.
- Updated annual compliance reporting requirements, including a streamlined report for inactive sites.
OSSGA said its Land Use and Environment Committees will be reviewing the new standards.