Depending on circumstances, the following conditions may apply to the operation of a pit or quarry located on Crown land. In addition, the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development has the authority to attach any conditions that are necessary to written authorizations, quarry permits or quarry leases to ensure the safety of the public and protection of the environment.
Development conditions
- No material is to be removed from within 30 metres of any watercourse or wetland, except for quarry sites that require blasting operations whereby no material is to be removed with 60m of any watercourse or wetland.
- No material is to be removed from below the water table (no digging below the water table and no excavations that fill up with water or pond)
- All merchantable timber must be harvested before any material is removed. Proper permits must be in place before harvesting operations are initiated. Trees cannot be cut, knocked down or removed in any other method without first obtaining proper permits from the local District Forest Rangers office. A written authorization or quarry permit only authorize the removal of aggregate material, not the removal of trees.
- Any overburden or topsoil removed during stripping operations must be stored onsite in a location approved by the District Forest Ranger, to be utilized for reclamation initiatives following the completion of the extractive phase of operations. The permittee may be required to redistribute overburden over the excavated area once operations are complete, if the District Ranger deems it necessary.
- No roads may be built, repaired, upgraded or removed at a quarry site without first obtaining a Licence of Occupation issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development, Crown Lands Branch.
Operational conditions
- Should any water be withdrawn from nearby watercourses for the operation of pits or quarries, or should any water be discharged from a pit or quarry operation, appropriate approval is required from the Department of Environment and Local Government.
- Any stream crossing or alteration associated with pit and quarry operations will require appropriate approval from the Department of Environment.
- If an operator plans on conducting any kind of processing facility in conjunction with pit and quarry operations, they may require a Certificate of Approval to Operate issued by the Department of Environment and Local Government.
- Operators should be aware that WorkSafeNB has regulations addressing the safe operation of equipment in a pit or quarry, as well as blasting operations in a pit or quarry.
Reclamation
All operators are required to rehabilitate the area they have worked within a Crown land pit or quarry. This includes but is not limited to sloping of worked faces to 45 degrees and the proper contouring of pit or quarry floors to limit excessive ponding of water within the excavated area. As well, there may be conditions added to an approval specifying certain requirements such as re-seeding, reforestation and others for the worked area.
For additional information, please contact the Aggregate Resource Specialist with the Resource Tenure Section (see link at right).