Sturgeon County could unlock up to $73.4 million in sand and gravel if it changes how it regulates its mines, council has heard.
County council got a report Sept. 22 on potential amendments to the county’s rules for sand and gravel extraction.
Previous reports to council showed the county had dug up about half of its known sand and gravel deposits, is now mining another 20 per cent, and is likely to mine another 15 per cent economically with its current rules, which rely heavily on large 400- to 800-m setbacks. A review of best practices suggested the county regulate mines using measureable performance standards instead.
The report to council sketched out four potential regulatory frameworks.
Three would see the county establish high, medium or low performance standards and pair them, respectively, with small, medium and large setbacks.
Stringent standards and 100- or 300-m setbacks would allow about $73.4 million more sand and gravel to be mined, but could cause more public complaints and affect people’s ability to enjoy their land. Standards could include requirements for progressive reclamation, restricted hours of operation and plans to monitor noise, groundwater and air impacts. Companies would still have to renew their development permits every five years, but renewal would depend in part on how they addressed environmental and resident concerns.
Midrange standards and 300-m setbacks would allow for about $26 million of resources to be mined. Low standards and large setbacks comparable to the ones used now allow for $14 million of sand and effectively no gravel to be mined.
The county could also create individual standards and setbacks for every new mine through Direct Control zoning, the report found. This could allow for about $59 million of mining.
Mayor Alanna Hnatiw suggested the county review gravel permits every three years instead of five to ensure better compliance and require companies to consult residents who live along haul routes before opening new mines. She also wanted more details on what these proposed performance standards might entail.
“The future of gravel extraction should not necessarily look like the past.”
Council voted 6-1 (Coun. Karen Shaw opposed) to put these options, plus a “status quo” option, out to the public for review this October.
