TOARC: An Aggregate Truthsayer

How the ontario aggregate resource coporation rectifies misconceptions surrounding aggregate

by: Warren Heeley

The environmental footprint being left on our planet has become an important international issue. Climate change, reduction of carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and impact on natural resources are leading measuring sticks for establishing an industry’s footprint.

Yet when it comes to the aggregate industry, there is a disconnect between public perception and the reality of the industry’s actual “footprint.” This disconnect also extends to the important role aggregate plays in our society.

Aggregate touches our lives in one way or another every day; without it, countless lifestyle products and infrastructure needs would not be available. Aggregate is also strictly governed by more than 24 acts and regulations that include a long list of environmental requirements.

Still, increasing opposition to production and the need for high volumes of aggregate have placed an unwarranted stigma on the industry. Some concerns are legitimate and elicit constructive responses from the industry; others are simply unsubstantiated “truths” meant to undermine the industry.

The Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation (TOARC) plays a key role in in helping the public understand exactly how and where aggregate is produced in Ontario. The organization’s research is vital to disassembling misconceptions and setting the record straight. As such, it performs a critical function not just in information-sharing, but also in ensuring environmental accountability.

“Our responsibilities include administration of levies on aggregate production, rehabilitation of abandoned (legacy) pits and quarries and, where licences or permits have been revoked, the production of aggregate statistics, research on rehabilitation, and education of those interested in the aggregate industry,” explains TOARC president Bruce Semkowski.

"Our statistics from 1998 to 2021 show the number of licences has fallen.  The licensed area is basically flat, and disturbed land has shown a slight increase since 2007, which takes into account the additional land in 2016” Bruce Semkowski, TOARC

TOARC was formed in 1997 and is the trustee of the Aggregate Resources Trust created under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) in an agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Below is a brief overview of the critical work it conducts in the aggregate industry.

AGGREGATE FEES

TOARC has the responsibility to collect levies and crown royalties from aggregate producers in the province. Aggregate producers are aggregate licence, permit and wayside permit holders. The 3,600 licensees and 2,500 permit holders pay more than $30 million in fees dispersed to the provincial and municipal governments each year.

Once collected, TOARC distributes these monies back to municipal and provincial governments. The aggregate industry is the only industry that pays a levy whose intent is to help fund local infrastructure repair.

“TOARC is also responsible to conduct random audits of licence and permit holders’ production submissions and educate the holders on how the levy process works,” says Tahir Ahmad, controller at TOARC. “This ensures the levies are correct for the aggregate volume being removed from the site and the levy process is performing properly.”

Audit selection each year is primarily random or if there is an unusual fluctuation in a holder’s annual report or a written request is received from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Audits include visiting the producer’s facilities and inspection of all financial, sales and other reports they need to verify reported production amounts.

REHABILITATION

TOARC has been responsible for the rehabilitation of legacy pits and quarries for qualifying landowners, at no cost, since 1992 (where extraction was completed prior to today’s rigorous standards). Rehabilitation of these sites is funded by a portion of the aggregate levy that is placed in a special Rehabilitation Fund.

“The Management of Abandoned Properties (MAAP) program is run by TOARC. These sites were created from small-scale operations and mainly utilized by municipalities to create their own infrastructure,” explains Danielle Solondz, program manager at TOARC. “The fund also supports research into mining, delivery of aggregate and new rehabilitation approaches for the difficult environments associated with these sites. Rehabilitation of revoked licences and permits also falls under TOARC’s mandate.”

As an example of TOARC’s work in this area, in 2021 the four-year Rapid Ecological Restoration for Aggregate Sites (RERAS) study was completed. The main goal of the research was to determine if it was possible to develop strategies to restore ecosystem services of a mature natural mixed wood forest within a 30- to 40-year timeframe (the typical lifespan of an aggregate operation in southern Ontario) rapidly, completely and cost-effectively.

The RERAS experiment used two approaches to determine methods that may be capable of overcoming habitat constraints using progressive and natural regeneration strategies. The researchers determined that translocating living mulch from a mature “donor” deciduous forest, such as one requiring removal in preparation for quarrying, to nearby afforested lands rapidly advanced the state of understory succession at the recipient experimental sites. The full study can be found at toarc.com.

The study was led by the University of Waterloo, School of Environment, Resources & Sustainability and supported by TOARC, Walker Industrial Holdings Ltd (via its subsidiary, Walker Aggregates Inc.), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

STATISTICS

The collection and publication of relevant aggregate statistics about the industry is also an important TOARC responsibility. The annual statistics are collective numbers for current licences, permits, hectares licensed and permitted, as well as hectares disturbed in areas covered by the ARA.

TOARC statistics have recently been misinterpreted by interest groups looking to oppose the industry. As a result of new areas of Ontario becoming subject to the ARA over the years, it is difficult to look at year-to-year comparisons. But as the analysis outlined in the sidebar on the previous page demonstrates, the number of pits and quarries and the disturbed land in Ontario has essentially remained the same for the last 24 years.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Educating and training people who are interested in the industry is another important responsibility of TOARC as part of an effort to bridge the communication gap between industry and the public as well as provide a non-biased communication forum. The program is funded by income from the Trust.

Two popular TOARC communication resources are the MAAP Online Reporting Tool and eSurrender, an electronic database. The first covers the status of more than 8,000 legacy sites in Ontario, while the electronic database lists surrendered aggregate licences and permits and provides information on the end-use of restored aggregate sites. These rehabilitation resources help the public understand rehabilitation and appreciate efforts being made by TOARC and the industry in this area.

In summary, since its inception in 1997 TOARC has played an important role in the aggregate industry. Its research and education efforts have helped advance the science around rehabilitation, while the stewardship role it plays in collecting, disbursing and auditing the aggregate levy ensures a transparent and efficient system.

TOARC’s mandate to help educate anyone with an interest in aggregate is important so we can all gain a better understanding of the industry that provides such essential materials to build Ontario. •