Rehabilitation too little, too late

I was very surprised when I saw the headline James Dick Construction Ltd. wins environmental award (Citizen, April 11) for rehabilitating one of its pits in Caledon. It is absolutely baffling to me as to why this action would require a headline. It is my understanding that the Aggregate Act requires rehabilitation of all aggregate operations.

The track record for rehabilitation by the majority of aggregate producers has been dismal, at best. For instance, in the year 2002 only 3% of disturbed land in pits and quarries in Ontario was rehabilitated, and that figure is not unusual. This does not conform to the licensing requirements as determined by the MNR, but since the ministry is understaffed and under-funded, there is little they can do to regulate the situation. Because of this appalling statistic, the surrounding communities must live with the consequences on a long-term basis. Have you ever taken a flight over Caledon and seen the devastation from the air wrought by the aggregate producers?

It is little wonder that we are taken aback when one of the aggregate companies has decided to implement rehabilitation. Why should they get a pat on the back for doing what they were supposed to do in the first place?

The other curious aspect to the article is that the award was presented by the industry to one of its own. Is it a coincidence that the chairman of the Aggregate Association who gave the award was none other than the sonin law of James Dick and an employee of James Dick Construction Ltd? This seems to give the appearance of a photo-op and PR opportunity for James Dick Construction, rather than a credible recognition from an arm's length environmental organization such as The Nature Conservancy or World Wildlife.

No matter how much rehabilitation happens now, the record so far "is too little, too late." Wouldn't we all be very thirsty and very dirty if we had to wait for water (if that water was negatively affected by the blasting of a quarry or open pit mine) as long it took most aggregate companies to comply with the requirements of their licensed agreement?

Penny Richardson

President The Coalition of Concerned Citizens