Critics assail proposed quarry's size, depth

Two questions have puzzled the residents of Melancthon since the Highland Companies' July 25 Open House: "Exactly how big is a 200-foot deep, 2,400-acre aggregate pit?" and "Why did Highland Companies compared such a large hole to a home basement?"

In terms of area, the entire town of Shelburne occupies just 1,591 acres.

How deep is 200 feet? As deep as a 20-storey building. Not a perfect analogy, but close. According to information from the Ministry of Natural Resources, at 2,400 acres, the Highland mine would be the second largest aggregate operation in Ontario, second only to the Manitoulin Quarry.

A "not to scale" rendering was available for viewing in a large concept sketch at the Open House in Horning's Mills, and can be seen in the Highland Companies' promotional handbooks distributed at the Open House.

It was also distributed in the Highland Companies' Promotional Handbook the same weekend. Despite information available which revealed the 200 foot depth, the "not to scale" drawing may have given some the impression that the mine would be no deeper than an average home basement.

Highland spokesman Michael Daniher noted that the proposed 2,400- acres licence area "is less than half the size our critics had predicted."

He added that with progressive rehabilitation, "that excavation will be conducted in sections, not over the entire area at once, and the land will be returned to other uses as excavation proceeds. The resulting landscape will be more like a valley with sloped and landscaped sides, rather than the picture painted by our critics."

Dennis Sandford criticized both the rendering and the comparison to a basement at Melancthon Council last Thursday. "I don't know who they were trying to fool with this one, but it defies belief that a professional of some discipline would even suggest such a ludicrous comparison," he said.

The Melancthon resident, a builder by profession, added: "No competent house builder would ever put a foundation below the water table. It is a ridiculous, absurd and misleading comparison."

He said Highland's concept of returning aggregate pits to agriculture was an excellent example of "spin and omission," asserting that all the rehabilitated quarries pictured in the Highland handbook were quarries that were "above the water table, not below," adding: "Quarries that are below the water table naturally turn into lakes."

Asked to comment, Mr. Daniher said that in fact, "agriculture does take place below the water table. Two of the examples featured at our Open House were operated that way. It happens in the Netherlands, and I believe it happens at Ontario's own Holland Marsh."

The mine vs. basement comparison was a hot topic of conversation at the Honeywood BBQ, following the Open House. Some residents expressed concern that the mine could experience flooding and contamination, noting that the giant pumps proposed by the corporation to prevent flooding would have to be kept in operation in perpetuity.

They said they also fear that the proposed "water recirculation process" and cement walls to hold back the headwaters will not be sufficient, and Highland on ending the limestone extraction will leave the township responsible for maintaining the pumps and walls.

Engineer Garry Hunter, a consultant for the North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Taskforce (NDACT) asked: "What happens if the power goes off to your basement sump pump? If your basement is below the water table, the basement will flood. In the quarry case, flooding is to be anticipated after abandonment, either because of resource depletion or because of unforeseen operational, economic, or environmental circumstances.

"Drawdowns (measure of depletion) will result in water well interference and a stream flow reduction until the quarry fills. The drawdowns may also induce off site subsidence and sink hole development in the prevalent karstic terrain (in Melancthon's case limestone) surrounding the proposed quarry."

Denis Scace, a longtime Melancthon resident and mechanical contractor, says many things can go wrong with your basement. "The walls can crack; pressure breaks water through the floor; a sump pump breaks down or the hydro goes off".

He said a 2,400-acre open pit has the additional disadvantage of "having no roof. Acid rain will pour into the water recirculation ponds and we will get the full contamination. The chemicals in the cement plugs that are poured into the water table to create the walls are very toxic. Stress points on this very long wall can crack, not to mention that according to the Dufferin Building Department, Melancthon is on a fault line with the potential for earthquakes that could do great damage to the walls of the proposed mine."

Highland's Mr. Daniher said the firm's water management proposals "will be contained in the licence application and will be subject to thorough review. The matter will be decided on the facts, not on the fears raised by our critics."

Melancthon Council has made no move as yet to review the township's Official Plan by incorporating protection for water, soil, and community with respect to aggregate applications.