News
CSC launches consultation for agregates standards

January 6, 2014, Toronto, Ontario – Cornerstone Standards Council
(CSC)
is releasing its draft standards for responsible aggregate extraction in
Ontario. The draft, which proposes actions that pits and quarries would
voluntarily undertake in order to be certified, is posted online at www.cornerstonestandards.ca
and is also available by request to comments@cornerstonestandards.ca.

January 6, 2014, Toronto, Ontario – Cornerstone Standards Council
(CSC)
is releasing its draft standards for responsible aggregate extraction in
Ontario.

The draft, which proposes actions that pits and quarries would
voluntarily undertake in order to be certified, is posted online at www.cornerstonestandards.ca
and is also available by request to comments@cornerstonestandards.ca.

Over the next 60 days, CSC is reaching out to individuals and groups
interested in the role voluntary certification can play in Ontario's aggregate
sector. We are seeking feedback on the draft Responsible Aggregate Standards
and want to know if they accurately reflect achievable expectations for
progressive pits and quarries.

"Reducing the social and environmental impact of pits and
quarries and recognizing companies that go the extra mile is an important step
in sustainable construction." says Peter Kendall, Schad Foundation and
Chair of CSC's Board of Directors. "Aggregates are an important resource
and CSC sets a benchmark for how our province can ensure it is sourced in an environmentally
responsible way."

CSC expects that this voluntary certification system will have a
transformative effect on Ontario's aggregate sector by introducing a less
confrontational approach to the planning, siting and operation of aggregate
sites. The draft standards propose voluntary requirements for pits and quarries
that meet community's growing expectations for social and environmental rigour
by:

•   
Protecting Ontario's most important natural areas;

•   
Identifying and address potentially adverse environmental impacts;

•   
Meaningfully engaging with local communities and Aboriginal groups
before extraction is licensed and throughout the lifecycle of operations;

•   
Communicating progress towards final extraction with the community;
and

•   
Developing final rehabilitation plans that incorporate community'
interests.

"These draft Standards are the result of years of hard work by
CSC's Standards Development Panel – it's our best effort to define what
leadership looks like for the aggregate industry," said Lorne Johnson,
Executive Director of CSC. "Moving forward, we realize that for these
standards to succeed, we need the input from other industry, community and
environmental groups, and Aboriginal organizations."

Details of CSC's 60-day Consultation Period

During the 60-day consultation period, CSC will reach out to
individuals and organizations concerned with aggregate extraction in Ontario as
well as host information sessions across the province. These sessions will
provide greater detail about CSC's voluntary certification system, answer
questions related to the draft standards, and facilitate feedback. In the
coming weeks details about these sessions will be posted at www.cornerstonestandards.ca
and shared through CSC's electronic newsletter.

Formal comments may be submitted to CSC from January 6 to March 6,
2014. To submit comments, they must:

•   
Be attributed: Name, affiliation and contact information must be
included.

•   
Be in writing: All comments must be in writing.

•   
Be within the consultation period: The last day for submitting
comments is 4:00PM EST on March 6, 2014.

Be sent:

◦                    
By email to comments@cornerstonestandards.ca or

◦                    
By mail to Cornerstone Standards Council, 285 McLeod St. Ottawa, K2P
1A1.

Following consultation all comments, and who they are attributed to,
will be posted on the CSC website at www.cornerstonestandards.ca.