Scugog Township abandoned its bylaw charges against Earthworx Industries last month, deciding that the cost of court would outweigh any positive financial outcome.
_Scugog CAO Bev Hendry confirmed that on Nov. 10, the township abandoned its six charges against the company for illegal dumping. Trucks full of soil continued to enter a Lakeridge Rd. property after municipal bylaw officials revoked Earthworx’ fill permit. The site - which remains dormant following a court-ordered injunction against the business and subsequent provincial court decision which ruled in favour of the township earlier this year - was the subject of numerous resident concerns over the last year. Samples from the Oak Ridges Moraine property tested positive for excessive amounts of toxins, raising fears of groundwater contamination.
_According to Ms. Hendry, the charges would have only brought a return to the township of approximately $6,000 - far below the expense of preparing a court case. The CAO said that legal expenses incurred by the township in dealing with Earthworx sit at approximately $50,000.
_“The additional expense costs of building a case were not worth the what the outcome would have been,” said Ms. Hendry. “I believe that we have accomplished what we wanted.”
By Blake Wolfe - The Scugog Standard.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Committee defers moraine development decision
Andy | 6:26 AM |
York Region
Group of Aurora residents preparing case
Aurora's committee of adjustment deferred a decision on whether or not to allow a developer to build houses on a portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine to give residents more time to mount a case against the project.
The residents received a further 90 days to gather facts, as they found out about the proposed development less than a month before the committee meeting took place.
Neighbours on Stemmle Drive took issue with the proposed development after claiming five houses proposed for the site would be squeezed into the space and developers would be forced to build a huge retaining wall on the sloped land.
Any construction would alter the hilly landscape and put the moraine at risk, the neighbours argued.
One of the lead campaigners and a neighbour of the proposed development, Anne Benton, said she was relieved by the committee's decision, but added residents have a tough task before them.
“We felt it was a minor victory,” she said. “We have been given three months, so we really need to get ourselves organized.”
On top of putting together a meeting with all the neighbours and anyone else who is interested in saving the moraine, she is looking into hiring a hydrologist who will speak to the importance of this part of the moraine.
A representative from The Save The Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition was present at the meeting and is acting as a consultant for the group.
The land in question is identified as settlement land in moraine legislation.
The residents received a further 90 days to gather facts, as they found out about the proposed development less than a month before the committee meeting took place.
Neighbours on Stemmle Drive took issue with the proposed development after claiming five houses proposed for the site would be squeezed into the space and developers would be forced to build a huge retaining wall on the sloped land.
Any construction would alter the hilly landscape and put the moraine at risk, the neighbours argued.
One of the lead campaigners and a neighbour of the proposed development, Anne Benton, said she was relieved by the committee's decision, but added residents have a tough task before them.
“We felt it was a minor victory,” she said. “We have been given three months, so we really need to get ourselves organized.”
On top of putting together a meeting with all the neighbours and anyone else who is interested in saving the moraine, she is looking into hiring a hydrologist who will speak to the importance of this part of the moraine.
A representative from The Save The Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition was present at the meeting and is acting as a consultant for the group.
The land in question is identified as settlement land in moraine legislation.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Summerhill Woods Trees Can Be Spared
Andy | 6:20 AM |
New Market
Trees can be preserved during the removal of arsenic in the Summerhill Woods development, according to report.
The report, presented at this week’s Newmarket committee of the whole meeting by Burnside and Associates’ Jim Walls and Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc.’s Elliot Sigal concluded it is possible to remove the soil containing elevated levels of arsenic without clear-cutting the trees.
The developers of the residential project, at the southeast corner of Mulock Drive and Bathurst Street, informed the town in 2009 of high levels of arsenic in the soil. Before proceeding with construction, the developer removed much of the contaminated soil, but was unsure how to proceed with removal in the wooded area that sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The town called for a risk assessment under the Environmental Protection Act to determine if the contamination could be removed without destroying the environmental features. While a plan was expected to be approved by the Environment Ministry by 2010, changes in the ministry’s guidelines caused a delay.
The assessment has now been approved.
“This is a good news story,” Mr. Walls told council.
Less than half a metre of top soil must be removed from the trail lands, northern forested lands and William Thomas Mulock Park, Mr. Sigal said. Two areas will require Criterion to manage removal and the public park will be the responsibility of the town.
Although the easiest way to remove the soil would have been to also remove the trees, the developer and town wanted to preserve the naturally wooded areas, he added.
As for future use of the land, the ministry will issue a certificate of property use in the next 30 days to limit the use to forested parkland.
