Quarry Expansions Support Growth, Opportunity
Two Colchester County quarries are expanding to provide stone, gravel and other materials essential for building roads and highways as well as other infrastructure. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
Two Colchester County quarries are expanding to support the province's growth.
The quarries in McCallum Settlement and New Annan, as well as others in Nova Scotia, provide stone, gravel and other materials that are essential for building roads and highways, clean energy projects, housing and other infrastructure projects.
The expansions at both locations have environmental assessment approvals that include strong terms and conditions to protect the environment and human health.
“We are building a stronger and more prosperous province, a stronger economy, a healthier environment, improved healthcare, more housing and job opportunities for Nova Scotians and a province that is resilient to global events like climate change and harmful foreign policies like trade wars,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Part of our success lies in more harnessing of our natural resources, while still making sure strong protections are in place to safeguard our environment and human health."
The two quarry approvals reflect the government's ongoing work to streamline approvals and provide greater regulatory clarity for companies by removing terms and conditions if they are repeated in other approvals or if they already exist in regulations that companies must comply with to protect the environment and human health.
For example, environmental assessment approvals previously required an industrial approval, which is already required under other regulations for certain projects. Environmental assessment approvals also previously required a sediment and erosion control plan, already a requirement of industrial approvals for pits and quarries.
This is another example of how the government is reducing red tape for businesses and ensuring the rules are clear, effective and focused on people and businesses the Province serves, while maintaining the highest environmental standards.
Quick Facts:
- the Department of Public Works uses 2.5 million tonnes of gravel and 750,000 tonnes of asphalt, on average per year, to make sure Nova Scotians have safe, modern roads
- Municipal Enterprises Ltd.’s quarry expansion in New Annan received environmental assessment approval on March 6; the approval has 35 terms and conditions
- Will-Kare Paving’s quarry expansion in McCallum Settlement received environmental assessment approval on March 20; the approval has 33 terms and conditions
- the Office of Service Efficiency estimates that businesses have saved about $21 million since 2021 through work to reduce red tape
Additional Resources:
New Annan quarry expansion environmental assessment approval: https://novascotia.ca/nse/ea/new-annan-quarry-expansion/
McCallum Settlement quarry expansion environmental assessment approval: https://novascotia.ca/nse/ea/mccallum-settlement-quarry-expansion/
Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf