Long Distance Transportation of Aggregates to the Greater Toronto Area Market - Summary & Implications

North Bay

Long-Haul Truck Transport

Up to 5,000 trucks / day each Summary
direction
Manitoulin 47 million tonnes of GHG Long-Haul Rail Transport Alternative aggregate delivery systems should be
Island emissions (equivalent to annual 20 trains / day each direction assessed taking into account full life cycle costs: from
emissions from 10 million cars) (80-car unit length) source to job site. The economic, environmental and
28 million tonnes of GHG social implications must be recognized.
emissions (equivalent to annual
emissions from 6 million cars)
that there would be significant economic,
environmental and social implications of replacing just
Marine Transport a portion of the close to market supply with
Requires significant expansion of alternative long distance transportation modes such
multiple ports as marine or rail transport to deliver aggregate to the
30 to 50 million tonnes of GHG major market area in Ontario - the Greater Toronto
emissions (equivalent to annual Area (GTA).
Redistribution Terminals
emissions from 6 to 10 million cars) Midland Required for each transportation The adjoining figure conceptually illustrates three
mode except close to market alternative transportation modes delivering aggregate
Collingwood At least eight major redistribution to the GTA including marine transport from
terminals are required to handle Manitoulin Island, and long-haul rail and truck
Close to Market Transport
just a portion of GTA aggregate transport from North Bay.
up to 2500 trucks/ day
demand
(dispersed around GTA)
Each terminal would require 25 to In each alternative mode, significant distances must
13 million tonnes of GHG
50 acres to handle large volumes be travelled to arrive in the GTA. Unlike delivery from
emissions (equivalent to annual
emissions from 3 million cars) and reloading facilities dispersed close to market pits and quarries, the
alternative modes are generally unable to deliver
aggregate directly to the final destination. Major
Goderich Toronto redistribution terminals are required to unload,
stockpile and reload for final delivery to the job site.
Legend These large- scale redistribution terminals located
throughout the GTA would generate substantial truck
Pit / Quarry traffic volumes and involve outdoor stockpiling and
Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions rehandling of large quantities of material.
60
Ports by Transportation Mode 11
50
10
45
Redistribution Terminal Sarnia 9
40
8
Note;
Statistics and GHG emissions are based on a 30-year period
35
Marine Transport 7 transporting 35 million tonnes of aggregate per year
30
6
(SAROS Paper 2 MNR, 2010; MHBC, Golder Associates &
iTRANS Consulting).
Long Haul Truck 25 5
Transport 20 4

15
north

Long Haul 3
Windsor
Rail Transport 10 2
Marine Long-Haul Long-Haul Close to
5 Transport Truck Rail Market 1
Greater Toronto (with trucks) Transport Transport Transport
0 0
Area (GTA) Scale
0 50km 100km

metric