b'DGEPGARRETGMAETNEST 101AITS A VITAL CLEAN, GREEN & SUSTAINABLEPART OF OUR LIVES For an industry dedicated to digging through dirt and We all use stone, sand and gravel virtually every minutedredging water, its about as clean as you can get.of every day. Its part of the buildings we live and workCrushing, sorting and washing stone is the full extent of in, the roads we drive on Even the water we drink isaggregate processing, and it only uses waternot one filtered and purified by aggregate. Its used in everythingsingle chemical is used in the processing of stone, sand from paper and paint to chewing gum andand gravel. And the water that is used is recycled in a household cleansers. closed loop and used again and again.You may think that people whoIts also important to note that pits and quarries dont liveinaruralenvironmenthave an adverse effect on groundwater. In fact, in some require less stone, sand andcases, theyre actually beneficial because the rainfall and gravelthancity-dwellers.snowmelt they capture increase cold groundwater flow for fish habitats.But in fact, the opposite is true. On a per-capita basis,On top of all that, our industry is strictly regulated by the more aggregate is used inAggregate Resources Act (ARA), among other legislation.the country than in the city.PROTECTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENTThe aggregate industry is one of the cleanest, and most highly regulated industries in Ontario, to ensure the protection of people and the natural environment. The 25 pieces of legislation that protect the environment and future resources include regulationsthe Greenbelt, the set out by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, theOntario Endangered Species Act,Oak Ridges Moraine and Niagara Escarpment plans, as well as the Aggregate Resources Act.Often, producers will go beyond what is required by law to protect wildlifesuch as creating buffer zones near sensitive natural resource areas, working closely with local conservation authorities on environmental management projects, and sponsoring environmental research and protection efforts.No chemicals are involved in the extraction or processing of aggregate materials. The topsoil, and other organic material removed from the rock surface before mining begins, is not sent to a landfill or used for other landfill purposes, it is stored onsite and used in the rehabilitation of the pit or quarry site.PUTTING THINGS RIGHTQuarries and pits are a temporary land use. When aggregate extraction is completed in each section of a pit or quarry, the site is rehabilitated foroneofawiderangeofend-uses:wildlifehabitats,wetlands, recreational parks, forestry or agricultural lands. The rehabilitation is carefully planned: the land is shaped to support the end-use and prevent erosion, and the original topsoil is replaced.Someofthebest-knownnaturallandmarksinOntariousedtobe quarries or pits, including more than 70 rehabilitated sites within the city of Toronto alone.Want to learn more? Visit GravelFacts.ca for more information on the Ontario aggregate industry. There you can discover more facts, watch in-depth videos, download resources, read theAvenues archive, anddiscover the wonderful world of aggregate!34 AVENUESFALL 2021'