Resource Extraction Regulatory Review (RERR)

The County will continue updating the county website with information about the proposed resource extraction rules. You can also join our email list to get updates about resource extraction delivered to your inbox.

If the proposed bylaws are approved, administration will prepare a staged implementation plan for other recommendations in the RERR Final Report – which includes a review of communication supports – by Sept. 30, 2023.

The Resource Extraction Regulatory Review does not focus on a specific project or extraction area. It is a review of the rules applied to resource extraction operations throughout the County. If approved, these rules will apply to new sand and gravel extraction sites, or applications to change/expand operations or renew a permit.

Any landowner can apply to redistrict/rezone their land. After considering public input, Council decides if the application is supported or not. If approved, Council would pass a bylaw to amend the Land Use Bylaw to reflect the redistricting/rezoning of the land.

Each land use district allows for certain uses, such as resource extraction; however, the landowner must still apply for a development permit. The development permit details the specific conditions for the intended use and is issued by a development officer with the County.

This map shows potential resource deposits in Sturgeon County. There may be deposits in other areas not shown on the map, and some areas on the map may only have small deposits. Not all deposits are practical or cost-effective to extract.

Initially, administration proposed different setback distances in the resource extraction land use district. Operations had to be at least 400 metres from residences and 800 metres from multi-lot subdivisions, which aligned with the recommendation in the Calahoo-Villeneuve Sand and Gravel Extraction Area Structure Plan when it was approved by Council in 2001.

This approach was changed on May 9, 2023. Now, proposed Bylaw 1607/22 proposes the following setback distances:

• Operations must be at least 400 metres from single- and multi-lot residences for sand, gravel and clay operations.
• Operations must be at least 800 metres from single- and multi-lot residences for silica sand operations.

Direct control land use districts allow us to create land use/zoning districts with site-specific regulations and performance standards; these are used when other land use districts are inappropriate or inadequate. Direct control districts consider existing/future surrounding developments, the applicant’s interests, and the public interest.

The intent of the resource extraction direct control land use district is that any reduction in setback distance would be met with greater performance standards to reduce the impact an operation has on the environment and adjacent properties and landowners.

Landowner support of a rezoning/redistricting application is not always needed, but it can impact Council’s decision.

In the resource extraction direct control district, where setback distances can be reduced, landowner negotiations may occur with industry in the pre-application stage; the County/Council is not involved in these negotiations. Sturgeon County encourages landowners to participate in any consultations and public hearings for resource extraction operations near their property.

Approved resource extraction development permits would be valid for five years. If an operator wants to renew, they’d have to apply for another permit, which would also be valid for five years. This repeats for the lifespan of the operation. New or different conditions could be applied to each permit to align with regulations and set performance standards.

The County recently hired a development compliance officer who is focussed on making sure development permit conditions are met. This individual would investigate development and land use complaints – including those related to resource extraction operations – and take enforcement action, as needed.

Sturgeon County currently contracts an environmental consultant to monitor groundwater levels and water quality surrounding resource extraction operations.

The proposed bylaws include the requirement for ongoing water and groundwater monitoring and management as part of the approval to redistrict/rezone land for resource extraction. Sturgeon County will compile a groundwater monitoring policy and necessary management plans, as needed.

Resource extraction operators in Sturgeon County must pay a levy, called the Community Aggregate Payment (CAP) levy. These funds help keep taxes low and fund community services.

Council adopted a Community Grant Policy on Oct. 13, 2020, which details how CAP levy dollars are spent in the community. The below image shows how funds were distributed in 2022.

Currently, there are no proposed changes to the Community Aggregate Payment (CAP) levy. If the proposed bylaws are approved, there are plans to review the CAP levy and how funds are distributed to balance the benefits to the broader community with the benefits to communities near resource extraction operations.