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Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve threatened
View of the Conservation
Reserve from near the proposed mine site
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Company applies for third time to mine at Mellon Lake Palu-Corbellli Corp. has applied yet again for a permit to blast gravel and granite from the environmentally sensitive Mellon Lake area. The provincial Aggregates Act allows the company to reapply for a permit as many times as it likes, a loophole the company is intent on exploiting. The company's third application is almost exactly the same as its second except for covering a slightly larger area. With no significant changes in its approach, it is difficult to understand what the company hopes to gain by wasting taxpayer's time and money to once again review a mining plan that is clearly ill-suited to the Mellon Lake site. This situtation must be settled once and for all. There should be no mining in Mellon Lake -- period. Please write Minister of Natural Resources Jerry Ouellette and tell him that Mellon Lake must be permanently protected and that he should put an end to endless applications from Palu-Corbelli. Order of term papers. Moscow - buy research paper. Work, vacancies, resume. Hon. Jerry Ouellette Send a letter opposing the application from our website. The threat to Mellon Lake An aggregate company from Thornhill wants to build a granite mine in the newly established Mellon Lake Conservation Reserve. They began bulk sampling -- cutting and removing blocks of granite the size of a pickup truck -- Granite blocks cut from the site as part of sampling activities operating permit was turned down. Its second application was approved in part for a smaller area and with restrictions. The company chose to walk away from this permit. Now it has applied for a third time for a permit to operate a quarry on the same Mellon Lake site. Mellon Lake deserves protection! There are a number of rare or significant species that occur in the new protected area, including:
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Conservation groups and residents ask Minister of Natural Resources to stop proposed open-pit granite and gravel mine in new protected area. Located in eastern Ontario (northeast of Belleville on Hwy 41 south of Kaladar), Mellon Lake has long been known for its outstanding natural features and rare species. The 5,440 hectare area was first designated as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) in 1983 and established as a new protected area in March 1999 as a part of the outcome of Lands for Life - a provincial land use planning process. All the gamblers love very nice casino slot games guide. A Concord-based mining company, Palu- Corbelli Corp., staked claims in the site in March 1999, just before the protected-areas announcement by then Minister Snobelen and Premier Harris. Local opposition is high and local residents and cottagers are very concerned about the impact of the mine on the Mellon Lake environment. "Mines do not belong in parks" says Tim Gray, Executive Director of Wildlands League, (a chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society). "We are asking the Minister to act quickly to stop this destructive activity before it causes any more harm to this important area or the species that inhabit it ". "When a park or protected area is established, people expect that it will be there forever", adds Monte Hummel, President of WWF. "We need to find a way to make sure that mine development does not happen again, and we look forward to working with the government and mining industry to find a solution that protects our parks. In the meantime this one should be stopped in its tracks." "We see this site as the tip of a very large iceberg" adds Gregor Beck of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. "If this mine goes ahead, it will set a precedent that could allow for mines in many of our new parks." "The Minister of Natural Resources has a great opportunity to use the appropriate legislation to stop this development" concludes Jerry DeMarco, staff lawyer at SLDF. "Developing a mine in this park is clearly contrary to the public interest and the Aggregate Resources Act, which gives the Minister the power to stop this proposal immediately." Mellon Lake Chronology 1983. The area around Mellon Lake was identified as a provincially signifi cant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI). This was done due largely to the presence of prickly pear cactus and other rare species in the area. This designation was formalized in the 1983 Tweed District Land Use Guidelines of the Ministry of Natural Resources. October 1998. Lands for Life consolidated recommendations of the Boreal West, Boreal East and Great Lakes-St Lawrence Round Tables identified Mellon Lake as a new conservation reserve and described area C-14 as a special study area but with a 'decision deferred' status. March 1999. Conservation Reserve candidate lands staked under a prospectors license (323 ha) issued under the Mining Act. Two other sections of the candidate Conservation Reserve are also staked by the same company. March 31, 1999. Mellon Lake Area designated as a Conservation Reserve (5, 440 hectares). Summer 1999.
March 23, 2000. Application for an aggregate permit submitted. The applicant intends to remove 'dimension stone' in 20 tonne blocks, which will be shipped to Italy for processing. The applicant also wants to remove stone for aggregate (gravel). The area is made up of granitic gneiss. Spring 2000. Work at site appears to include spilling of significant quantities of oil. July 7, 2000. Deadline for public comment on Aggregate Permit. Over 250 submissions submitted opposing mine proposal, including PPL, local citizens, municipal government and others. July 2000. Large amount of local media coverage highlighting concerns of residents about proposed mine. February 2001. Natural Resources Minister John Snobelen turns down application from company to proceed to full production. However, company says it will re-apply for a permit for full-scale mining. April 2001. Company re-applies for aggregate permit. Aggregate Act puts no limit on the number of times the company can re-apply. July 1, 2002 . MNR issues permit for mining but limits area and adds other restrictions to approval. Company refuses to meet conditions and walks away from permit. February 2003. Company applies for the third time for a permit. New proposal covers slightly larger area than 2002 proposal. |
under a permit issued March 23, 2000 by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM). They also constructed a road over Crown land, for access to the site, but appear to not have obtained the proper road building permits from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). The company's first application for an 
Ministry
of Natural Resources