Valley Company Receives Environmental Approval

ENVIRONMENT/LABOUR--Valley Company Receives Environmental Approval

The Department of Environment and Labour today, Sept. 19, approved an application from Lawson Bennett Trucking Ltd. to expand an existing sand and gravel operation in Cambridge, Kings Co.

Under terms of the approval the company will have to create a community liaison committee, establish a treed buffer at the northern edge of the property, and develop surface and groundwater monitoring programs, among other conditions.

In addition to the conditions established through the approval, the company has committed to what is called a progressive rehabilitation program. Sand and gravel will be excavated from the site in about three- to four-hectare pieces, meaning only small parts of the 38-hectare site will be disturbed at any one time. As work in each section is complete, the land will be reclaimed to protect against erosion, control sediment and improve site aesthetics.

The complete environmental assessment approval, including the company's original application, will be available on the Department of Environment and Labour Web site, at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/ess/ea/ .

Formed in 1989, the Environmental Assessment Branch is responsible for assessing major projects to identify, correct, or prevent adverse environmental impacts. A guide to the environmental assessment process is also available on the department's Web site.