CSC launches 60-day consultation on draft Responsible Aggregate Standards

Cornerstone Standards Council (CSC) is releasing its draft standards for responsible aggregate extraction in Ontario.

For the next two months CSC will be reaching out to individuals and groups interested in the role voluntary certification can play in Ontario’s aggregate sector.

CSC is looking for feedback on the draft Responsible Aggregate Standards – which proposes actions that pits and quarries would voluntarily undertake to be certified – in order to find out if they accurately reflect achievable expectations. The draft is available on CSC’s website www.cornerstonestandards.ca.

CSC anticipates this voluntary certification system will have a significant impact on Ontario’s aggregate sector by introducing a less confrontational approach to the planning, siting and operation of aggregate sites.

The draft standards propose voluntary requirements for pits and quarries that meet the community’s social and environmental expectations by:

• Protecting Ontario’s most important natural areas
• Identifying and addressing potentially adverse environmental impacts
• Engaging with local communities and Aboriginal groups before extraction is licensed and throughout the lifecycle of operations
• Communicating progress towards final extraction with the community
• Developing final rehabilitation plans that incorporate community interests.

CSC will also host information sessions across Ontario during the 60-day consultation period to provide more detail about the voluntary certification system, answer questions related to the draft standards, and facilitate feedback. Details about these sessions will be posted on CSC’s website and e-newsletter.

Formal comments may be submitted to CSC from Jan. 6 – March 6 by email: comments@cornerstonestandards.ca, or regular mail: Cornerstone Standards Council, 285 McLeod St. Ottawa, K2P 1A1.