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Soil Removal Eligible Areas. Presented by: Elvis Riou, Manager of Engineering Services. Soil Removal Eligible Areas. Aggregate Industry Fill, sand, gravel, and crushed rock Material for infrastructure projects 6.4 million tonnes produced in City 1.5 million tonnes used in City
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Soil Removal Eligible Areas Presented by:Elvis Riou, Manager of Engineering Services
Soil Removal Eligible Areas • Aggregate Industry • Fill, sand, gravel, and crushed rock • Material for infrastructure projects • 6.4 million tonnes produced in City • 1.5 million tonnes used in City • $40-45 million economic value • $ 1.5 million in general revenue for City
Aggregate Extraction Sumas Mountain Quarries 30% Southwest Sand and Gravel Pits 70%
Soil Removal Eligible Areas • Eligible Area Concept • Concentrates negative effects in fewer areas • Certainty for residents and industry • Decrease land speculation • Reduce public conflict • Requires: • Amendment to soil bylaw • Provincial approval • Amendment to Official Community plan
Soil Removal Eligible Areas • Southwest Abbotsford • Considerable conflicts • Draft Study by AMEC and public meeting in 2008 • Level of enforcement of soil bylaw a concern • Suggest another public meeting
City of Abbotsford Southwest Sector Soil Removal Study August 2009 Greg Reid, P. Eng. P. Geo.
Study Objectives • Identify aggregate resources in study region • Identify soil removal constraints (sensitive areas, terrain features, existing development etc.) • Soil removal strategy – preserve agricultural land use • Preliminary consultation with stakeholders • Present draft report to City Council
Soils of Interest “Sumas Drift” – glacial deposits of sand and gravel (light green)
Grey crosshatch – excluded Orange – former producers Green – active producers
Soil Removal Constraints • Existing land use the most obvious constraint to future soil removal …not likely to occur near • Parks, watercourses, • Existing high productivity farmland (Classes 1,2,3, • added as excluded areas 2009), • Areas of existing/planned residential • subdivisions, • Commercial, industrial, institutional areas.
In addition to land use, AMEC considers proximity to groundwater should be an important criteria in considering eligibility for soil removal permit applications Shaded areas show modelled depth to Abbotsford Sumas Aquifer below ground surface In consultation with City staff, 5 m depth to aquifer selected as eligibility criteria
Green shaded regions are eligible for future permit applications, orange shaded regions – CICP lands, all other areas “not eligible”
Conclusions • Favourable soils in much of study region, many areas have been worked, reclaimed, returned to farmland; • Competing land uses and values limit access to granular resources, especially presence of Abbotsford-Sumas Aquifer; • Eligibility criteria and study findings could be used as planning tool & guidance for considering future soil removal permit applications; • Present bylaws appear effective in achieving objectives, minor amendments have been recommended; • Considering importance of Abbotsford-Sumas Aquifer to community, City should consider development of comprehensive aquifer protection plan.