Letter - Langley Mayor & Council - 01/19/2009

Mayor R. Green & Council
January 19, 2009
Township of Langley
20338-65 Avenue
V2Y 3J1



Your Worship & Councilors;



I have resided in the Township of Langley for 34 years within close proximity to the Brown Road Pit (240th. Street & 68th. Avenue) where the provincial government has a proposal in place to develop an open mine to extract gravel for the Gateway and other projects. My home, our entire neighborhood and thousands of other private well owners depend wholly on the Hopington Aquifer for our most valuable resource: 'WATER'. We all have many serious concerns regarding this proposal as it will undoubtedly have a major negative impact on our private wells, our neighborhood and serious environmental implications.

Last year, The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MoT) submitted a soil removal permit application to the Township to mine and extract gravel from the provincial land. The MoT had a hydro geological engineering company installed 5 monitoring wells along the perimeters of the proposed site. Two test wells monitor the quality of water and three wells monitor the depth. Surveyors have recently been on sight along the perimeters of the property. The proposal is subject to the Agricultural Land Commission and Township of Langley approvals.

There has been a Township 'MORATORIUM' in place for almost 20 years, rejecting all applications for new gravel extraction.

The provincial land in question is a field in pasture with two smaller abandoned pits to the east developed during the construction of Highway #1 in the 1960's. This upland property from William's Park, where the proposed pit and our neighborhood is situated is similar to a plateau. The area is surrounded to the north by the freeway; dropping off in the east and south down to Coghlan Creek and from 240th St. dropping downhill to the west; Williams Park & the Salmon River. The area has been flagged by the Salmon River Enhancement Society, Doug McPhee, as one of three areas with serious dropping water tables. The Langley Times-Nov 7, 2008; 'Water Issues are Serious, Ongoing'; quote; "Dropping water tables in the surrounding area (Milner, Aldergrove and the area around the freeway at 240th. Street) drain water from the Hopington Aquifer."

The dropping water table and water quality has become a provincial concern with the B.C. Government allowing Langley to act as a test case for new provincial groundwater measures. The Township of Langley, Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands prepared in May, 2008 a draft report for a Township Water Management Plan. This is very difficult to understand from a taxpayers perspective in that there has probably been substantial resources of time and money invested by the provincial government with the Township to prepare this plan yet senior government continues to move forward with their proposal to open a mine for gravel extraction in a highly sensitive area of our aquifer. This does not appear to be a senior level of government working responsibly and cooperatively as a team with the Township for a common goal: to manage, conserve and safeguard the Hopington Aquifer from further drainage and abuse. The provincial government should be working together with our Township to resolve the problems that presently exist and enforce effective policy to protect the groundwater for our future.


The already 'OVERPUMPED & FRAGILE' Hopington Aquifer that supplies 80% of water to the Township cannot continue to sustain further drainage and mismanagement. With the groundwater level dropping one (1) foot per year; the next 5 to10 years looks increasingly grim for private well owners and the aquifer in general.


I would like to address the Brown Road Pit proposal from a neighborhood point of view. The private wells in our area will inevitably be effected; both the quality of our water and the quantity available to us from the aquifer. The negative impact on our wells will likely occur immediate for some and probably later for others. We will be facing costs upwards of $25,000.00 to drill new wells and there is no doubt that our property values will drop considerably and possibly never recover. Many, many years of noise pollution and air pollution will be continuous by-products of this project in a suburban residential and farm area. Water levels seasonally in Coghlan Creek are almost immeasurable & unable to sustain proper fish and other species habitat.


The location of this proposal is a convenience and a cost-cutting measure by our B.C. Government resulting in future expenses and stress to the residents in our neighborhood. Regardless of what the geological engineers, hydrogeologists, project directors and administrators in the field may tell us; common sense indicates an inevitable negative impact on our water supply. No one can guarantee that when the landscape is disrupted with a massive excavation of this magnitude that there will not be both short term and long term environmental problems. I am sure that if a proper risk assessment was completed regarding this proposed project; all the negative implications to our area would certainly out-weigh the MoT's need for thousands of metric tons of gravel.
The development of an open pit mine in our backyard by the provincial government solely for the purpose of keeping their costs minimal and the transportation time down is not acceptable considering the serious consequences. This proposal is in the wrong place, at the wrong time and for all the wrong reasons.


Should this project proceed; who will step forward to offer full compensation to the working families, pensioners and seniors in the area? Our provincial government? Not likely! That would be wishful thinking and years of broken promises.

In December, 2008, we had a meeting with our local M.L.A., Minister R. Coleman. We addressed numerous issues regarding the proposal for Brown Road Pit but he was unable to answer many of our questions and our concerns. We are still waiting for a reply as he was to contact his colleague, MoT, Minister K. Falcon


I have written a detailed letter to the Minister of Transport & Infrastructure, K. Falcon; Minister of Environment, B. Penner and our MLA, Minister R. Coleman opposing the development of this gravel mine; asking them not to proceed with the proposal. I requested that they seriously consider and utilize other options. There are definitely many other existing sources of gravel for their project. With their letters, I enclosed a copy of our petition signed by the residents in our neighborhood and hundreds of other concerned citizens who oppose this proposal and depend on the Hopington Aquifer as their only source of water.

This past week our delegation had a conference call with the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Gateway Project and his Project Director from Victoria. Another member of our delegation will make a brief presentation to Council regarding that call. My own personal impression of the conference call is that they do not really know what will occur should they proceed and did not have answers to many of our concerns and questions.

Regarding the Agricultural Land Commission and their approval of this proposal; it is our understanding that on Nov. 7, 2008; three days before the Nov 10, 2008 all candidates meeting on the environment sponsored by the S.R.E.S. and one week before our municipal election; the Township signed a resolution with the A.L.C. regarding the Brown Road Pit proposal. I would ask council if they have further information regarding this resolution, its content and who may have signed the document. Was this resolution signed by Council or by Staff?


What expectations do we have regarding this very serious proposal? We feel that this project can be stopped if we all work together as a community. We feel positive and will be persistent in our efforts. We realize the provincial government has the "Significant Projects Streamlining Act" which I have not read. Also, during the past few years, our present provincial government has put in place numerous laws and regulations to ensure that they can control and dictate their policies and needs over municipal governments like our Township. We all need to step up to the plate, be heard and be accountable for the future of our community. We cannot allow senior levels of government to leave their negative footprints on our beautiful community; The Township of Langley.


We ask that Council schedule two public forums for further discussion and information with the provincial government regarding the Brown Road Pit proposal. We also request a public hearing meeting with Council present.

I submit to Council a copy of our petition signed by hundreds of concerned citizens who oppose the provincial government’s proposal.

To conclude, I would ask Your Worship, Councillors, Mr Bakken and Staff for your unanimous support to help us stop the opening of Brown Road Pit.

Please help us to manage, maintain and conserve our most valuable resource 'WATER'. Please help us preserve and save our very special neighborhood that we have come to love.


Respectfully,