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On Monday, November 14th, 2011, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper travelled to Burlington, Ontario to make a presentation to the Joint Agency Review Team that was determining the fate of Mount Nemo -- an area of the Niagara Escarpment in Burlington being threatened by an aggregate proposal by Nelson Aggregate.
The group's counsel, Joanna Bull, presented to the JART decision makers Lake Ontario Waterkeeper's concerns regarding Nelson Aggregate's proposal to increase their open-pit mining operations on the escarpment. The following is their compelling and persuasive presentation. The points the Waterkeepers made in 2011, only nine years ago, in opposition to ANY new quarrying on the escarpment, are as valid today as they were then.
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"Good Afternoon Madame Chair, and Members of the Board.
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My name is Joanna Bull, and I am here today on behalf of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a Participant in this proceeding.
Waterkeeper is here to ask that you deny Nelson Aggregate’s application to expand the Burlington Quarry.
Our role in this hearing is to remind you of the important context in which this decision is being made. The health of Lake Ontario depends on water refreshed and recharged by this land. The lake is too important, to too many people, to gamble on a quarry expansion. Instead, Mt Nemo, and its role in feeding our water resources, should be protected and celebrated.
We hope our presentation will be helpful to you when considering the evidence before you...
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Originally published on November 22, 2011 by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.