Acton quarry first in world to be certified as a supplier of responsibly sourced gravel, sand, and stone.

There has always been a tension between the demand for aggregate resources for buildings and roads, and the need for environmental and agricultural protection. To help create a more sustainable aggregate industry The Cornerstone Standard's Council (CSC) created a certificate for aggregate companies that are environmentally and socially responsible. The CRH Canada’s Dufferin Aggregates Acton Quarry was the first quarry in the world to become certified as a supplier of responsibly sourced gravel, sand, and stone.

There can often be tensions between residents’ concerns, and protecting the environment and agricultural land. It is possible to encourage the aggregate industry to become more environmentally responsible if they: consider residents’ concerns about aggregate extraction, extract aggregate materials in a sustainable way and plan for effective rehabilitation of the area after its use.

The CSC certification system is an environmental initiative that is also creating sustainable standards in other resource sectors such as forestry, fishing and agriculture.  There are hopes that this will lead to more environmentally sustainable resource use in the aggregate extraction industry, and in other industries. 

For more information, see the articles by Inside Halton or CNW Group.