The following letter was sent today in an attempt to put the brakes on the long term extent of pollution and officially sanctioned leakage into the Grand River.

Clerk of the Regional Council
Ms. Kris Fletcher

This letter is my request for referral of the Official Plan Amendment No. 15 to the Ontario Municipal Board. Numerous reasons for my objections to OPA No. 15 have already been submitted both verbally at Woolwich Council as well as in writing since last fall. The most recent reason is in regards to promises made by Woolwich Councillors, Bauman and Shantz. At the last public Woolwich Council dealing with the Forwell and Safety- Kleen properties , these Councillors clearly advised Staff that soil samples and further evidence must be provided to Woolwich Council, guaranteeing that Council was not giving approval to construction upon contaminated lands. As of this point in time I have not received any information whether written or verbal regarding these public promises and whether or not they have been fulfilled.
Furthermore I wish to emphasize that there is no doubt that these lands are and have been heavily contaminated by chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons and P.C.B.’s for the last three or four DECADES. The list of hydrogeological reports detailing this contamination covers approximately three pages and I have had the opportunity of studying many of them for many years. The contamination has travelled from both the Safety- Kleen site (formerly Breslube) as well as from behind their site on Forwell property (lagoons on & off the Forwell site) both through ground and surface water where it has made it’s way to both the Grand River and the former Municipal and Regional wells on the east side of the river (K70 & K71).
Sincerely Alan Marshall Elmira Environmental Hazards Team