Changes to the ARA to comply…

Changes to the ARA to comply with current legislation is an important function of the MNR, and changes to meet the needs of the public are equally important.
Many recent changes allow quarry license holders to self-report, and on an annual basis. This is a simplification for the quarry operators, especially when they can submit once per year. There is also an opportunity for incomplete reporting, and can not be scrutinized by adjacent property owners.
Adjacent property owners report excessive blast seismic occurrences or well interference as they occur, but they cannot confirm appropriate action has been taken. The modifications to the ARA should require that extraction licenses make available public access to reporting as incidents occur. Current experience has been greeted with comments such as "follow the established procedure", which does not allow immediate access, but once per year reporting. Having reporting immediately available for scrutiny by adjacent properties will ensure the reports are accurate, and inaccuracies can be reported to MNR immediately. This will promote accurate reporting.