Mining plans of Nelson Quarry in Burlington topic of upcoming public session

The controversial plan that calls for the expansion of Nelson Quarry and what it means for Burlington will be the topic of an upcoming public meeting.

The meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 18 at Burlington City Hall. It will also be available online at www.burlington.ca/calendar.

At issue is the proposed expansion of gravel mining on the Niagara Escarpment. The expansion application by Nelson Aggregates calls for expanding its mining operation by 50.5 hectares on Mount Nemo.

Opponents of the plan point to the potential ecological damage that continuous mining will have on the environmentally sensitive site. Those in favour of the plan say the raw material produced by the quarry is needed to meet the building demands in the GTHA.

CORE Burlington (Conserving Our Rural Ecosystem of Burlington), one of the main groups opposing the expansion, believes the continued gravel mining on Mount Nemo impacts, air quality, ground and surface water, agricultural lands, wetlands and woodlands, endangered species and road safety.

For its part, Nelson Aggregates has offered to donate the land at the end of the life of the quarry, which is proposed to be phased out in stages over 30 years. It has been suggested the rehabilitated quarry could be used as a large park.

The issue is before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) as Nelson claims that Burlington and Halton Region have taken too long to deal with the matter.

The City of Burlington says by appealing to the OLT, Nelson Aggregates has taken the decision-making process out of the hands of local government.

Halton Region has said it has concerns with the range of potential impacts of an expanded quarry on the community, the environment and the quality of life for residents directly affected by the proposed expansion.

Requests to delegate at Sept. 18 meeting can be made by completing the online delegation registration form at www.burlington.ca/delegate, by submitting a written request by email to the Office of the City Clerk at [email protected] or by phoning 905-335-7600, ext. 7481 by noon on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.