The ministry and York Region Public Health have reviewed the report with safety top of mind, he said.
“We are being proactive for health and safety as well as the environment.”
Mr. Walls doesn’t expect the soil removal will take much time and doesn’t foresee dust or noise disturbances during the work.
“This should be able to be done without too much of a disturbance to residents,” he said.
Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen said people will be happy to receive the report and know things are moving forward.
Town staff has been directed to prepare a report exploring the cost of the soil removal on town land and report back to council.
The report, presented at this week’s Newmarket committee of the whole meeting by Burnside and Associates’ Jim Walls and Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc.’s Elliot Sigal concluded it is possible to remove the soil containing elevated levels of arsenic without clear-cutting the trees.
The developers of the residential project, at the southeast corner of Mulock Drive and Bathurst Street, informed the town in 2009 of high levels of arsenic in the soil. Before proceeding with construction, the developer removed much of the contaminated soil, but was unsure how to proceed with removal in the wooded area that sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The town called for a risk assessment under the Environmental Protection Act to determine if the contamination could be removed without destroying the environmental features. While a plan was expected to be approved by the Environment Ministry by 2010, changes in the ministry’s guidelines caused a delay.
The assessment has now been approved.
“This is a good news story,” Mr. Walls told council.
Less than half a metre of top soil must be removed from the trail lands, northern forested lands and William Thomas Mulock Park, Mr. Sigal said. Two areas will require Criterion to manage removal and the public park will be the responsibility of the town.
Although the easiest way to remove the soil would have been to also remove the trees, the developer and town wanted to preserve the naturally wooded areas, he added.
As for future use of the land, the ministry will issue a certificate of property use in the next 30 days to limit the use to forested parkland.
The ministry and York Region Public Health have reviewed the report with safety top of mind, he said.
“We are being proactive for health and safety as well as the environment.”
Mr. Walls doesn’t expect the soil removal will take much time and doesn’t foresee dust or noise disturbances during the work.
“This should be able to be done without too much of a disturbance to residents,” he said.
Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen said people will be happy to receive the report and know things are moving forward.
Town staff has been directed to prepare a report exploring the cost of the soil removal on town land and report back to council.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Look At Bigger Picture Of Fading Moraine
Andy | 7:26 AM |
York Region
Letter to the editor - The Markham Economist & Sun
Re: Group calls for moraine protection, Sept. 22. From a distance, the Oak Ridges Moraine is a picture perfect landscape. Who wouldn’t want a piece of its beauty? But that’s just the problem. Its enticing fishing waters, pristine golf courses and scenic trails and parks have attracted thousands of residents. Reporter David Fleischer highlights several key concerns placing strain on the moraine including the degradation of animal habitats and threatening levels of phosphorus and E. Coli in the plants.
But, like a beautiful painting, it is easy to miss how the frame around the canvas can affect the overall picture. Not only does the land itself need restoring, but its outskirts that need paying attention to.
To the north of the moraine is an ever increasing urban development. Hundreds of millions of litres of underground water, filtered by the sand and gravel of the moraine, is lost in water and sewage pipes of residential and industrial areas and during the construction of the major sewage systems serving York Region. As the underground water is depleted, streams that flow off the moraine diminish and waterways dry up. It will only be too late when we notice fish species disappearing and the ripple effect of a suffering ecosystem soon after.
Saving the moraine itself is not enough. We must look at the region as a whole if we want to preserve the very beauty that drew it to us in the first place.
Jennifer Low
Richmond Hill
Re: Group calls for moraine protection, Sept. 22. From a distance, the Oak Ridges Moraine is a picture perfect landscape. Who wouldn’t want a piece of its beauty? But that’s just the problem. Its enticing fishing waters, pristine golf courses and scenic trails and parks have attracted thousands of residents. Reporter David Fleischer highlights several key concerns placing strain on the moraine including the degradation of animal habitats and threatening levels of phosphorus and E. Coli in the plants.
But, like a beautiful painting, it is easy to miss how the frame around the canvas can affect the overall picture. Not only does the land itself need restoring, but its outskirts that need paying attention to.
To the north of the moraine is an ever increasing urban development. Hundreds of millions of litres of underground water, filtered by the sand and gravel of the moraine, is lost in water and sewage pipes of residential and industrial areas and during the construction of the major sewage systems serving York Region. As the underground water is depleted, streams that flow off the moraine diminish and waterways dry up. It will only be too late when we notice fish species disappearing and the ripple effect of a suffering ecosystem soon after.
Saving the moraine itself is not enough. We must look at the region as a whole if we want to preserve the very beauty that drew it to us in the first place.
