Clear-cutting on Victoria Road, June 2009
The City of Guelph have laid 151 charges against three companies as a result of an investigation into clear-cutting in the south-east end of Guelph on land owned by the developer, Carson Reid.
The incident occurred in June at 2007 Victoria Road South. The City’s By-law Compliance and Enforcement Officers completed their investigation into the incident in September, and charges are scheduled for a first appearance before the Ontario Court of Justice – Provincial Offences division on November 23, 2009.
Under the City of Guelph’s tree by-law, it is an offence to injure or destroy a tree, or cause or permit a tree to be injured or destroyed within the city. If found guilty of such an offence, a person or an organization could be subject to a fine between $500 and $2,000 per offence.
Although this by-law is not as protective as Guff Guelph would like its good to see the city taking a firm stand on this incident.
Its also interesting to note that Carson Reid also own River Valley Developments, the quarry at the centre 0f serious concern about blasting below the aquitard, the protective layer over our local aquifer (see Wellington Waterwatchers Press release below).
WELLINGTON WATERWATCHERS PRESS RELEASE
October 16, 2009
Continued quarrying is threatening Guelph’s Water Supply while Provincial Ministries stall.
Wellington Water Watchers, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Guelph and Wellington County, are gravely concerned about the threat to the City of Guelph’s drinking water supply resulting from continued blasting at the DoLime Quarry. Blasting at the quarry can create cracks and breaches in the Eramosa formation of the aquitard, which forms the protective layer over our local aquifer. Cracks in the aquitard create the possibility for surface water contamination of our pristine drinking water source. The initial breach of the aquitard was discovered almost a year ago. Despite numerous queries and complaints about the potential threat to our drinking water, and despite requests from the City of Guelph that the blasting be stopped, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment have allowed continued operations while information is gathered. Each and every subsequent blast has the potential of creating additional cracks in the aquitard, further exposing our aquifer to the possibility of surface water contamination.
There are many citizens of Guelph who are fed up with the inaction by the regulator. The quarry owner, River Valley Developments, is a division of Carson Reid. Carson Reid is the same company that was charged after unauthorized clear-cutting was discovered this past June at a property on Victoria Rd. Further blasting at the quarry poses a severe and immediate threat to our drinking water. The quarry has been in operation for over a hundred years and all the rock that can be safely removed, has already been removed.
“ We are asking our MPP Liz Sandals, and the two Provincial Ministries responsible to immediately take action and cancel this quarry operator’s permits”, said Wellington Water Watchers Executive Director, Arlene Slocombe.
“The DoLime quarry should be closed immediately based on risk assessment – there is no justification on continuing with mining there within the protective layer of the aquifer system”, said Hugh Whiteley PhD
