Resource Extraction Regulatory Review (RERR)

The County will continue updating the county website with information about the resource extraction rules that take effect on Sept. 30, 2023.  Join our email list to get updates about resource extraction delivered to your inbox.

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. An outcome of this review will be a communication platform to communicate about resource extraction operations.

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. Starting Sept. 30, 2023, the new 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.

Council approved the following setback distances in the resource extraction land use district:

• sand, gravel and clay operations must be at least 400 metres (quarter mile) from single homes and multi-lot subdivisions
• silica sand operations must be at least 800 metres (half mile) from single homes and multi-lot subdivisions

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.

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 are valid for five years. If an operator wants to renew, they must apply for another permit, which is also valid for five years. This repeats for the lifespan of the operation. New or different conditions can be applied to each permit to align with regulations and set performance standards.

The County’s development compliance officer is focussed on making sure development permit conditions are met. This individual investigates development and land use complaints – including those related to resource extraction operations – and takes enforcement action, as needed.

Sturgeon County contracts an environmental consultant to monitor groundwater levels and water quality surrounding resource extraction operations. View the 2021 and 2021 Groundwater Monitoring Report.

The new rules 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 is working to 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.

The Community Aggregate Payment (CAP) levy will be reviewed to determine how to distribute funds to balance the benefits to the broader community with the benefits to communities near resource extraction operations. This review will be completed by Sept. 30, 2023.