The Ministry of Natural Resources MNR is responsible for the management of aggregate resources in th

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INTRODUCTION

• The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is
  responsible for the management of aggregate
  resources in the province. MNRs planning mandate
  is to protect mineral aggregate resources and
  ensure the continued availability of these
  resources as close to markets as possible.
• The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is
  responsible for leading the management of
  aggregate resources in the province of Ontario.
  MNR regulates the extraction of mineral
  aggregates under the Aggregate Resources Act.
  MNRs planning mandate is to protect and ensure
  the continued availability of the identified
  mineral aggregate resources.
• DEFINITION Aggregate resources include any
  combination of sand, gravel, or crushed stone in
  a natural or processed state.
• Aggregates are essential contributors to the
  cement and asphalt industries, which are
  necessary for the construction of highways, dams
  and airports, as well as residential, industrial
  and institutional buildings.

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AGGREGATES In 2004 2751 licensed aggregate
sites on private land , 3314 aggregate permits on
crown land. Estimated that over 50 of all
aggregate produced in Ontario is used by public
authorities for the construction and maintenance
of the public infrastructure such as roads and
bridges. Approximately 85 of total aggregate
production in Ontario takes place in southern
Ontario where the demand for aggregates and
aggregate-derived products is the highest. The
cost of transportation is estimated to be
approximately 60 of the total cost of aggregate.
Therefore, the economic value of an aggregate
deposit is based not only on the quantity and
quality of the deposit, but also how close the
deposit is to its final destination.
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• Role of Staff in MNRs Field Services Division
• Aggregate Inspectors
• process applications for licences, permits,
  transfers, site plan amendments, etc. and issue
  related documents
• conduct inspections and audits of aggregate
  operations to ensure that licensees and
  permittees are in compliance with the Aggregate
  Resources Act and the site plan, and that
  rehabilitation is being carried out
• enforce offences under the Aggregate Resources
  Act (e.g., suspension notices, rehabilitation
  orders, revocations)
• participate in hearings related to the
  Aggregate Resources Act (Ontario Municipal Board
  for private land or Mining and Lands Commission
  for Crown land) and
• administer other aspects of the aggregate
  program (e.g. complaint resolution, education and
  training, participation in municipal land-use
  planning).

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• PIT AND QUARRY OPERATIONS
• Compliance
• Every licensee and permittee is responsible for
  the day-to-day monitoring of their site to ensure
  that they are in compliance with the requirements
  of the Aggregate Resources Act, the regulations,
  the Aggregate Resources of Ontario Provincial
  Standards, the site plans and the conditions of
  their licence or permit.
• Site Plan
• The site plan is the primary tool that controls
  the operation and rehabilitation of all pits and
  quarries. The licensee or permittee is legally
  bound to operate and rehabilitate their site in
  accordance with the site plan.
• The site plan includes information on
• how the extraction of aggregate will occur on
  the site (e.g. which parts of the licence or
  permit area will be extracted first, how
  extraction will move across the site, how deep
  the extraction will be, what types of equipment
  will be used, what the hours of operation will
  be, etc.)
• how progressive rehabilitation will be carried
  out
• what the final rehabilitation of the site will
  involve and
• any required monitoring programs that were
  identified during the application process.

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• Annual Compliance Reporting
• Every licensee and permittee in the Province of
  Ontario is required to complete a Compliance
  Assessment Report (CAR) once each year, must be
  filed with the MNR no later than September 30th,
  and must also be filed with the regional
  municipality/county and the local municipality.
• During the term of the licence or permit, the
  licensee/permittee must keep a copy of every
  report submitted to MNR. The CARs are public
  information.
• When a licensee/permittee reports a violation
  on the CAR, they must indicate how and when the
  violation will be fixed. If the
  licensee/permittee stops the activity causing the
  violation (e.g. placing a stockpile within 30m of
  the boundary) and the violation is fixed (e.g.
  the stockpile is removed) during the approved
  time period, the licensee/permittee is protected
  from prosecution.
• If the licensee/permittee does not submit the CAR
  by September 30th or does not fix a violation
  identified in a report by the approved deadline
  date, the licence or permit is automatically
  suspended until the report is submitted or the
  violation is fixed.

