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Dufferin postpones decision on expanding Acton quarry As part of its annual Earth Week celebrations Continued from pg. 1 Dufferin has scheduled a Tree Planting Day at the work begins in May. Dufferin is inviting one town quarry on Saturday, April 21. Activities get under councillor, one staff member plus three council- way at 8:30 a.m. with a barbecue lunch at 11 a.m. Councillors took the opportunity to question appointed citizens, plus another seven citizens Bourrie on a number of nagging issues such as appointed by Dufferin to participate. "We believe there is an opportunity to do a lot hours of operation and blasting. Bourrie says quarry processing begins at 5:45 more than what is required of us by the Ministry a.m. and ends 11:30 p.m. to accommoof Natural Resources on the approved date the shipping times of 6 a.m. to 5 site plan. We are very interested in p.m. While she will investigate ways to engaging the Town of Halton Hills and ease the impact of the early and late the community's residents. There is an times on neighbours, Bourrie pointed out opportunity for the Acton Quarry to be the quarry does have an operating licence quite a spectacular after use," said for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bourrie. The operating hours were set to meet the A cynical Halton Hills Mayor Rick required aggregate demand and after Bonnette, who has seen the ownership consulting with the quarry's neighbours. of the quarry change many times, wonThe quarry's blasting expert is also dered what assurance the Town has that RICK looking at new techniques in blast patDufferin will follow through on its rehaBONNETTE terns and frequency, again to alleviate bilitation plans. "We do what we say we'll do," answered resident impact, noting that a change in previous Bourrie bluntly, noting that the company is pub- years brought some success. Protect Our Water and Environmental licly traded with audited financial statements, including a trust fund to rehabilitate the quarry to Resources (POWER) past president Barbara Halsall commented, while the JART process the standards required. The approved Ministry of Natural Resources began about a year ago, council and residents didafter use site plan calls for "simple, dry land form n't learn of the proposal until February. Regional Councillor Jane Fogal agreed with with gentle side slopes and grassed/treed areas". To date almost 30 hectares have been rehabilitat- Halsall's concerns and as a result, a report on a ed and since Dufferin took ownership in 2001, recent regional committee agency addressed this 21,500 native trees have been planted, two quarry "flaw in the system". Effective immediately regional council will be walls have been sloped 3:1 (2:1 is required) and four hectares of seep recharge area has been informed when staff is in a pre-consultation stage installed. The earliest that the public could possi- with JART proposals. For more see page 9. bly use one portion would be in about five years.