Rocky View County (RVC) councillor Lois Habberfield dangled a lanky nuisance weed and displayed numerous photographs to push home the need for more control over soil importation at the July 25 council meeting.

By a 6-3 vote, RVC council has imposed a moratorium on the importation of soils on to agricultural land until a review of current practices is completed, involving public meetings, and a report is provided to council. The stoppable does not impact residential landscaping.

Division 9 councillor Bruce Kendall opted to continue his push for a moratorium in contrast to RVC planning services proposal to fine-tune the statutory declaration process immediately then follow up with further possible recommendations in the fall. Changes proposed included screening for rocks, a clearer definition of topsoil standards and further checks prior to placement.

"I think we have a duty to recognize the contribution of agricultural activities to the county, to the province and to the country and ensure that we do the best job we possibly can to preserve and protect those lands for as long as we possibly can and ensure that they maintain a high level of productivity," said Kendall. "I don't see a panic to import. Let's try and get it right."

Habberfield has been most vocal on the issue since it was introduced and she has pointed to several examples of where she believes soil importation has had a negative impact in what she sees as a urban topsoil disposing issue.

"Let's call it that and let's distinguish that from enhancement of agricultural soils," said Habberfield. "Having talked to two farmers only last night, neither one of them feel that this is an enhancement of putting that kind of soil on top of land that has been worked and has been productive. A little bit, yes, because it can be worked in, mixed in gradually and then ever so many years you could add in a little more, but this is a dump."

At the same time, she wasn't opposed to the idea of soil importation.

"If they are paying the landowners lots of money to put this dirt there, they could spend a little more money to screen the dirt, then it would be valuable to the farmers. I'm not against them getting dirt and pay making some money off it, that's not the problem, it's the other things that come with it."

As the discussed progressed Division 3 councillor Margaret Bahcheli found herself further at odds with the motion.

"Why we're asking topsoil from the City of Calgary to be sifted is mind-boggling to me so that the rocks are removed. I don't understand why we're going to do that. We've approved over 180 quarter sections for industrial development on first class soils east of the city but we're going to require somebody who's dumping a few loads in division 7 to have to have to prove that there aren't rocks in it."

She also found it unfair to consider it an urban-rural issue and believed the checks being proposed are overly regulated and RVC should continue to have a reactive process where people file complaints if they have concerns.

"I think this whole thing has been a complete waste of this council's and our administration's time."

Reeve Greg Boehlke question the need for further regulating the process and said it was just two years ago they made changes after placing a moratorium on soil importation. He believes problems could be solved by simply giving agricultural service a budget to go out into the field to complete the checks.

"We are so highly regulated here it's unbelieveable and now we're trying to do more."

"I don't want to be Big Brother here. I want people to stand on their own."

Reeve Boehlke, Bahcheli, and Rolly Ashton stood opposed to the motion.

READ MORE:

County Taking Closer Look at Soil Importation