Jennifer Low
Richmond Hill
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Andy | 6:04 AM |
The Oshawa Express - September 28, 2011
There is a STORM brewing in the name of saving the Oak Ridges Moraine. On the 10-year anniversary of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), Earthroots and Ontario Nature have teamed up to raise awareness about the severe threats facing the moraine, known as Southern Ontario’s rain barrel.
“We're pleased to announce the launch of our ‘Moraine Can't Wait’ campaign, which will focus attention on a number of serious issues facing the moraine,” says Debbe Crandall, executive director of STORM. “We can't wait until the 2015 review of the Conservation Plan, during which time these problems will only get worse. We're asking Ontario residents to make the moraine a priority in this provincial election.” The Oak Ridges Moraine extends for 160 kilometres and is north of the Greater Toronto Area, extending through parts of Durham Region.
According to a release, this land formation possesses important prairie, forest and wetland habitats, many of which are a refuge for rare plants, birds and turtles.
The moraine is compared to a rain barrel because it supplies drinking water to more than 250,000 people, the release continues, adding the area is now vulnerable to many threats.
“Unmonitored water taking is one of the most troubling concerns we have about the moraine,” says Josh Garfinkel, senior campaigner with Earthroots. “Millions of litres of water are pumped out of the aquifers every day and millions more leak into the sewage system.” Other threats to the moraine, STORM states, include ongoing development as a result of proposals that were approved before the Conservation Act was passed, dumping fill into abandoned aggregate pits and infrastructure that continues to be built, even in core natural areas. These groups say they are raising awareness about the deficiencies in the Conservation Act and Plan for the moraine in the weeks leading up to the provincial election.
“We need answers now. The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of the most significant green landscapes left in southern Ontario,” adds Crandall. “We cannot sit by and watch it lose any more of its natural values.”
There is a STORM brewing in the name of saving the Oak Ridges Moraine. On the 10-year anniversary of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), Earthroots and Ontario Nature have teamed up to raise awareness about the severe threats facing the moraine, known as Southern Ontario’s rain barrel.
“We're pleased to announce the launch of our ‘Moraine Can't Wait’ campaign, which will focus attention on a number of serious issues facing the moraine,” says Debbe Crandall, executive director of STORM. “We can't wait until the 2015 review of the Conservation Plan, during which time these problems will only get worse. We're asking Ontario residents to make the moraine a priority in this provincial election.” The Oak Ridges Moraine extends for 160 kilometres and is north of the Greater Toronto Area, extending through parts of Durham Region.
According to a release, this land formation possesses important prairie, forest and wetland habitats, many of which are a refuge for rare plants, birds and turtles.
The moraine is compared to a rain barrel because it supplies drinking water to more than 250,000 people, the release continues, adding the area is now vulnerable to many threats.
“Unmonitored water taking is one of the most troubling concerns we have about the moraine,” says Josh Garfinkel, senior campaigner with Earthroots. “Millions of litres of water are pumped out of the aquifers every day and millions more leak into the sewage system.” Other threats to the moraine, STORM states, include ongoing development as a result of proposals that were approved before the Conservation Act was passed, dumping fill into abandoned aggregate pits and infrastructure that continues to be built, even in core natural areas. These groups say they are raising awareness about the deficiencies in the Conservation Act and Plan for the moraine in the weeks leading up to the provincial election.
“We need answers now. The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of the most significant green landscapes left in southern Ontario,” adds Crandall. “We cannot sit by and watch it lose any more of its natural values.”
Friday, June 18, 2010
Township seeks way to stop fill
Andy | 6:23 AM |
Dumping
Concerns raised in a Scugog Standard story last week have municicpal and provincial officials looking into landfill practices at a Scugog property.
Township staff are looking into whether or not operations at a clean fill site along Lakeridge Rd. can be stopped, after consideration that the permit may have been “issued in error” in contradiction of environmental regulations, according to planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier.
The decision came after discussion and the passing of a new fill and site alteration bylaw at this week’s council meeting, following discussion regarding similar sites around the township. At recent meetings, staff and council have attributed the current increase of such fill sites to both a weak Scugog bylaw and the tightening up of fill rules in neighbouring municipalities.
According to Mr. Chartier, the township may have erred by issuing a permit to an operation located within the borders of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is subject to stringent environmental regulations. Mr. Chartier said that a legal opinion is now being sought by the township before taking any steps toward revoking the permit, adding that if the opinion is “cut and dry,” the township will likely “act on the bylaw’s provision.” The site is governed under the provisions of the township’s old fill bylaw and subject to any penalties contained within.
