Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people from all over Ontario who are concerned about the proposed mega-quarry in Melancthon Township in Dufferin County in Ontario. It which would be the largest open-pit quarry in Canada at over 900 hectares, or 2,300 acres.
They are concerned with a number of things, one of which is that the proposed mega-quarry would initially have 150 truckloads per hour of aggregates leaving the quarry heading south and 150 empty truckloads returning to the quarry. Other trucks would be transporting 52 tonnes of explosives to the quarry per day. All of this traffic would take place on local roadways not designed to carry such traffic.
Petitioners are asking that the Government of Canada conduct an environmental assessment under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act on the Highland Companies' proposed mega-quarry development.