David Orazietti May 7, 2012

Chairman
Standing Committee on General Government
Queen`s Park

Dear Mr. Orazietti Re: Review of the Aggregate Resources Act (the Act)

I am writing to you in my capacity as Chairman of the North Dufferin Agricultural and
Community Taskforce, Inc. (NDACT), a not-for-profit organization with hundreds of members
throughout Ontario. Our interests are aligned with various other organizations and citizens
concerned about the impact of aggregate extraction on the environment, source water and our
agricultural land resources. As you may be aware, NDACT was formed in response to the
application made by the Highland Companies for a proposed 2,316-acre, below the water table
Mega Quarry in Melancthon Township.

On September 20, 2011, the Liberal Government announced, as a pre-election promise, that it
would be undertaking a review of the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA), presumably with a view
to modernizing the legislation to take into account concerns expressed by various stakeholders
regarding the adequacy of existing legislation in the context of current and future societal needs.

The Liberal Government, when making this announcement, made the following observations:

x 'Our review will help Ontario move Iorward on both environmental protection and
clearer policies that will support the industry and protect consumers.

x The government`s announcement also went on to say that the review is to re-examine the
Act to see if it could strike a better balance between 'environmental, community and
economic concerns and take into account best practices Irom other regions.

At the time, there was a promise made that all stakeholders, including the public, would be
provided with adequate input in the process.

Notwithstanding this stated promise, we learned only late Friday, May 4, 2012, by way of press
release, that the committee would begin hearings on the next business day, May 7, 2012, and
would only be providing a total hearing time of 12 hours.

I am writing to express NDACT`s extreme disappointment in the timing and format of the
Standing Committee`s review of the ARA. There was no adequate prior notice given of these
important hearings and the public has been allotted just six hours oI the committee`s time over
two days next week. There is little time for Ontarians to prepare presentations on such a complex
issue as the ARA.

In your press release, you indicated there is already a schedule in place with specific time slots
allotted to a number of organizations that include representatives of the aggregate industry. One
must assume that if these organizations are already prepared to make detailed submissions during
the time slots set aside for them, then they must have been given advance notice of the hearings,
well before the last-minute, late Friday afternoon, notification afforded to the public. In our view,
the promise oI 'adequate notice has not been fulfilled, and there is apparent preferential
treatment being conferred upon members of the aggregate industry. We view this as a breach of
the public trust.
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As well, the committee has decided to confine the hearings to Toronto and will not travel to those
communities most affected by aggregate extraction. Given that quarries are one of the main
challenges Iacing Ontario`s prime agricultural lands, it does not seem logical that the committee
would limit public input to a few hours at hearings to be held only in downtown Toronto.

When the Ontario government announced in March that the all-party Standing Committee on
General Government would conduct the review, it was believed the hearings would be both
comprehensive and inclusive. We expected a detailed, and stakeholder inclusive, study of the out-
dated ARA, which gives aggregate priority over every other form of land use in Ontario
including prime farmland, source water areas and environmentally-protected regions. But in its
current form, the review appears rushed and biased. As previously stated, representatives from the
aggregate industry have already been assigned time for their presentations this Wednesday.
NDACT, the public and other agricultural organizations were not contacted in advance nor
invited to attend. As well, the hearings are being held during the spring planting season when
many farmers are unable to travel to the city to participate in the review.

On behalf of NDACT, I am asking committee members to immediately make amendments to
the current planned process to incorporate the following:

x An extension of the time allotted to conduct more thorough ARA review hearings. This
is both necessary and fair in order to ensure that the public and other stakeholders, such
as environmental groups, farm organizations and rural municipalities, all of whom are, or
will be, directly impacted by current and future aggregate operations, are given adequate
time to prepare their presentations to the Standing Committee.

x For hearings to also be conducted in select rural communities, in particular those
communities where aggregate extraction prevails. We would suggest, at a minimum,
that hearings be conducted in the Guelph/Milton area, Dufferin County and in the
Peterborough/Kawartha area.

This review will impact the future protection oI Ontario`s prime Iarmland and water resources as
well as responsible aggregate extraction. Much is at stake. Therefore, the committee must ensure
its hearings are thorough, open and fair for all those who wish to participate.

We look forward to your response and thank you in advance.

Sincerely,



Carl Cosack
Chairman
North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Taskforce, Inc.