The Bighill Creek Preservation Society (BCPS) says a new provincial task force aimed at streamlining regulatory approvals for sand and gravel operations on private land is barking up the wrong tree.
This week, the province struck a sand and gravel task force to review and recommend changes to speed up permitting processes, while maintaining environmental protections under existing provincial legislation.
The Alberta government says sand, gravel and crushed stone are essential to the province’s construction economy, playing a key role in infrastructure, housing and road building. Industry stakeholders and landowners have raised concerns that excessive red tape is delaying development and limiting access to aggregate materials.
“With the launch of the sand and gravel task force, we’re paving the way for a faster, smoother process. It’s time to stop graveling under bureaucracy and start building Alberta’s future," stated Rebecca Schulz, minister of Environment and Protected Areas, in a news release. "MLA van Dijken and MLA Lunty will leave no stone unturned as they dig into this important work.”
Along Highway 567, there are multiple aggregate operations, including the Mountain Ash Limited Partnership, which continues to be challenged, that could see mining within 800 metres of Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, located 15 minutes north of Cochrane.
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BCPS president Gerry Bietz has seen many aggregate operations established in the area, and says red tape isn't the problem — it’s the way aggregate companies go about establishing the mines.
“Gravel companies go out and find a prospective site and acquire it, and then attempt, irrespective of what the broader considerations might be, to get approval to mine it. So they put themselves immediately at odds with local residents — that’s a problem.”
The panel is co-chaired by Glenn van Dijken, MLA for Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock, and Brandon Lunty, MLA for Leduc-Beaumont. Other members include representatives from the Alberta Sand and Gravel Association, the Consulting Engineers of Alberta, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and Alberta Municipalities.
The task force is expected to deliver its recommendations within six months. It will focus exclusively on private land operations and provincial regulatory processes.
Ryan Fournier, press secretary for Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz, says no public meetings or consultations will be held before the task force presents its recommendations.
“This is highly technical, so the task force will focus on engaging with industry and regulatory experts in the sand and gravel sector,” he said.
There are currently more than 1,000 active sand and gravel pit registrations on private land in Alberta. These operations are regulated under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Water Act.
In related news, Rocky View County council is holding a special meeting and public hearings on June 18 to consider policies and bylaws related to aggregate operations.
Council is reviewing an aggregate development performance standards policy, along with proposed amendments to the Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw. Amendments are being considered to its Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw to adopt policies for the regulation of aggregate extraction and processing.
It is also holding a public hearing to consider the adoption of the aggregate site monitoring bylaw, which would establish a standard for inspections of aggregate sites within Rocky View County.
A public hearing will also be held to consider adopting an aggregate site monitoring bylaw, which would establish a standard for inspecting aggregate sites within the county.