Appeal of C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. - Permit to take water

ERO number
019-2326
Notice stage
Appeal
Appeal posted
Last updated

Appeal summary

This notice was prepared by the applicants seeking leave to appeal and represents their position.

Appeal details

This notice is given by the applicant in accordance with section 47 of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. The notice was prepared by the appellant and represents its position. It does not represent or reflect the views of the Government of Ontario, nor does the Government of Ontario make any representations about the accuracy of the content of this notice.

Decision being appealed

Pursuant to section 38 of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (“EBR”), Citizens Against Melrose Quarry (“CAMQ”) hereby applies to the Ontario Land Tribunal (“Tribunal”) for an order granting leave to appeal the decision of Gregory Meek, Director under section 34.1 of the Ontario Water Resources Act (“Director”) in revising and imposing Condition 3.5 in Permit to Take Water (“PTTW”) No. 4242-C2PM2T, dated October 20, 2021, to C.H. Demill Holdings Inc. (“Demill”), 13 Melrose Road, Lot 6, Concession 3, Township of Tyendinaga, County of Hastings.

Grounds for appeal

The grounds for this application for leave to appeal are that pursuant to section 41 of the EBR, it appears that:

  1. There is good reason to believe that the Director’s decision was unreasonable in that no reasonable person, having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision to revise and impose Condition 3.5 in the PTTW issued to Demill; and
  2. The Director’s decision to revise and impose Condition 3.5 in the PTTW issued to Demill could result in significant harm to the environment.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

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Contact

More information, including hearing dates and locations can be provided by the appellate body. Additional information about the instrument appeal process, can be provided by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Environmental Review Tribunal
Attention: The Secretary
655 Bay Street
Floor 15
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Environmental Review Tribunal


Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Environmental Bill of Rights Office
40 St. Clair Ave. West
12th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2

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Original decision

C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. - Permit to take water

Instrument type: Permit to take water

ERO number
019-2326
Ministry reference number
0543-BSVNRT
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision Appeal
Decision posted
Comment period
September 2, 2020 - October 2, 2020 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
September 2, 2020
to October 2, 2020

Decision summary

A new Permit to Take Water No. 4242-C2PM2T was issued to C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. for quarry dewatering and dust control purposes at the Long’s Quarry Location.

Location details

Site address

13 Melrose Road
Lot 6, Concession 3
Tyendinaga, ON
Canada

Site location details

Long's Quarry

Site location map

The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.

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Proponent(s)

C. H. Demill Holdings Inc.
13 Melrose Road
Shannonville, ON
K0K 3A0
Canada

Decision details

Permit to Take Water No. 4242-C2PM2T was issued on October 20, 2021 to C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. and replaces Permit No. 8467-A32L6G.

Water will be taken from one dugout pond for quarry dewatering and dust control purposes located at Long’s Quarry, 13 Melrose Road Lot 6 Concession 3, Township of Tyendinaga, County of Hastings.

Details of the water taking are as follows:

Permit type - renewal

  • source of water: Long's Quarry Pond (normal conditions)
  • purpose of taking: dewatering
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,740
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 8
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,315,200
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 305
  • period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 5 years

Request a copy of the permit.

Additional information

In addition to the above, water taking from the Long’s Quarry Pond may be increased to 3,000,000 litres per day/24 hours a day for dewatering during the spring freshet, and during storm events. This increased water taking may occur for up to 60 days per year. The purpose of this allowance to allow for dry and safe working conditions within the quarry.

In addition to the purpose of dewatering, water may also be used for dust suppression. Up to 50,000 litres/day may be allocated to this purpose, and dust control is permitted at the site up to 300 days per calendar year.

Finally, it is noted that during drought conditions (a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 low water condition as defined by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry) the permit holder is only permitted to pump out an amount of water equivalent to the precipitation that has fallen onto the site, as detailed in Condition 3.5 of the permit.

The ministry is satisfied that the water taking at Long’s Quarry does not interfere with private water supply wells located in the area, nor has the water taking resulted in unacceptable impacts to the environment. This was the conclusion of a 2018 EBR Investigation (file #18EBR001.I) and was again confirmed based on our review of the monitoring data provided in support of the renewal application. To ensure local water supplies and the environment is protected, the renewal permit has been issued with conditions requiring monitoring, water conservation measures and annual reporting to the ministry.

Comments received

Through the registry

8

By email

3

By mail

46
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

Comments relevant to the water taking proposal were considered as part of the review of the application.