The new bylaw will now feature a ‘blanket restriction’ on fill dumps within the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a handful of exceptions, including site alteration directly related to building permits issued by the township or for purposes such as agriculture.
Concerns about the quality of fill being dumped at the Lakeridge Rd. site arose after residents alleged that questionable items were amongst the truckloads of fill being deposited there.
According to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson Kate Jordan, an inspector was sent to the site last week to conduct an investigation of the fill content after receiving a complaint from the township, but found no evidence of chemical contamination or other material not permitted in clean fill.
However, photos obtained by The Scugog Standard, allegedly taken of the site last weekend, show items such as PVC piping, cinder blocks, crushed chemical drums and plastic chemical pails clearly sticking out of the piles of fill allegedly on the property.
The site discussed, located along Lakeridge Rd. south of Regional Rd. 21, is maintained by Earthworx Industries, which advertises the property as a ‘clean fill dump site’ with a heliport. To date, no stop order has been issued and no illegal or improper fill has been confirmed by the MOE at the site.
Link: Township seeks way to stop fill
Township staff are looking into whether or not operations at a clean fill site along Lakeridge Rd. can be stopped, after consideration that the permit may have been “issued in error” in contradiction of environmental regulations, according to planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier.
The decision came after discussion and the passing of a new fill and site alteration bylaw at this week’s council meeting, following discussion regarding similar sites around the township. At recent meetings, staff and council have attributed the current increase of such fill sites to both a weak Scugog bylaw and the tightening up of fill rules in neighbouring municipalities.
According to Mr. Chartier, the township may have erred by issuing a permit to an operation located within the borders of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is subject to stringent environmental regulations. Mr. Chartier said that a legal opinion is now being sought by the township before taking any steps toward revoking the permit, adding that if the opinion is “cut and dry,” the township will likely “act on the bylaw’s provision.” The site is governed under the provisions of the township’s old fill bylaw and subject to any penalties contained within.
The new bylaw will now feature a ‘blanket restriction’ on fill dumps within the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a handful of exceptions, including site alteration directly related to building permits issued by the township or for purposes such as agriculture.
Concerns about the quality of fill being dumped at the Lakeridge Rd. site arose after residents alleged that questionable items were amongst the truckloads of fill being deposited there.
According to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson Kate Jordan, an inspector was sent to the site last week to conduct an investigation of the fill content after receiving a complaint from the township, but found no evidence of chemical contamination or other material not permitted in clean fill.
However, photos obtained by The Scugog Standard, allegedly taken of the site last weekend, show items such as PVC piping, cinder blocks, crushed chemical drums and plastic chemical pails clearly sticking out of the piles of fill allegedly on the property.
The site discussed, located along Lakeridge Rd. south of Regional Rd. 21, is maintained by Earthworx Industries, which advertises the property as a ‘clean fill dump site’ with a heliport. To date, no stop order has been issued and no illegal or improper fill has been confirmed by the MOE at the site.
Link: Township seeks way to stop fill
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Relay supports Oak Ridges Moraine
Andy | 5:50 AM |
The Moraine for Life Adventure Relay has something for both veteran adventure racers and weekend warriors looking for a brand new challenge.
On June 20, the Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) hosts the fourth annual Moraine for Life Adventure Relay. The non-stop relay team event kicks off from Church Hill Road in Gore's Landing on Rice Lake at 7:30 a.m. then stretches west 160 kilometres to wrap up at King City between 7 p.m. and midnight. All proceeds go to the ORTA to help protect the moraine's healthy ecosystem and heritage, extend the Oak Ridges Trail and encourage responsible land use.
"We have grown from seven participating teams three years ago to 33 this year, making this one of the largest events of its type in Canada," stated relay committee chairman, Brian Millage. "It's also a cross moraine-supported race, with teams representing communities from Peel, York, Durham and Northumberland all challenging last year's winning ream from Uxbridge, the Trail Capitol of Canada."
The course is divided into 14 relay stages of varying distances consisting of water, road and trail portions. With the exception of the two-person canoe stage, one team member will complete each stage; however, people may do multiple stages. Teams may consist of up to 15 members. Times will be recorded for each stage and the team with the lowest cumulative time wins. In the spirit of adventure, participants must be self-sufficient. Each participant is responsible for bringing and transporting whatever supplies (equipment and nutritional) they may require during their stage.
For additional information or to donate, visit www.oakridgestrail.org or www.moraineadventure.com.
Link: Northumberland News
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