GRAVEL PITS, PERSISTENCE & TENACITY IN WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

In the Elmira Independent edition of April 18/14 the following article was published "Gravel Watch Ontario sounds alarm". This week on April 25/14 Gail Martin, Editor of the Independent, wrote this Editorial "Persistence is rewarded". The first story advises that Gravel Watch have read the most recent updated Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) and that an item has been slipped in without consultation or previous discussion. The item is a promotion of aggregate recycling "wherever feasible". This would mean the grinding up of used asphalt and concrete in order to reuse their components. In theory this is a good thing as it would reduce the quantity of sand and gravel currently being extracted from pits and quarries. The problem is that one it could keep individual pits and quarries open years longer and secondly the noise and dust produced are health hazards. Particulate matter can be hazardous intrinsically when it has petroleum products in it (asphalt) or silicates (concrete). It can also simply be an irritant and hazard to the lungs when dust (sand/gravel) are inhaled.

Gail Martin's editorial praises the persistence of Woolwich Township volunteers. This includes those who fought against the Hunder Pit for seven years as well as those who have fought Uniroyal/Chemtura and the Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.) for twenty-five years. Gail suggests that many of the volunteers from the 1989 water contamination scandal who were involved then are involved now. Not so much actually. I and Rich Clausi are still involved directly through the current CPAC's Soil, Water, Air & Technical (SWAT) sub-committee. Dr. Henry Regier is currently on SWAT although he moved to Elmira in 1999. By the way our favourite local polluter Chemtura dislike that acronym (SWAT) as it gives an impression contrary to their contrived public relations plan namely that everything is under control. It isn't.

There is one other who's been around since 1989 and that would be Susan Bryant. After personally denouncing the new CPAC in an incredible act of sour grapes; she has aligned herself closely with the polluter, Chemtura. The name of the group is the APTE Chemtura Committee (ACC) and consists of private, by invitation only meetings. Similar to the long discredited M.O.E., Susan allied with a former local politician, are ostensibly pushing Chemtura to do better. Of course certain subjects are taboo (DNAPLS) because Susan without specific knowledge of APTE members and co-ordinaters, sold the farm in October 1991. She went along with the private sweetheart deal and Indemnity between Uniroyal and the M.O.E. dated October 7, 1991. This deal aborted the ongoing Environmental Appeal Board hearings .

Other incredible environmental volunteers would be those involved with the West Montrose gravel pit (Bridgekeepers) as well as those who fought against the Jigs Hollow Pit (Lynne Hare, Jan & others). There is also a group of volunteers keeping a close watch on the recently opened Woolwich Bio-En. Keep in mind our current CPAC members are very active and openminded. Most importantly they are unpaid volunteers without perks for their efforts. Amusingly the former politician mentioned who is woefully, technically lacking, is receiving expense paid junkets around North America courtesy of the chemical industry and probably upon the initial recommendation of Chemtura. She is neither well informed nor a volunteer. She is however an opportunist of the first order.