CHEMTURA PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST NIGHT

The meeting as usual started at 6 pm. and was held in the Woolwich Council Chambers. Councillor and CPAC member Mark Bauman started by advising all of a recent Letter to the Editor published in the local papers. It referred to Chemtura's "duct tape" solution to Dioxins and DDT cleanup on the south-east corner of their site. Mark also lamented the lack of governmental assistance at all levels including municipal. Yours truly commented that while CPAC can't seem to get any money out of the Township for peer reviews nevertheless the township have money for numerous peer reviews of gravel pit applications and lawyers at the ongoing Ontario Municipal Board hearing into the Hunder gravel pit proposed for Conestogo.

I had asked Steve Martindale of the M.O.E. if he would ask hydrogeologist Jaimie Connolly whether Dioxins and DDT bound to sand and gravel similarily as to soil particles. Steve said he would add that question along with the one regarding acetone solubolizing chlorobenzene. Steve then indicated that his knowledge was that DDT & Dioxins did not bind to the larger particles found in sand and gravel. That is huge as it would indicate how easy it is for those two compounds to move downwards through aquifers on the site. Both Ron Campbell and Mark of CPAC asked questions of Mike Spencer of the M.O.E. regarding the latest tests (April 2013) done on sediment in the Canagagigue Creek. Mr. Spencer indicated that there would be more testing and it would be more comparable to the original 1996/97 study regarding downstream locations. He also indicated that there would be biological testing as in possibly clams and leeches being used.

While Mr. Spencer graced us with overhead projected slides showing tables and results from this most recent study; he had ZERO hard copy results to hand out. In other words he presented data showing contaminated sediments above the Severe Effect Level (SEL) for the benthic community and yet shared NOTHING in writing with CPAC. Sometimes the arrogance and stupidity of the Ontario M.O.E. is beyond comprehension.

Regarding In-Situ source removal, Conestoga Rovers are confident that it will work to breakdown NDMA as well as chlorinated solvents. Regarding Chemtura's private by invitation only "technical meeting", they too are showing their arrogance and stupidity. Richard Clausi (SWAT), Ron, Chair Dan and Vivienne all criticized their decision to ignore CPAC's request that they bring their scheduled October 2/13 presentation to CPAC last night. Vivienne advised Chemtura that they were unrealistic to expect advice from CPAC on many technical matters when they refused money to allow CPAC to obtain professional expertise. Richard suggested that Chemtura were intentionally bypassing the citizen consultation process. He also suggested that Chemtura's private meeting excluding some CPAC members, the public and the media (Independent) would be an issue at the next *Responsible care verification process.

There was also lengthy discussion around Chemtura's so called process to review CPAC requests for money for peer reviews. Chair Dan Holt and Ron Campbell in particular made it clear that Chemtura's position was unreasonable if not ridiculous. Basically it was akin to a teenager asking for an allowance each week and then having to justify it constantly even while being regularily turned down. If CPAC are to be an effective citizens advisory group then they need their own experts. Left unsaid but clearly the elephant in the room is that Chemtura's experts and technical staff are just dandy for looking out for Chemtura's interests but unreliable to do the same for the public interest.

In regards to the private "technical meeting" yours truly had some fun at Chemtura's expense. I advised Dwight Este (Chemtura) that I fully understood his reluctance to invite Gail Martin of the Elmira Independent to the meeting. Gail sits quietly through each CPAC meeting taking notes and not making a sound. I suggested to Dwight that she was very scary, loud and boisterous and could even be a psuedo terrorist. I then capped it off by suggesting that she Gail Martin was a weapon of mass public instruction. Well CPAC and Gail enjoyed the moment far more than Chemtura did.