Feb. 2, 2022 – A new coalition is calling for a moratorium on all new gravel quarries in Ontario. Organizers of the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition say the industry has enough sites to meet demand, and further expansion of quarries damages ecosystems and threatens endangered species. Graham Flint, co-chair of the group, said the coalition formed after decades of “chronic” quarry development in the province. “After years and years of having individual communities deal with aggregate issues, a group of us felt that it was time to form a broader coalition and elevate the issues that these individual communities were facing to a higher level of awareness across the province overall,” Flint said.
The aggregates industry in Ontario is pushing back. “It’s disheartening for the industry because they’re working really hard to be responsible and be stewards of the land,” said Sharon Armstrong, vice president communications and operations for the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. “The Not-In-My-Backyard folks put out all kinds of information that’s really often times designed to scare people and then to provide misinformation.” Read the CBC story here.