b'ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIPLIFE CYCLE OFA PIT OR QUARRYFacility management that puts the environment firstP itsandquarriesareonlyEXPLORATION AND SITE SELECTION environs. The destination, or end use, of locatedinareaswhereAggregate only exists where nature put it.theproductsisknownasthemarket. aggregateisfoundandThelocationofpotentialaggregatepitsHaving the property close to the market is closetowhereitisused.and quarries is limited by geology. Otheranother factor that the industry takes into Themostenvironmen- significant natural or cultural features inconsideration when going through the site tally responsible consideration whenthe landscape further limit potential loca- selection process.miningforstone,sandorgravelistions for aggregate operations. to establish a pit or quarry close toLICENSING AND APPROVALwhere the material is needed, whichQuarries are located where high-qualityWhenadesirablesiteislocated,awide willminimizethegreenhousegasesbedrock is found close to ground surface, caused by trucking the product to thevarietyofstudiesarerequiredtoassess construction site.making it feasible to extract because therethepropertyssuitability.Variousstudies is less overburden that needs to be removed.arerequiredaspartofacomprehensive FormanyOntarians,thismeansDepending on the quality, quarried rock canlicensing process and can include examina-pitsandquarrieslocatedintheirbe used in high-end products like asphalt,tionofnaturalheritagefeatures,nearby communitiesandquestionsaboutconcrete or bricks, while lower-quality rocklanduses,groundwater,surfacewater, howtheycancoexistwiththeirmay be used for other construction needs,blastingmodelling,traffic,endangered localenvironment. such as road base and drainage. species, noise, dust and archaeology. Today, aggregate industry employeesExtractedmaterialfrompitsincludesThisworkiscompletedtoensurethe areconsideredprofessionalstewardssandandgravel,depositsformedinenvironmentandlocalcommunitywill of the land in which they operate. Themoraines,eskers,spillwaysetc.thatarebe protected throughout the complete life industry also employs environmentalthe result of ancient glacial activity. Whencycle of the operation. These studies can professionalswhofocusonensuringsandandgraveldepositsareevaluated,take several years to complete and are used thattheindustrymeetsallrequire- grain size and quality are important factorsto direct extraction in a way that minimizes mentsthatareinplacetoensureto consider. The more fine material thatimpact on the surrounding area.Ontariosenvironmentisprotected.is found mixed in with the sand and gravel, Throughout the life cycle of a pit orthe less desirable the deposit may be. NotHydrogeological (water) technical reports quarry,sitesarecarefullymanagedalldepositsarecreatedequal,whichisthataccompanyalicenceapplication,for andmonitoredtoensurethereiswhy the industry takes a great deal of careexample, must evaluate if there is potential minimal community impact.when selecting new sites. foradverseimpactstonearbywellusers, This section provides an overviewnaturalenvironmentfeaturesandsurface of the activities at each stage in theOnceacandidatepropertyisfound,awaterbodies,andmayincludeplans lifeofapitorquarrythatensureseries of studies are undertaken to betterforimplementationofcontingencyand operations are completed responsibly. understandthesiteandsurroundingmitigation measures. While hydrogeology is just one technical report that is needed, part of the impact assessment includes what happens with the natural environment. This is why a natural environmenttechnicalreportisalso required as part of the licence application and must determine if there is potential for the aggregate operation to negatively affectnearbyfeatures,suchaswetlands, fishhabitat,woodlandsandendangered species. If impacts are identified, proposed preventativeandmitigationmeasures are also outlined. You can see how these reports are integrated in many ways!26 AVENUESWINTER 2021LICENSING AND APPROVAL Prior to licence approval, studies are completed to support environmen- tally friendly development of the site and rehabilitation, while engagingin indigenous/public consultation through the process.Any potentialissues are also identified and appropriate mitigation measures designed. REHABILITATION Rehabilitation takes place after each phase of the pit or quarry isextracted.After all the aggregate has been extracted, the site is reha- bilitated into wildlife habitat, wetlands, recreational areas, urban uses,conservation lands, or agriculture. The licence is then surrendered.2 5EXPLORATION AND SITE SELECTION Stone, sand and gravel (aggregate) exists where nature put it. The loca- tion of pits or quarries is decided by geology.Quarries are located wherehigh-quality bedrock exists. Sand and gravel pits are located in areas likemoraines and eskers and are the result of ancient glacial activity. gregate is extracted using heav y equipment and processed into differ- ent sized rocks.Washing may occur to clean the products, but chemicalsare not used.Licensed sites must follow their site plans and governmentrules and regulations about water, noise, dust and blasting.AN ACTIVE SITEAg Environmental controls must be in place before extraction begins.Berms are constructed to address noise/dust. Monitoring wells may beinstalled to measure water levels/quality. To operate, sites must com- ply with permits, 25 pieces of legislation and hundreds of regulations. 1 4F F EC Y C L E I LO I T A Q R U A RY R P O At every stage in the life of a pit or quarry,minimizing the impact on neighbours and theenvironment are top priorities. The industry employs hundreds of environmentalscientists, from species-at-risk specialists tohydrogeologists and engineers, who are all focused on upholding the laws that protect Ontariosenvironment andcommunities.GravelFacts.caOPENING A PIT OR QUARRY3'