The main concerns raised and the ministry's responses are as below:

  • a comment was received requesting that the ministry consider that adequate monitoring be included to assess potential impacts to Blessington Creek

Ministry's response:

Monitoring programs were reviewed and updated as part of our technical review and are considered adequate to monitor potential impacts to the environment, including Blessington Creek, and local water users.

  • comments were raised urging the ministry to apply an ecosystem approach and require the permit holder to undertake a cumulative effects assessment siting concerns with the regional groundwater supply constraints and local dependence on shallow wells for supply

Ministry's response:

Based on the ministry’s technical review, a cumulative impacts assessment was not recommended. The ministry is satisfied that the ongoing monitoring and reporting requirements are adequate to monitor influence of the water taking from the quarry.

  • concerns were raised that the Permit to Take Water issued for the Long’s Quarry could be used to dewater a future expansion at an adjacent property (referred to as the Melrose Quarry)

Ministry's response:

Condition 3.6 of the issued Permit to Take Water explicitly identifies that the permit is issued for water taking solely from the Long’s Quarry site.

  • concerns were raised regarding historical non-compliance by the permit holder under the previous Permit to Take Water issued for the site

Ministry's response:

The ministry considered historical compliance issues and as part of our review of this proposal determined that greater compliance could be achieved by improving permit conditions. A review of all Permit to Take Water conditions was undertaken with consideration of all related site approvals (Permit to Take Water, Environmental Compliance Approval and Aggregate Resource Approval Licence). This permit includes revised conditions that will help to ensure greater compliance as they are more compatible with other site approvals.

  • finally, concerns were raised regarding water taking from the site during drought conditions

Ministry's response:

Condition 3.5 of the issued Permit to Take Water puts an onus on the permit holder to keep apprised of and limit the water taking during Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 low water condition as defined by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, allowing only for the removal of a volume of water equivalent to the direct precipitation that has fallen on the site during low water conditions, returning precipitation to local surface water features subject to the low water conditions.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Environmental Permissions Branch - Permit to Take Water Unit
Address

135 St Clair Ave W
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

Office phone number

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from October 20, 2021 to begin the appeal process.

Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.

How to appealClick to Expand Accordion

For instrument decisions published on or after June 1, 2021, please refer to the updated instructions for information on how to appeal a decision.

Appeal process for decisions published before June 1, 2021

If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.

First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.

If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.

Seek leave to appeal

To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:

  1. prepare your application
  2. provide notice to the minister
  3. mail your application to three parties

1. Prepare your application

You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:

  1. A document that includes:
    • your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
    • the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
    • a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
    • your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
    • the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
    • whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
    • the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
    • the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
    • the outcome you’d like to see
  2. A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
  3. Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered

The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:

  1. is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
  2. could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?

2. Provide your notice

You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.

In your notice, please include a brief description of the:

  • decision that you wish to appeal
  • grounds for granting leave to appeal

You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:

College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON 
M7A 2J3

3. Mail your application

You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:

  • appellate body
  • issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
  • proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)

Issuing authority
Gregory Meek
Supervisor, PTTW

Permit to Take Water Unit
135 St Clair Ave W
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

289-830-5867

Proponent(s)

C. H. Demill Holdings Inc.
13 Melrose Road
Shannonville, ON
K0K 3A0
Canada


Appellate body

Environmental Review Tribunal
Attention: The Secretary
655 Bay Street
Floor 15
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Environmental Review Tribunal


Include the following:

ERO number
019-2326
Ministry reference number
0543-BSVNRT

This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.

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Follow this notice

Original proposal

ERO number
019-2326
Ministry reference number
0543-BSVNRT
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

September 2, 2020 - October 2, 2020 (30 days)

Proposal details

This proposal is for a renewal of Permit To Take Water No. 8467-A32L6G for C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. Water will be taken for dewatering and dust control purposes at the Long's Quarry, located in the Township of Tyendinaga, Hastings County, Ontario. Details of the water taking are as follows:

Source 1

  • source of water: Long's Quarry Pond (spring thaw/melt/storm)
  • purpose of taking: dewatering
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,740
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 3,000,000
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 60
  • period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 5 years

Source 2

  • source of water: Long's Quarry Pond (normal conditions)
  • purpose of taking: dewatering
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,740
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 8
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,315,200
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 305
  • period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 5 years

Source 3

  • source of water: Long's Quarry Pond (dust control)
  • purpose of taking: industrial
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,740
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 1
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 50,000
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 300
  • period of taking: March 15 to December 15 for 5 years

More about Permits to take water

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from September 2, 2020
to October 2, 2020

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