M.P. David Tilson Calls For Environmental Assessment On Melancthon Quarry Project

May 24, 2021

Ottawa, ON – David Tilson, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, is today releasing the text of a letter sent this week to the Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment, regarding the Highland Companies’ proposal for a mega-quarry in Melancthon Township.

While the major part of the regulatory approval burden for the Melancthon quarry falls to the Province of Ontario, Mr. Tilson notes that there are aspects to the proposal that require federal environmental review and he is calling on the Minister to undertake the necessary environmental assessment.

“The level of concern expressed to me by residents is very significant. I felt it was necessary and appropriate to ask the Minister to look at this case,” stated Mr. Tilson. “If approved, this would be the largest quarry in Canada and would take up a significant chunk of prime farmland in Melancthon. It needs to be looked at from all angles.”

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act contains a number of “triggers” that can cause an environmental assessment to be undertaken. Among them are regulations surrounding freshwater fisheries, which could possibly include the tributary of the Pine River that flows through the site.

Melancthon Kent letter