Rock debate

The executive director of the Boys and Girls club says he’s frustrated by the delay caused by the Ministry of the Environment's investigation involving hundreds of bags of crushed rock.

Hundreds of bags and buckets have sat in the parking lot at the Thunder Bay Boys and Girls club on Windsor Street for more than a month. Albert Aiello, executive director with the Boys and Girls Club, said he has received multiple calls from concerned residents wondering what’s inside the white bags.

"Those bags are filled with crusher fines," Aiello said in a phone interview on Wednesday. "What we intended to do was empty all these bags out and basically create our driveway with it. The crusher fines were donated and it would help fill in all the pot holes."

Crusher fines are large rocks that are mechanically broken into smaller rocks. Aiello said when the crusher fines harden it becomes almost like concrete. The Boys and Girls club received the donation sometime in August and had more than 30 high school students ready to volunteer to spread the crusher fines around the parking lot by the middle of September, he said.

But the Ministry of the Environment stepped in and stopped the project due to a possible breach of environmental regulations.

Ministry spokesperson Lisa Brygidyr said she cannot comment on what the problem might be with the material, but did say the investigation is ongoing and could result in charges.

Aiello said he tried to explain to MOE officials that the bags contained crusher fines but they continued to test the material anyway.

"I guess we’re on hold until they find out that they are rocks," he said. "I’m as frustrated as most people. We had to individually call all these kids and tell them not to come. It was a generous donation from a number of people and it was a make-work project for high school kids who have to do their volunteer hours."

Aiello said he spoke with MOE officials again and was told the test results would be known soon.