b'PIT SELECTIONrelevant planning policy that would havetotestingandassessingthephysicalconditions.Butthen,welookatthings [madeit]verydifficulttosuccessfullyproperties of the sand, gravel or limestonelikeiftheyrenearourexistingsites, license theproperty. to confirm that you can produce the high- saysHanratty.Iftheyare,thatmeans qualityaggregateyouneedtoservethetheycanmaybebecomeanextension The company ended up walking awayconstruction industry, he says. There areofthatexistingoperationand[wecan] from their purchase disappointed that theyhighstandardstomeet,andweneedtousetheinfrastructurethatsalreadyin couldntproceedonthatsite,Bertrammakes sure were providing the aggregateplace,likethetrafficroutes,scalesand continues, but they were grateful that theythat makes high-quality concrete or asphaltprocessingplant. avoided what could have been a very longfor things like condo towers, new hospitals, and very expensive process that may notbridges and key infrastructure.Therearealsoimportantbusiness ultimately have yielded them anything. considerations. For example, says Betram, A large part of the site validation processIf theyre looking at virgin property, or Addingthatextraduediligencetimeisidentifyingandassessingthepresenceevenpropertyalreadylicensedbutthat is not always possible, especially in moreandpotentialimpactofgroundwatertheywanttoextractdeeperorexpand, competitivemarkets.Thatiswhenorsurfacewater.Thistooneedstobetheythenhavetoconsiderthecostand companieswillweighalltheriskswhentaken into consideration. The first layertime to go through the process of getting making a purchase or leasing decision. isthatgeologymapping,butthenextapprovals either for a new licence, licence islookingatthesiteinrelationtotheexpansion,tonnageamendments,or DIGGING DEEPER natural environment, says Hanratty. Soeven an amendment to go to lower depth While there are many regions to exploreits asking things like: Are there wetlandsofextraction.for extraction, it is not simply a matter ofonthesiteorincloseproximitytothe pointing at a map and getting ready to dig.site? What about the nearby landowners?Marketpricingcanalsocomeinto A better understanding of the due diligenceDo they rely on wells, and could those beplay. In an area where there are multiple processcanhelpthepublicunderstandimpacted from a water standpoint? existing sites, companies must determine if whysomeareasaremorefeasiblethanthe remaining material is of good enough others. We have to find the areas with theThisiswherehydrogeologyquality, and if so, if the market demand best potential first, and even when we do(groundwater)andhydrology(surfaceisenoughtosetupoperationsandif narrow in, we still have to gauge the sitewater)assessmentsarecriticaltotheir rates can be competitive with others for quality of the aggregate, the volume ofpinpointingwaterissuesandtriggering aggregate, the feasibility of the location,remediationconsiderations.Ifsuchalready operating in the area.and the licensability, says Mitchell. conditionsarefound,decisionsmustbeUltimately, even when the science and ChrisGalwayisseniorlandmanager,made as to whether or not the reserve isgeology pan out, producers still have several East GTA, Eastern and Northern Ontario,ofgoodenoughqualitytowarrantthesite logistics and licensing considerations forLafargeCanada.Afteryearsintheadditionaleffortsandexpensesneededto work through before locking themselves toinvestigateandmitigatethepotential business,heiswellacquaintedwiththeimpacts of extraction. in. If the question among the general public need to quickly, accurately and thoroughlyis, Why are so many pits and quarries in accessasitesgeologythroughresourceThatsaid,siteswillnottypicallybemybackyard?theansweristhatthere drillingandtesting.Itcomesdownscreened out based solely on their waterwasmuchdeliberationinthedecision, conditions.True,therearenotouchand every possible aspect was weighed in featureslikeprovinciallysignificantthe balance. wetlands and coldwater fisheries that will likelydeterfutureexplorationbutforItsanextremelycomplicatedprocess most other scenarios the industry is wellto find the right site, says Hanratty. And versedinremediationefforts.Iwouldwhilesomecommunitymembersmight We Manufacture, Repair & Service Attachments say we get pretty creative with respect totake issue with the fact that there are more & Hydraulics for Excavators, Loaders &Dozers mitigationopportunities,saysHanratty.aggregate sites in close proximity to them We can address a lot of groundwater andthan another community down the road, surfacewaterchallenges,butifwecanthats really from a lack of understanding select sites that have a better environmentalof what goes on in the selection process. We have all your Earthmoving Attachmentsfootprintfromawaterstandpoint,that from a snowplough blade to a large grapple. certainly helps us narrow down potentialStill, understanding where those public We have the equipment, the skill, and the expertise to deliver a rst-class product,impacts in a more manageable way. misconceptionsandfrustrationscome on-time, everytime for over 35 years. fromcanhelpeveryonefindcommon Call us today for all your attachment needs! GETTING CLOSE ground. We have to empathize with their Asinrealestate,locationcounts.positionandworkwiththemthrough Foraggregatestakeholders,itcanbethe process, stresses Hanratty. We need appealing from a logistics and cost-savingtoshowthatweregoingtobetaking D/S Manufacturing perspective to consider locations closer tothemintoconsideration,operateina (613) 652 - 40255087 Carman Road, Iroquois, ON. K0E 1K0 established sites, customers or pre-existingway that minimizes disturbance to them, dsmanufacturing.ca to find is a site with the right geologicalcondition than when we took it over. Fax (613) 652 - 1575 infrastructure.Thefirstthingwetryandultimatelyleavethelandinbetter 22 AVENUESWINTER 2023'