OFA commented, through an agricultural lens, on the proposed amendments to Ontario Regulation 244/97 and the Aggregate Resources of Ontario Provincial Standards. OFA recommended that reports on the potential impacts of aggregate extraction on private water wells clearly include farm wells used to water livestock and poultry, or that provide irrigation water, in addition to those private water wells that provide water to households. OFA believes that all aggregate applications where the proposed Ontario location is within a prime agricultural area should be required to complete an Agricultural Impact Assessment (AIA), not just those applications concerning locations subject to a Provincial Plan. OFA recommended that agriculture-related planning and land use considerations, such as the impacts on private farm water wells, dust, noise, truck traffic and site rehabilitation to an agricultural end use be included in the proposed summary statement. OFA insisted that all pits and quarries in agricultural areas should be fenced, with no exceptions. OFA opposes the proposed removal of current requirements for mandatory fencing around aggregate sites on private land. OFA recommended notification of any aggregate application be provided to all landowners, as well as all residents, within 150 metres of a proposed pit, or within 500 metres of a proposed quarry. OFA strongly recommended that all comments and concerns pertaining to private land applications submitted during the proposed 60-day notification period be treated exactly the same as concerns submitted during the 20-day response period. OFA supports the principle of exempting a farm business from a license to extract a limited amount of sand or gravel, from property owned by the farmer or farm business, by registering their activity and following rules set out in regulations. OFA welcomed the provisions that would allow a farmer to move sand or gravel from farm-to-farm, provided they are part of the same registered farm business.