Picton Terminals started blasting the rock face on Picton Bay this morning. According to their website, blasting is expected to continue all week.
Blasting within 30 metres of a waterline requires a permit from the Quinte Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as from the local municipal government. Further, the area directly below the blasting site is part of an exfiltration zone for groundwater and stormwater drainage from the Picton Terminals site.
The Picton Terminals site is about 1200m from the municipal drinking water intake pipe and about 500m from the water intake protection zone.
“We would like to see the permit where Quinte Conservation gave the authority to blast the cliff face today,” said Leslie Stewart, President of the County Conservancy. “That is definitely within 30 meters of water and where the supposed exfiltration zone is located for the MECP groundwater and stormwater drainage.”
The Gazette fielded complaints all day from concerned residents on the Bay.
“I don’t know what exactly they are allowed to do,” said Tim Smythe-Bishop, who lives on the Bay directly across from Picton Terminals, “but they just blew up a huge amount of rock off the face of the wall. It was so loud that all the windows in our house shook dramatically. It happens all the time, but this one just now was incredible.”
Blasting in the morning was followed by an excavator situated on the very edge of the cliff attempting to dislodge a huge boulder from the escarpment early this afternoon.
“It looked like they were trying to break away additional rock with an excavator. I have no idea how this is considered safe,” said Mr. Smythe-Bishop.
Picton Terminals previously obtained a permit from Quinte Conservation Authority to destroy part of the cliff face to create a shipping road — but that permit expired in 2018 and has not been renewed.
Picton Terminals has nevertheless continued to destroy more of the escarpment without a permit. Permits for blasting an escarpment are required from the municipality, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as well as QCA.
While Council voted to approve a settlement with Picton Terminals on October 8, its terms require the County to request a Ministerial Zoning Order from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Paul Callandra. Without that MZO, the deal falls through. The County has not yet requested an MZO from the Minister.
Queries to the County, Quinte Conservation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change as well as to Mr. Ben Doonekamp, owner of Picton Terminals, about the status of permits the Terminals is required to have for blasting the escarpment have so far gone unanswered.
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