CHEMTURA FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE?

I mentioned recently that CPAC are quite enjoying how the Chair of TAG has been publicly condemning the gross failures of the Elmira cleanup. This has been an unexpected bonus and pleasure after Woolwich Council in their infinite bias and stupidity decided that the self serving polluter responsible for destroying Elmira's water needed to be relieved of any form of direct citizen accountability. The fact that part of the alternative arrangements more suitable to Chemtura's wishes are now jumping on the CPAC bandwagon regarding discharges to the creek, off-site cleanup failures and on-site intrangience around LNAPLS and DNAPLS is hilarious.

I give CPAC and SWAT credit for not showing up at Council meetings and taunting Council with I told you so's. Maybe this is why our still new Council are changing the rules yet again to cover themselves from criticism they've earned. The new Procedural By-laws are just another example of an incestuous group of self serving politicians and bureaucrats looking out for each other at the expense of taxpayers. Really the problem is not a few critics, albeit many regarding the Breslau sale of parkland, it is the Council themselves. Their solution is so Woolwich typical. Blame the citizens they are supposed to be serving. Blame the messengers.

This Thursday afternoon at 4 Pm. RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee) meet in Council Chambers. Part of the Agenda will be their examination of recommendations from TAG (Technical Advisory Group). This will be RAC's first opportunity to step up and do the right things. The recommendations from TAG include that RAC advise the Ministry of the Environment to initiate suspended sediment sampling asap and that signage and fencing be installed downstream to the Grand River, for the hot spots in the Canagagigue Creek.

TAG will also recommend that RAC advise Chemtura to seek external advice on future ISCO (In Situ Chemical Oxidation) pilot tests for example from the University of Waterloo or from Geosyntec. Chemtura should also be advised to begin multi-level monitoring wells to monitor their groundwater quality. Finally Chemtura should institute a program of annual performance assessment of remediation by a team of outside experts.

It is my opinion that these recommendations from TAG to RAC indicate a huge vote of NON-CONFIDENCE in the years of work of the Ontario M.O.E., Chemtura and CRA. Based upon the glacial speed of these three groups I expect we will see some of these recommendations become actions within five years or so. The question is will Chemtura have packed their bags and run for home by then? Imagine that, a host country seriously expecting them to clean up their mess. Unheard of when there are still hundreds of third world countries around the world willing to donate their environment and health of their citizens to the wishes of chemical companies.