Lappe land-owners sort out noise issues with quarry operators

A group of property owners in Lappe say they're pleased with what they heard at a meeting last week between provincial officials and area gravel pit operators.

Some home and cottage owners, affected by noise from gravel pits in unorganized townships, have called on the province to regulate all quarries under the Aggregate Resources Act.

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The chair of the Lappe Services Board said he believes the government is moving to do that right across the province.

"This was finally looking at the problems that exist in the unorganized areas,” Ralph Bullough.

“There should be some structure to help sort out the problems."

Bullough said regulation would force all operating quarries — as well as new pits — to follow provincial guidelines.

"It would help a great deal, because we lack a lot of municipal structure and the ability to enforce anything,” he said.

Currently only quarry pits in organized areas are regulated.

Bullough says many of the area operators were at the meeting, held Nov. 20 in Thunder Bay

"I'm very pleased they held this consultation with the affected groups.  I was really happy with how the whole thing went,” he said.

"Everybody expects there is still going to be quarrying going on ... [but] this was a very positive step in the right direction in helping to solve some of the problems"

This would really go a long way to helping everybody operate in a fair manner so that everybody's concerns are taken care of"