ONLY PART OF THE DECADES LONG CONSPIRACY IN ELMIRA, ONTARIO

Yesterday I listed massive soil concentrations of solvents analysed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment at a site here in Elmira. That site is at the extreme eastern end of Oriole Parkway, just across Landfill Creek and then across the railroad tracks. Locally and infamously it is known as Lot 91. In my opinion the site had both free phase LNAPLS and DNAPLS; neither of which were remediated. It is also likely that that site has contributed greatly to the contamination of the municipal aquifers in Elmira. It and its' sister site up on Union St. (formerly 62 Union) were part of Varnicolor Chemical. That site also had unremediated free phase LNAPLS and DNAPLS. Conspiracy One involving the M.O.E., municipal, regional and provincial politicians.

April/May 2012 CPAC passed and Woolwich Council endorsed a Resolution declaring that the 2028 cleanup deadline of the Elmira aquifers was years behind schedule and would not happen without significant source removal of subsurface toxic wastes. On May 18, 2012 Chemtura made a presentation to Michael Harris, MPP on the matter.The last page of their written handout was their "Concluding remarks". They state: "Chemtura is on target to remediate the Elmira Municipal aquifer to meet Ontario's Drinking Water Standard by 2028. The 2028 deadline is attainable using the current pump and treat strategy."

Then in November 2012, six months later, after publicly and privately denigrating CPAC and essentially stating that CPAC didn't know what they were talking about; Chemtura and Conestoga Rovers did an about face. They bragged about unilaterally remodelling their cleanup and independently determining that lo and behold that in order to meet their 2028 deadline they would have to triple the volume of off-site pumping and treating. Furthermore they would ALSO require some source removal in off-site "hot spots" and were going to test IN Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO).

Of course our splendid, long co-opted M.O.E. got in on the action as well by doing a public, written "Review of Groundwater Flow and Transport Model Update" on June 27, 2013. This was a review of what Chemtura publicly presented to CPAC the previous November. While they were firmly in Chemtura's and CRA's camp a year earlier, after CPAC and the only honest (mostly) Township Council in a very long time had passed the very damning Resolution; lo and behold they were now also believers.

The last page of their handout was titled "Will 2028 Clean-up Deadline be met?". Their own followup answer immediately next was "Without the proposed changes: no" "With the proposed changes: still uncertain".

The partners in pollution (Chemtura/M.O.E.) had been rolling along, going through the motions of remediating the Elmira Aquifers, at minimal cost to Chemtura, knowing full well that 2028 was a pipedream. When confronted with facts and evidence by a citizens group (CPAC), appointed by the past Woolwich Council, they denied and lied. This has been the history of the Elmira cleanup since 1989. It continues today with the current Woolwich Council, spearheaded by Councillor Bauman and mayor Shantz. Stay tuned, there's lots more to come.