Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee Meeting No. 1 Highlights
On Feb. 22, we held the first meeting of the Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee (AQCLC). Below are some notes and highlights from that meeting.I want to thank all the members of the committee for attending last month and for their continued commitment to open dialogue, transparency and collaboration.The AQCLC is group comprised of community stakeholders, City of Burlington staff and Quarry representatives to provide a forum for discussion, information sharing and action around the Meridian Quarry activity in the Aldershot area of Burlington.The committee is meant to provide an opportunity for respectful dialogue between stakeholders to share questions, concerns, ideas, and new information related to the Quarry’s ongoing activities. It is also an opportunity to identify agreed-upon action items by any stakeholders.It's important to note any advocacy activities for or against the quarry’s activity rest solely with externalorganizations -- the AQCLC is not an advocacy group.Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will be invited to each meeting.FEB. 22, 2021 MEETING NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS:During the first Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee meeting that took place on February 22, 2021, representatives from Meridian Brick provided a status update and summary on operations to the group.Attendees included:
- Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, City of Burlington
- Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, City of Burlington
- Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, City of Burlington
- Victoria Langdon, Mayor's Chief of Staff, City of Burlington
- Hannelie van Niekerk, Mayor's Executive Administrator, City of Burlington (scribe)
- Stephanie Venimore, Business Performance Advisor, City of Burlington (facilitator)
- Mike Greenlee, Manager of Corporate Strategic Partnerships, City of Burlington
- Patrick Kelly, Quality Director, Meridian Brick
- John Lourenco, Plant Manager, Meridian Brick
- Robert Campolo, Area Operations Manager, Meridian Brick
- Amy Schnurr, Executive Director, BurlingtonGreen
- Christine Carter, local resident
- Fran Fendelet, Tyandaga Environmental Coalition co-chair
- Maria Adcock, local resident
- Roger Goulet, Executive Director, Protect Escarpment Rural Land (PERL)
The quarry has three sites (east, west, and centre cell) and operations will be moving back to the centre cell and continuing to different stages. Timing is dependent on product demand. Currently, production is less than projected so the staged timelines on their website may need to be longer.As an update on compliance matters related to the quarry’s site plan, representatives indicated:
- Sound levels are in the same range with or without activity at the quarry (reports are posted on their website);
- Several at-risk plant species will be moved to a habitat management area;
- No Jefferson Salamanders have been found (report is on their website);
- Habitat will be moved over a 1-year period to allow butterflies to migrate, and removing soil with trees to have pupas on the ground and move with it.
Quarry representatives noted that while there is an offer to purchase Meridian Brick, operations are expected to remain the same if the purchase goes through, even if there’s a name change.The group agreed that there should be an open invitation to the new owners to join in on future meetings.Meridian representatives explained that the Ministries confirm they are going over and above of requirements, and that they are doing their best to participate publicly where they can and be transparent.Those in attendance raised concerns over items such as the salamander study being done at the wrong time of year, by an inadequately qualified individual, thus possibly not yielding correct results. Quarry representatives said that the study was done over a span of three years and involved more than one person.Questions were also raised about the air quality monitoring program. Meridian is consulting with Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Wood PLC on the matter. Community concerns included that dust monitoring is not mandated to be done on a regular basis, which the community would like to see happen. A request was made by the group if Meridian would be open to share their discussions with Wood PLC, before the ministry approves the program. Meridian can’t commit to this request at this time but said if there is an opportunity to bring this committee in to the discussions, they will consider doing so.Meridian explained that air quality monitoring is done once they start extracting (ex: when they start the east cell) but not until then.A compliance assessment report was distributed in September, but it doesn’t affect the neighbours. All compliance reports (also available on Meridian’s website) are sent to the city, as well as Halton Region. Meridian indicated that they send their annual compliance report every year, in September, directly to the city. The Mayor has located that report and, going forward, will ensure that it is included in the Council Information Packages (most recent ones are in the package for March 12) so that all of council and the public will have them.The Committee has also asked if Meridian would fund a peer review, by the City of Burlington, of the compliance and sound technical reports. Meridian said the City is welcome to do a peer review, but the company will not be paying for one as the Ministry does a peer review already.Meridian will also be linking to the City’s upcoming webpage on the Quarry operations. The page will have the terms of reference, highlights of meetings, and possibly additional content. Community members raised a number of questions/concerns about the studies. To ensure that all members of the committee can be prepared for a discussion and respond to specific concerns, committee members were asked to prepare a briefing note for each issue ahead of future meetings so that it can be circulated in advance with the agenda. That practice will help with agenda management, response and discussion, as well as any actions arising.With regards to peer reviews, the Mayor indicated that funding will be a council decision, requiring four votes. Council would need to know specifically which studies are of concern and why. A briefing note from committee members who have those concerns should indicate why a review is needed.The City of Burlington will not be proceeding with an air quality bylaw, as this is an area of provincial jurisdiction. Separately, council has directed staff to report back on the feasibility and criteria for a health protection bylaw. That report is expected in April.The purpose of the committee, per the Terms of Reference, is one of information sharing. The committee does not direct Meridian, City Council, or TEC in terms of decision-making or action items. If there are any actions arising from discussion, these would be voluntary by the respective parties and noted at the meeting.The next meeting will be scheduled by the Mayor and based on the collective group’s availability in the coming months.RELATED LINKS: