FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOBBLL Wins Major Air Quality and Environmental Victory at Little Lakes Pit
Ontario Land Tribunal orders mandatory air quality monitoring and 30-metre Wood Turtle habitat buffer in landmark decision
HURON COUNTY, ON — August 12, 2026 — In a major victory for community-led environmental protection, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) has ordered V.B. Sand & Gravel Ltd. to conduct mandatory air quality monitoring at the proposed Little Lakes Pit in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Township, near Goderich, Ontario.
The Tribunal also ordered a 30-metre habitat buffer for an endangered Wood Turtle habitat, finding that failing to address its natural heritage function would be a “travesty.”
V.B. Sand & Gravel had applied for a licence to extract up to 500,000 tonnes of aggregate annually from below the water table at the Little Lakes Pit, an 80-acre site near the environmentally and culturally valuable Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes area. Friends of Ball’s Bridge & Little Lakes (FOBBLL) argued that the proposed expansion threatened the area’s sensitive natural habitat and endangered Wood Turtle populations, while further affecting neighbours’ quality of life through potential exposure to harmful fine particulate matter found in dust.
The decision follows a partial settlement between FOBBLL and V.B. Sand & Gravel that resolved many aspects of the proposed pit expansion. At the resumption of the hearing, FOBBLL and V.B. Sand & Gravel agreed to many improvements in the operational Site Plans , but left the air quality and buffer issues to be decided by the OLT. The Tribunal accepted FOBBLL’s position on both outstanding issues.
“This is one of the strongest air quality decisions ever made at the OMB, LPAT or OLT, and it represents a significant precedent for future aggregate applications in Ontario,” said David Donnelly, counsel to FOBBLL and one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers.
The OLT found that air quality monitoring is “appropriate and required” and consistent with the precautionary principle. It further found that the “only way” to determine whether dust generated by the operation is travelling off-site is through air quality monitoring.
“It is also a huge victory for citizens’ groups and environmental action. It shows that communities can make a difference by organizing, bringing forward strong evidence and relying on experts to protect the environment and human health.” continues Donnelly.
FOBBLL presented expert evidence on air quality (Doug Lyons P.Eng), planning (Allan Ramsay RPP, and natural heritage (Sarah Mainguy, M.Sc.) during a three-week hearing before the OLT in 2025 and 2026.
The Tribunal also considered research presented by Matt Maaskant, resident and Rebecca Garrett, President of FOBBLL, noting that a reasonable person could “surmise that invisible dust inhaled into the lungs could result in health issues.”
For Garrett, the decision reflects the work of community members and experts who pushed for stronger protections for human health and the environment.
“So many community members stepped up to support protection of our health and environment, and we are grateful to them and to our experts for leading us to this momentous decision,” said Garrett. “We are also grateful to the communities who went before us in their campaigns to have dangerous fine particulate matter recognized as a human health threat.”
FOBBLL says the decision could have broader implications for how air quality is assessed in future aggregate applications across Ontario, particularly where potential off-site impacts are at issue.
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ABOUT FOBBLL:
Friends of Ball’s Bridge & Little Lakes (FOBBLL) is a community-based organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the natural, cultural and historical significance of the Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes area in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Huron County. FOBBLL advocates for responsible land-use planning, environmental stewardship, and the protection of the Maitland River valley, its wildlife habitat, waterways and rural landscape for current and future generations.
Learn more: www.fobbll.org
Media contact:
Jennifer Morris 905-320-3673
jennifer.e.morris70@gmail.com
David R. Donnelly, MES LLB
Donnelly Law
276 Carlaw Ave., Suite 203
Toronto ON M4M 3L1
416.572.0464; cell 416.722.0220
Crowdfunding Campaign: Protect Little Lakes Area from Aggregate Mining
