Harm is maximized at the Scott Pit location

Aggregate (gravel) is not a scarce resource in Alberta. Although gravel is important for construction and infrastructure development, its extraction and processing have unavoidable negative impacts for the health, safety, and quality of life of residents and for the environment.

Aggregate deposits are abundant in Calgary and Rocky View County, and throughout southern Alberta. There is no need to develop the Scott property. By locating this gravel pit in the middle of a densely populated residential area, on environmentally sensitive land, harm will be maximized and the character of Bearspaw will be altered for generations.

Risks of permanent, irreparable damage from the Scott Pit project include:

  • Gravel dust presents a real and foreseeable risk to human health, as it contains crystalline silica, a known carcinogen.  Silica and other dusts are linked to kidney disease and cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, bronchiectasis, and chronic airway obstruction.  

  • Noise will be at levels dangerous to residents closest to the proposed pit and will have long term impacts on the health of those over a broad area.  This will fundamentally alter the rural residential character of adjacent lands. Experts have estimated the Scott Pit will operate at perceived noise levels 4x higher than ambient levels.

  • Because of significant fractures in the bedrock, gravel extraction presents significant risks of contamination for domestic well water.

  • Dewatering of wetlands over a large areas is possible. Surface water is likely to be irreversibly harmed by the proposed pit, which will disrupt established drainage patterns and risk contaminating Nose Creek, and ultimately the Bow River.

  • Reclamation of the site to equivalent quality land use will not be possible. The project will remove millions of tonnes of rock, leaving a pit that will require perpetual water management to be funded by the County and its ratepayers.

  • Experts estimate that the Scott Pit project would result in a $163 million reduction in surrounding property values and associated reduction in residential property tax revenue to the County. 

    Residents within 5km of the pit site can expect an impact in property value, with those located closest to the site experiencing declines of 25% or more.