ENVIRONMENTAL GAMES NEVER END IN ELMIRA
Last month (Aug. 4/10) I posted a story in regards to three gasoline contaminated sites in Elmira namely, the old Gord's service centre at Church & Snyder, Voisin Motors old site at Arthur St. by Church St. and finally the Steddick Hotel property courtesy of the adjoining gas bar & submarine shop. Lo and behold while tearing up the street at Church and Snyder gasoline contamination was found underground. Apparently the original "cleanup" was on a par with other Elmira "cleanups".
Remember the recent demolition and alleged "cleanup" at the Steddick Hotel on Arthur St.? Did anyone in Elmira either see or smell gasoline or diesel while this site was being excavated? A little birdie told me that they watched carefully and the excavation never even went as deep as the footings to the foundation. Three or four summers ago I worked across from Martin Pet Foods, beside the Woolwich Observer, remediating the former Strauss Fuels site. Yes that is indeed the same Strauss as in Mayor Bill Strauss. Anyhow gasoline and fuel oil contamination normally sinks down to the water table where it often forms LNAPL (light non aqueous phase liquid). This is very odourous and distinctive. I too wondered when I went by the Steddick at the lack of odour or even visual clues. I suspect that somewhere down the road further cleanup will be "discovered" to be necessary. This crap I expect from the M.O.E. but was Woolwich Council, in private discussion, also aware of one more pretend cleanup? The proof is in the pudding. If there was a real cleanup, there will be a paper trail. Contaminated soil can only (legally) go to so many places and it must be documented.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Allan, we had a old CTire site that was contaminated extensively and took many years to clean up I hope. I know where the bad soil went so what are the legal places it can go?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the concentrations of Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl benzene & Xylenes. If they are really high then Corunna (near sarnia) has a huge landfill over top of thick clay.It might still be owned by Laidlaw although I'm not sure. Otherwise, unfortunately they might go to your local landfill site which hopefully has a leachate control system because these chemicals from fuels will eventually work there way out in the groundwater otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThank you Allan, it did go to our local closed down landfill and I am sure does not have a control system but hopefully I am wrong. It is about 6 blocks from one of the wells that supplies most of the town. I may need to get in touch with you if this becomes an issue and I will check the well test reports but I already know that for a few years they were not testing properly and only started when i raised the issue due to water contamination in my town. Thank you for the information. And keep up the great work
ReplyDeleteThe flouridization issue was a big deal on 570 am today. I guess it is a big issue down there. I am still between a rock and a hard place as I do not want to drink tap water here but do not want to drink bottled. Which is better. I do not mind natural flouridation but do not agree with the chemical additive or the other chemicals found in the water here even if only traces of. Your thoughts?
Since 1991 we in Elmira have been getting our water (fluoridated) from Waterloo via a pipeline. My belief is that we should be getting "additives" out of our water, not putting them in. Also no one knows what chemical reactions there might be with the unwanted chemicals already in our tap water. Waterloo like Cambridge has had low levels of Trichloroethylene in the water for decades. Finally I've examined the Region of Waterloo Annual reports (water) and for some reason exceedances of fluoride are far too common. Thus the dosage whether intentional or by human error concerns me.
ReplyDelete