Next Steps for Proposed Nelson Quarry Expansion in Burlington

*Please see below a media release issued by the City of Burlington.

(PLEASE NOTE: This was also the topic of discussion on a recent episode of the Mayor's show Burlington Matters on YourTV Halton, Cogeco cable. Click the link or head further down this post to view the episode.)

Burlington, Ont.—Oct. 20, 2020 — At Burlington City Council on Monday, Oct. 19, the next steps for the proposed Nelson Quarry Expansion were outlined. An extension of the Burlington Nelson Quarry would require Provincial, Regional and City approval. There is a sequencing of decisions required and parallel review processes happening at the provincial, regional and city level.A decision has not been made on the proposal.On May 14, 2020, the City of Burlington received an application to amend the Burlington Official Plan designation of the subject lands to expand the existing Nelson quarry operation. Public input related to the proposal is welcomed and encouraged as the process develops.

"Thank you to the many residents have reached out to me about this project and I hope that more can provide their feedback as the process continues. Council is committed to a transparent process and I look forward to the project coming before the council table. I urge Burlington residents to get involved and to ensure their opinions about this application are heard." -- Ward 3 City and Regional Councillor Rory Nisan

Next Steps (Tentative Nelson Quarry Application Timeline PDF chart)An extension of the Burlington Nelson Quarry would require:

• Public consultation and engagement, including a statutory public meeting
• Amendments to the Niagara Escarpment Plan and issuance of a Development Permit
• Amendments to the Region of Halton Official Plan
• Amendments to the City of Burlington Official Plan
• An Aggregate License from the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for the proposed expansion area

An application to the Niagara Escarpment Commission, Region of Halton and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry were received at the same time the City received an application.A conceptual flowchart showing the parallel review process for the application is available on the City’s Nelson Quarry Expansion webpage Burlington.ca/nelsonquarry. This process includes statutory timelines, application benchmarks, decision points and highlights opportunities for public consultation and engagement.An inter-agency Joint Agency Review Team (JART) framework will be used to review the application for the proposed quarry expansion to ensure coordinated review by all agencies. The JART consists of technical staff from the Niagara Escarpment Commission, Region of Halton, Conservation Halton and the City of Burlington. The function of JART is to review the completeness of the application and analyze the proposal on its technical merits.  JART itself does not make a recommendation on whether or not the application should be approved.There will be regular reporting to Burlington City Council with progress updates and clarity on timing as the review process unfolds.Public Input Opportunities:Prior to any decisions being made, public consultation will occur, including a statutory public meeting. The timing of the statutory public meeting has not yet been determined and will be scheduled once the technical review of the proposal has progressed further. Residents are encouraged to subscribe to the City’s Nelson Quarry Extension webpage Burlington.ca/nelsonquarry for up to date information on the application.Communications will go out to residents informing them about the opportunities to engage and provide their feedback on any requests for commentsBoth the NEC and the MNRF will be releasing requests for comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. This is anticipated to occur within 2020, and the ability for the public, the City and other agencies to comment will be open for a limited time.MAYOR MEED WARD'S TAKE:I know residents across our city and region are watching this very carefully because it affects us all. Our primary consideration will be how this will affect the health and safety of our community and the environment of this very sensitive area. I want to credit our Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan in ensuring residents know what is happening and are informed about the process so that they can be involved. I encourage our residents to subscribe to the dedicated page for this file on the City of Burlington’s website to stay updated. There is a long road ahead.--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist