The Project
Heidelberg Materials Canada Limited is planning for an aggregate extraction operation at its Scott Property. Located west of Calgary’s Spy Hill area (Section 5, Township 26, Range 2, W5M) on the north side of Burma Road, the site is located on a significant gravel deposit and could produce aggregate resources up to 30 years depending on the final development plan.

Project Highlights

Region’s first low-carbon aggregate project

4.5 km conveyor will transport aggregates off-site eliminating truck traffic

Helps supply Calgary Metropolitan Region’s demand for aggregates of 20.5 million tonnes per year

Infrastructure, housing, and transportation projects

Close-to-market reserve immediately adjacent to the City of Calgary

Contributes to reduced GHG emissions and affordability

Supports provincial and local economies

Affordable aggregate supply, skilled job creation, revenue generation (taxes & CAP levies)

What are aggregates?

Aggregates are rock products like sand and gravel. Aggregates are non-renewable, natural resources that are crucial to the construction of modern infrastructure such as roads, bridges, homes and buildings.

Operations

Annual Mining Volume

  • 2 million tonnes

Estimated Lifespan

  • 25 to 30 years

Project Activities

  • Conservation of topsoil, subsoil, and overburden
  • Mining underlying aggregates
  • Limited on-site processing of oversized material
  • Transport of aggregate material off-site via a 4.5 km overland conveyor system

Maximum Area of Open Excavation at Any One Time

  • 24 ha (60 ac)

Potential Reclaimed End Land Uses

  • Agricultural land, residential development, community park, stormwater management facility

A 4.5 km overland conveyor will transport aggregates off-site to Heidelberg’s Spy Hill facility. Heidelberg has invested in new technologies at the Spy Hill facility to eliminate the use of diesel generators, leading to GHG reductions.

Inland Athletic Park, located directly southeast of the Spy Hill facility is an excellent example of end use planning for an aggregate operation that provides a community benefit.

What Makes This Application Different?

The Scott Project contains 50 million tonnes of sand and gravel adjacent to existing aggregate mines in northwest Calgary. Heidelberg Materials Canada Limited (Heidelberg) proposes to annually mine two million tonnes of aggregate to support infrastructure construction in the Calgary region.

This project is significant to Alberta’s economic prosperity and the regional economy. It will supply local construction projects with local materials to build strong and safe roads, bridges, and buildings.

Heidelberg is applying for public interest decision on the proposed project through the Alberta Natural Resources Board (NRCB). The application to the NRCB is authorized by an order from the Government of Alberta.

The NRCB was created in 1991 “to provide for an impartial process to review projects that will or may affect the natural resources of Alberta in order to determine whether, in the Board’s opinion, the projects are in the public interest, having regard to the social and economic effects of the projects and the effect of the projects on the environment.”

The NRCB ensures public notification to impacted parties, conducts a review through a public hearing process, ensures participation of impacted parties by requiring the project proponent to pay intervenor funding. The board has its own subject matter experts and works with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas on any Environmental Impact Assessment requirements.

Proposed Regulatory Path

The Site

Scott Property and Proposed Conveyor System

The following map illustrates where the Scott Property is located relative to major transportation networks and population centres. It also highlights the right of way for the proposed conveyor system. The conveyor would transport aggregates from the Scott Property to Heidelberg’s Spy Hill operation.

Potential Impacts and Possible Mitigation Strategies

Traffic

  • An overland conveyor will remove +55,000 trucks per year from the road.

Noise

  • An acoustic assessment has been completed to ensure all stages of the project meet or exceed provincial noise guidelines.
  • Noise berms will be constructed between operations and potential receptors.
  • Limited processing will occur on-site, with most of processing completed at Heidelberg’s existing Spy Hill facility.
  • Processing equipment will be shrouded to minimize noise.

Groundwater

  • Hydrogeological impact assessments indicate the project is not expected to impact groundwater.
  • The project will adhere to all relevant provincial legislation, including the Code of Practice for Pits and the Water Act.
  • Heidelberg will implement on-going groundwater monitoring.

Wildlife

  • Wildlife assessments have not identified any significant local or regional impacts.
  • Disturbance area will be limited to a maximum of 24 ha (60 ac).
  • Heidelberg is committed to on-going progressive reclamation.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • By 2030, Heidelberg is aiming to reduce our global CO2 emissions by almost 50% vs. 1990.
  • By 2050, Heidelberg aims to be net zero.
  • In addition to decarbonizing cement production, through carbon capture and process innovations, Heidelberg’s goal to supply net-zero concrete requires efficient and sustainable access to aggregates which can comprise up to 75% of a typical concrete mix.
  • The Scott Pit will eliminate +400,000 tonnes of CO2e compared to sourcing aggregates from outside Rocky View County.1
    • Equivalent to the emissions from a natural gas-fired power plant in one year or removing +95,000 gas-powered vehicles for one year.

Air Quality

  • Air dispersion modelling has been completed to model potential project impacts inclusive of proposed mitigation measures. The project is predicted to meet Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives.
  • Dust suppressant will be utilized on all internal roads, overburden, subsoil, and topsoil stockpiles will be seeded.
  • Processing equipment will be shrouded.
  • Heidelberg will continuously monitor air quality during operations.

Visual

  • Landscaped berms will be constructed around the perimeter of active areas.
  • Processing equipment will remain below grade.
  • Progressive reclamation will minimize the active footprint.
1 This estimate is based on internal calculations utilizing methodology from Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Quantification Requirements but has not been substantiated by an independent third party.

Project Team and Composition

A comprehensive team of experts has been assembled to undertake the planning process, baseline and technical studies at the Scott Property to support a robust assessment and application.

The NRCB will determine the information an application must contain to assess the social, economic and environmental effects of the project so that it can properly evaluate whether the Scott Project is in the public interest.

Responsible Neighbours

Heidelberg intends to design an operation that is environmentally responsible, meets or exceeds all relevant regulatory requirements and incorporates mitigative solutions where possible based on feedback from the community.

Heidelberg is committed to open and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders and the public to ensure that all opportunities and constraints are addressed and incorporated into project design. This commitment to stakeholder consultation will be carried through the planning and regulatory approvals process into the operations phase of the project.

We acknowledge and appreciate the time invested by the Bearspaw community on this project and other aggregate initiatives to date. We will continue to refer to past engagement findings to guide our next steps. Your input has been invaluable.