A group of locals are on rocky terms with an aggregates company hoping to set up shop near Merritt.
Nicola Valley Aggregates Ltd. has applied to the Ministry of Energy and Mines to establish a gravel pit at their property at 701 Highway 8 — approximately 2.5 kilometres west of Merritt.
The self-declared Coutlee Residents Association filed a letter stating their disapproval of the project with the ministry, calling for the company to address concerns ranging from dust and traffic to noise and groundwater contamination.
“As a pit they are going to devalue the property.” – Robert Holmes
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) board is standing behind the concerned residents.
TNRD’s area “N” director Herb Graham wrote a letter to the chief inspector of mines, calling for comprehensive public consultation before the proposal moves forward.
Most recently known as the Gordon & Catherine Pooley farm, the 179.9-acre property has been used for agricultural purposes for decades, and a hay field for the past 70 years, said longtime resident Robert Holmes.
“It’s a beautiful field and it is viable as any agricultural pursuit,” Holmes told the Herald.
He noted the south-facing slope is ideal for growing crops and the rest of the parcel is undeveloped land hosting Douglas fir and wild grasses, with trails linking the property to a vast trail network in the adjacent crown land.
“As a pit they are going to devalue the property,” he stressed.
The Coutlee Residents Association has stated their opposition for several reasons. In addition to proximity neighbouring communities and lack of consultation, the group has identified traffic, noise, dust, groundwater contamination and wildlife disturbance as potential issues with the development.
Residents of the area obtain their water from nearby shallow wells, Holmes said, which could be threatened by the mining activity. Therefore the residents are requesting a hydrogeological survey to assess the potential impact to wells and the nearby stream.
“The biggest issue up there is water. Where are they going to get water to operate a gravel pit? Or even just to do dust control?” asked David Laird, TNRD area “M” director. “The dust is just going to blow around the corner and into town.”
“The impact of dust on human health and wildlife may be significant given the proximity of residents at 250m and wildlife in the surrounding areas,” Holmes wrote in his objection letter on behalf of the Coutlee Residents Association, in which he requested an environmental study on the topic to understand the health impacts and plan for mitigation.
The proposal states the company intends to use the sand and gravel for sales to the local community, and the extraction limit would be set at 200,000 tonnes per year. However, Holmes said he has his doubts.
“There are three other aggregate companies in the Nicola Valley,” he wrote in his letter. “Two have indicated that the local market is already oversupplied and the larger company has sales of just 30,000 tonnes per year … will the much larger tonnage proposed by the Nicola Valley Aggregates be trucked to the Lower Mainland?”
As the property is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), the decision to approve the application is up to the ministry, Laird told the Herald, noting he has not heard back from the officials.
