Thursday, July 19, 2012

FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE ARE BUYING CHEMTURA's BULLSHIT



Today's headline in the Local section of the Waterloo Region Record is "Critics assail plant's cleanup plan". The reporter Jeff Outhit has accurately captured this next so called "cleanup" : "Later this year Chemtura plans to dig up part of the tainted mess on its property and cover over the rest, at a cost exceeding $2 million.". Steve Martindale of the Ministry of the Environment as usual spoke to both sides when he said "to reduce the low risk of high contamination moving off the site.". This high contamination is both DDT and Dioxins way above the Human Health Cleanup Criteria. Dr. Dan Holt, Chair of the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) also stated "It's not going to take care of the problem", and "It's just not a good solution. It's not what we had hoped.".

Further nonsense on Chemtura's part includes their claim that "tainted soil does not threaten groundwater...". They also claim that it "is unrelated to the ongoing groundwater cleanup". Now that's chutzpah! The only reason it's unrelated is because the Upper Aquifer flows from the south-east corner of their site where the Dioxins and DDT are located, directly into the Canagagigue Creek. In other words they're saying their contaminated groundwater on the south-east corner is not hydraulically contained which is true. The second contaminated pit which also has Dioxins & DDT exceeding the Human Health Cleanup Criteria isn't even receiving the scratch the surface (1 foot) excavation that pit GP1 is. Yours truly is quoted in this newspaper article as well: "It is a horrible cleanup. It's more a cleanup in name than in fact.".

Jeff Outhit has indicated Chemtura's recent history in Elmira. They released four tonnes of airborne contaminants three weeks before the municipal election in the fall of 2010. Furthermore there was "...a milestone declaration that Woolwich politicians no longer believe Elmira's polluted groundwater will be cleaned up by 2028 as promised.". This declaration was a CPAC Resolution presented to and unanimously endorsed by Woolwich Council this past spring. Finally although not mentioned by Jeff Outhit, Chemtura's and the M.O.E.'s credibility have taken a big hit with the release also this spring of the October 7, 1991 Settlement Agreement also known as the "Sweetheart Deal". Uniroyal/Chemtura were Indemnified from liability by the Ontario M.O.E. . This disgusting development was shared with the six parties to the Environmental Appeal Board Hearings in the early 90's but never made public, including not to the public advisory committee of the time (UPAC) which included yours truly.

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