AN ILLEGAL INTERCEPTOR TRENCH

It is my belief and opinion that the Ontario Ministry of Environment surreptitiously and illegally conspired with Uniroyal Chemical to build an Interceptor Trench on the east side of Uniroyal's property between their buried pits (RPE 1-5) and the down gradient Canagagigue Creek to the west. Another possibility, albeit unlikely, is that the Ontario MOE are indeed as stupid and incompetent as their harshest critics have suggested and that therefore Uniroyal talked about a legal Interceptor Trench while installing an illegal one.

There was a discussion and questioning of Jeff Merriman (Chemtura) at the October 2014 CPAC meeting regarding this alleged Interceptor Trench. Some of our local politicians including Sandy attended and then complained afterwards that I was "interrogating" poor Jeff. It was a polite "interrogation" and Jeff even admitted so at the meeting after he complained that my questions were inappropriate. My questions were not inappropriate. What was inappropriate was the ill informed criticisms by the mayor-elect.

This Interceptor Trench appears to be surreptitiously diverting contaminated groundwater from the Uniroyal site over to the private property of, at the time, Earl Stroh. Currently it is owned by his son, Ron Stroh. It appears that the Interceptor Trench discharges into the Stroh Drain, an alleged agricultural drain. It also appears that this contaminated groundwater then flows through an open ditch on the Stroh farm and joins into a small spring fed creek which runs further south through both the Martin farm and pond. I am extremely doubtful that the Martin family over the generations were ever made aware that they were swimming in both shallow groundwater from their property as well as contaminated groundwater from Uniroyal Chemical. That is contemptible, disgusting and illegal behaviour by all conspiring parties.

The environmental damage is major as there is very little aquitard near the creek preventing Uniroyal's contamination from going downwards into the municipal drinking water aquifers. This diversion has likely therefore increased the introduction of Uniroyal's toxins to these deeper aquifers.

There are many additional pieces of evidence to this travesty. One significant piece is that neither the Ontario MOE nor any other independent authority have investigated these concerns and then advised both the Martin's and the public as to their findings. The MOE to date have refused to test the sediments or soils in and around the Stroh Drain. They are terrified of what will be discovered and of the consequences to the MOE of the illegal diversion of toxins, both with and without, permission of the neighbouring property owners.