THE PAST NEEDS TO INFORM THE PRESENT

Dr. Richard Jackson enlightened citizens during his brief tenure as TAG Chair. Unfortunately his departure also enlightened us as to the futility of "public consultation" as practiced here in Woolwich Township. He understood that a bunch of newbies, no matter how well intentioned, need honest and straightforward leadership from experienced hands. They do not need game players with gross conflict of interests showing them the way.

Dr. Jackson pointed out that a huge impediment to cleaning up the off-site aquifers by 2028 was the penetration into low permeability aquitards (clay & silt) with various solvents and other toxic chemicals. He was correct and the proof is in the pudding. Despite Uniroyal and their successors and CRA and theirs (GHD) having their way for the last thirty years; it is now acknowledged by all parties that the Elmira Aquifers will not be at drinking water standards until at least 2050. Maybe longer.

Of interest however is that briefly this matter was mentioned in the March 28, 2003 Elmira Independent by Editor Gail Martin. She mentioned both the fact that chemicals can enter the aquitards as well as Dr. Jackson's use of the word Diffusion. Diffusion occurs when the highly permeable aquifer (sand & gravel) adjacent to the aquitard begins to lose its' contaminants via for example pumping and treating of the groundwater. Then very slowly the contaminants are drawn out of the aquitard (ie. diffusion) and back into the aquifer.

Joanne Peach of the Woolwich Observer at around the same time advised readers that Wilf Ruland (hydrogeologist) had advised CPAC that "Optimization" was unlikely to make a significant difference to the groundwater cleanup. In fact at one time Wilf suggested that the only thing being optimized was the money being spent on pumping and treating by Crompton. After all 50% of off-site pumping was paid for by the taxpayers hence Crompton had an incentive to "optimize" their pumping by doing less on-site and more off-site.

The result of the above paragraph is the understanding that once again the CPAC of the day got played and the MOE assisted Uniroyal/Crompton in so doing by preemptively passing the June 21, 2000 Amended Control Order allowing a relaxation of the mandated on-site hydraulic containment of contaminants. The MOE legally allows leakage off-site in 2000 even before the Optimization discussions got started at UPAC. Then UPAC and CPAC crap all over the plan and then suddenly Susan, Pat and Wilf "save the day" by agreeing to it on strict terms and conditions demanded by CPAC. What bullshit! This was one more instance of citizens being led both by the nose and by other co-opted citizens with conflicts of interest. Newsflash. Yes you can throw out the baby with the bathwater when the "baby" is neither human nor in the public interest.