THE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE IS STRONG

Hydrogeology is not rocket science. The fact that water flows either under gravity or under pressure is about the most basic knowledge anyone needs, to be able, via common sense and some study of the facts and physical properties of a site, to understand where groundwater is going and whether it is likely to be contaminated. Surface water flow in my opinion is even easier to understand. Groundwater is out of sight, out of mind. Surface water flow however can be directly observed. It can also be directly plotted and determined by very simple ground surface contour lines. These are based upon extremely accurate elevation above sea level measurements which have been done for the entire Uniroyal Chemical/Lanxess Canada site.

These elevation levels have been published by Conestoga Rovers, GHD, the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE/MECP), MTE, and possibly even the GRCA. The information has been available for the Uniroyal site at least since 1985, probably earlier. Last Monday I posted here an article titled "Three Very Difficult Facts For Lanxess". At least one additional fact needs to be added.

Jeff Merriman, environmental engineer for Chemtura Canada (i.e. Uniroyal), publicly assured CPAC members that Uniroyal Chemical had ploughed furrows in a north to south direction on the east side of their site in order to funnel and direct overflowing waste waters from their east side waste pits due south towards gravel pits GP-1 and GP-2. Now under gravity these waste water discharges would have flowed both westwards directly to the Creek as well as southwards into the former wetlands that comprised most of the south-eastern corner of their site. The former furrows however can be seen on some older photographs and do appear intended to lessen westward flow towards the Creek. Also there is a very large swale that can be seen both in photographs from the 1990s as well as from satellite photos. This swale is on the immediate west side of pits RPE-2 southwards to RPE-5 and past. It too appears designed to funnel east side waste waters into the former wetlands in the south-east corner.

So why does Lanxess and their predecessors all admit to this contaminated waste water flow going south but not eastwards over on to the neighbouring Stroh property. The answer is obvious. Money needed for more cleanup. Why won't the MOE admit to it? The same reason they lied to the public in October 1991 and supported Uniroyal Chemical's claim that they Uniroyal were the sole source of contamination to the Elmira municipal aquifers. We now know that at a minimum Nutrite (Yara) as well as Varnicolor Chemical had a piece of that action as well. The MOE looked incompetent enough after decades of falsely reassuring Elmira residents that their water supply was safe from Uniroyal Chemical to then admit it wasn't safe from multiple different sources in Elmira.