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AGGREGATES AND BLASTING NOISE IMPACTS ARE
REGULATED Pits and quarries operating in Ontario
are regulated under two key pieces of
legislation Aggregate Resource Act,
administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources
(MNR). Environmental Protection Act,
administered by the Ministry of the Environment
(MOE). The MNR controls the granting of licences
to aggregate producers. The MOE sets out
regulations and guidelines to control potential
environmental impacts, including noise. Existing
quarries must file annual compliance reports, and
are subject to inspections by both the MNR and
MOE. NOISE GUIDELINES Noise impacts from pit and
quarry operations must meet provincial noise
limits administered by the MOE. These guideline
limits are among the most stringent in the world.
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Government guidelines set limits for noise and
vibration produced by blasting at Ontario
quarries. Blasts are monitored to ensure that
these limits are adhered to. Blasting
professionals must comply with a range of federal
and provincial laws which regulate and control
their activities. Every aspect of the industry
from production, storage, transportation, and
detonation is regulated. In Ontario, the two
most relevant pieces of legislation are The
Occupational Health and Safety Act, administered
by the Ministry of Labour (MOL), and Guideline
NPC-119, administered by the Ministry of
Environment (MOE). These guidelines set limits
for noise and vibration produced by blasting and
are among the most stringent in North
America. Effects of blasting The two effects of
a blast that may be felt at an offsite location
are vibration in the ground, and concussion
in the air (noise) Both of these effects are
regulated by MOE limits and all blasts at the
quarry must be controlled so that these limits
are not exceeded at an offsite residence or other
sensitive land use. Precise and detailed record
keeping for each individual blast is required.
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NOISE FROM BLASTING Vibration and concussion
noise impacts from blasting are considered
separately from normal operations. NPC-119
blasting guidelines are enforced by the MOE. No
structural damage to surrounding residences
should occur provided these guidelines are met.
Blasts are designed to limit vibration and
concussion to ensure that the limits are met, and
are often routinely monitored. NPC-119 Concussion
- Peak Pressure Level Limit If the person in
charge of a blasting operation carries out
routine monitoring of the peak pressure level,
the peak pressure level limit for concussion
resulting from blasting operations in a mine or
quarry is 128 dB. Vibration - Peak Particle
Velocity Limit If the person in charge of a
blasting operation carries out routine monitoring
of the vibration the peak particle velocity limit
for vibration resulting from blasting operations
in a mine or quarry is 1.25 cm/s.
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COMPLAINT PROTOCOL BETWEEN MNR AND MOE Designed
to address environmental complaints regarding Pit
and Quarry Operations to clarify how MNR and MOE
will work together when it comes to potential
issues involving the Aggregate Resources Act
(ARA), and environmental conditions under the
Environmental Protection Act (EPA) - necessitates
that both Ministries cooperate to ensure that
when the public lodges a complaint regarding an
aggregate pit and/or quarry operation, that the
complaint is handled in an expeditious, effective
and efficient manner.
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• Key principles that provide framework for MNR/MOE
  Protocol implementation
• When a complaint is received, MNR advises the
  licensee that a complaint has been received
  against their operation. MNR will not disclose
  the name of the complainant should they wish to
  remain anonymous.
• If MOE receives the complaint, MOE District
  Staff will record the particulars of the
  complaint and direct to the appropriate MNR
  office and the operator. MOE will then pass on
  the information to the local MNR Aggregate
  Inspector.
• Complaints respecting licensed aggregate
  operations upon receipt are to be directed to and
  accepted by MNR for assessment. MNR, as lead, is
  responsible to carry the complaint from receiving
  it through to notification to complainant
  regarding the outcome in respect to a licensed or
  permitted aggregate operation.
• MNR shall first attempt to resolve all
  complaints either through voluntary abatement
  and/or through the enforcement tools available to
  MNR.
• When required, technical support and/or
  abatement/enforcement support from MOE to MNR
  will be provided in accordance with this protocol
  in addressing a complaint about a licensed or
  permitted aggregate operation.

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• HISTORY OF GUELPH DOLIME QUARRY AND CURRENT
  OPERATIONS
• Began extraction in 1860s, quarry is over 100
  years old. Official property location is Part of
  Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Concessions 4 and 5,
  Division G, Township of Guelph-Eramosa. This is
  a below water table quarry, A Class Licence,
  Licence 5672
• Canadian Gypsum operated at site until 1978,
  Guelph Dolime followed as Licensee through to the
  1990s, Lafarge Construction also operated there
  during Guelph Dolime period. Licence has
  recently been transferred to River Valley
  Developments Inc. in March of 2004 James Dick
  Construction has been operating quarry since Fall
  of 2005.
• Property is largely located in Township of
  Guelph-Eramosa, houses and subdivisions have been
  built around quarry within expanding City of
  Guelph land use conflicts.
• Original focus was on Guelph Formation
  limestone for lime products associated with
  lime kilns and dust problems. Current operations
  are focused on the lower Amabel Formation stone
  which is valued for concrete and construction
  purposes kilns have been eliminated and
  subsequently dust is not a major concern.