At least 90 per cent of the original objectors to the St. Marys Cement (SMC) quarry application have reconfirmed their objections to the proposal.

Friends of Rural Communities and the Environment (FORCE), a grassroots community group opposed to the quarry, announced this week that it has delivered almost 900  letters opposing the proposal to establish a quarry on 11th Concession Road East and the Milburough Line. The final total is expected to be even higher as these results don’t include objectors who sent reconfirmation letters directly to SMC and the Ministry of Natural Resouces (MNR).

Last year, about 1,200 objection letters were filed when SMC applied for the quarry licence. Since then, the aggregate company has responded by registered mail to the objectors, who then had the option of reconfirming their objections if they felt the company didn’t adequately address them.

SMC now has the option of submitting a second response to the objections. If it cannot resolve the residents’ concerns by next spring, it can submit a package to the MNR outlining its efforts and asking for a decision. The MNR has the power to grant or deny the licence or refer the application to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

This week, FORCE joined Environmental Defence, a national environmental group and founding member of the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, in calling on the Ontario government to stop all new quarries (including the proposed East Flamborough quarry) in the Greenbelt.

According to the Environmental Defence’s recently released report, Green among the Grey: Fifth Anniversary Progress Report on the Greater Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt, “St. Marys Cement proposes to extract up to three million tonnes annually from the Greenbelt’s Natural Heritage System in Flamborough.”