Tuesday, September 22, 2015
GROUNDWATER MONITORING AND REMEDIATION - Summer 2001 & February 2007
Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation (GWMR) magazine are a well known technical magazine for groundwater and hydrogeological professionals. A friend sent me a copy of an article several weeks back titled "DNAPL Remediation: Which "New Paradigm" will prevail?". Aside from the basic topic close to my heart being DNAPL, the very interesting thing is who the author is of this article first published in GWMR's summer 2001 edition. This article also appears to have been republished in GWMR in February 2007. The author is Richard Jackson of Geofirma Engineering Inc. who is now the new Chairman of TAG (Technical Advisory Group).
Chemtura are sitting upon a grossly contaminated site including multiple different DNAPLS some readily mobile such as chlorobenzenes and other more viscous DNAPLS almost to the point of being like tar. All of these DNAPLS however will dissolve and become more mobile in the presence of solvents of which there has never been any shortage on the Uniroyal/Chemtura site. In fact much to the consternation of Chemtura, yours truly has occasionally mentioned the inconvenient fact that both Dioxins and DDT are defined as DNAPL chemicals. Chlorinated solvents are the most well known DNAPLS although Chemtura has many others including Benzothiazole (BT), Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), Carboxin and much more.
This article quite frankly is excellent in its' analysis of the place of hydraulic containment in regards to restoring aquifers to drinking water standards. Various theories and alternatives are discussed with specific examples of site cleanups successes and failures. References are made to various well known hydrogeologists and their positions on DNAPL cleanup at particular points in time of their studies and research including the University of Waterloo's John Cherry. I had the privelege of meeting with Dr. Cherry and Dr. Beth Parker simultaneously for a technical discussion of Chemtura's DNAPL back in January 2007. The result opened my eyes to the dirty politics and worse here in Woolwich Township as well as the interconnection between Chemtura and local co-opted citizens and municipal councillors.
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Sounds like we have one big RAT race with the Rat controlling the pied pipers who are supposed to be in charge, what can Mr. Jackson possibly do with any of these since he has no power whatsoever. Councils have shown over and over again that they are not even capable of "using" a good front man to do their dirty work. I think Mr. Jackson is destined for failure unless he is a magician or capable of performing exorcisms! I think he will either be ineffective OR discredited by the powers that be. Why would Mr. Jackson take on the task unless he had something to gain (beside cleaning up the chemical fiasco) ? In addition, since when does the MOE lie down and play dead? Councils come and go and they have all been negligent in their responses to the contamination and cleanup. I find it shocking that anyone would put any faith whatsoever in anything Chemtura would offer up at this point. Chemtura should be simply forced to pay for everything, via Council and MOE should order the testing and cleanup and monitoring and slap the bill onto Chemtura's tax roll and if they don't pay then the Chemtura property should be seized and sold just like council did with Lloyd Claire/Ingram Transfer property. Better yet MOE should "grow a pair" with Chemtura and do ALL the dirty work that they would do if it was a smaller adversary. What a bunch of gutless and useless bureaucrats we are stuck with. Anybody that would give Chemtura till 2028 is negligent and or complicit!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely and am getting curious as to who you are. Not that many people know those details about the former Lot 91 at the eastern end of Oriole Parkway. Although...Council did seize property (allegedly scrap) and removed it. I don't think they actually seized the property.
ReplyDeleteRather than speculate that Dr. Jackson will be ineffective, why not give things a chance? How do mean spirited posts like this really help? It's almost like you WANT him to fail. Do you really want this to be cleaned up or do you just want to have somebody to hate?
ReplyDeleteThey are finally trying to make progress and you are trying to kill it (even if by simple, mean-spirited posts) before it even begins.
... I don't get it. Are you for us or against us in Elmira?
These elite and their minions simply ought to be treated with all the respect they deserve, NONE!
DeleteI'm assuming you're referring to the first comment as mean spirited rather than my post. My educated opinion based upon 25 years of direct experience here in Woolwich is that the problem is due to the political leaders including Woolwich Councils. I wish Mr. Jackson well but doubt I'll see real change until regional chairs, mayors and top brass at the M.O.E. are long gone.
ReplyDeleteBut where are regional chairs, mayor, top brass and M.O.E. going to go? Are you proposing anarchy? These guys will always be around...
ReplyDelete