Towards a socially relevant geomorphology : a case study from Prince Edward Island
Date
1970
Authors
Simmons, M. D. (Michael Donald)
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Abstract
In 1969, the federal government of Canada and the provincial government of Prince Edward Island signed a joint Development Plan for Prince Edward Island, designed to reduce economic disparity between this province and the rest of Canada. An integral part of this Plan is the continued development of the Island's infrastructure, especially the highway system. The gravel from which these roads are to be constructed, is to be derived from open-cast quarries on the Island. As a result environmental quality will inevitably deteriorate. It is, however, one of the principal aims of the Development Plan to maintain the aesthetic quality of the province in an effort to stimulate tourism.
The gravel deposits, in southeastern Queens and southern Kings counties, on which this study focuses, were derived from the weathering of Permian conglomerates. A seismographic survey undertaken by the author revealed gravel reserves, in this area, in excess of 10,000,000 tons. Grain-size analyses and roundness studies of samples from available exposures indicate that, after suitable preparation, these deposits will probably reach the minimum standards, demanded by the provincial Department of Highways. It is estimated that 90,000 tons of gravel will be extracted, from the study area, for both asphalt manufacturing and concrete production, each year for the next five years.
During this period, planning programmes for agriculture, tourism, forestry and other economic activities will be initiated. In order to help avoid major conflicts of land use, this study evaluates the competition for land which will probably occur, as a result of both the road building programme and other proposals included in the Development Plan.
Various alternative sources of gr avel supply were considered, including those at Folly Lake, and Malignant Cove, Nova Scotia. The economic and social costs of five distinct courses of action were then analysed using a least-cost equation and the consequences of each alternative are shown. The cheapest alternative, open to decision makers, is to continue using gravel from Island sources.
This study clearly demonstrates that the costs of land reclamation, after gravel extraction, resulting in the preservation of an aesthetically pleasing environment, are minimal if compared with the possible losses to future tourist trade. However, it is also argued that it is not necessary to establish the desirability of reclamation economically, but that it is simply an "inalienable right" of the population to demand that industry maintains environmental quality. It is fortune that the least-cost solution to the land-use conflicts in southeastern Prince Edward Island satisfies commonly held aesthetic as well as economic criteria.