MINUTES FROM LAST TAG MEETING (NOVEMBER 28/19)

These Minutes essentially echo the posting I did here in the Advocate last November 29/19 albeit with some more detail. For example on page 3 of the Minutes, in regards to either source removal or alternative remediation methods, it states "Other options such as in-situ treatment options have not been given a reasonable amount of attention and time to be explored and considered. The default has always been pump and treat. TAG feels that to date LANXESS has not systematically evaluated and tested all the options available."

These comments are both honest and accurate. They have been said consistently by Elmira and area citizens literally for decades. And those citizens and ideas have been given lip service attention only by Conestoga Rovers, Uniroyal Chemical, Crompton, Chemtura, Lanxess, GHD and the Ontario Ministry of Environment. Essentially those guilty parties view public consultation as merely an objectionable necessity to be tolerated albeit certainly not to be seriously considered if the ideas cost a nickel more (or a million more) then the cheapest, longest spread out time frame that will keep the company management out of jail and their company name completely out of the mud.

The rest of the Minutes include other criticisms of the company and their consultants recent work such as the 2018 Annual Monitoring Report (AMR). The MOE/MECP hydrogeologist Cynthia Doughty, to her credit pulls no punches in her litany of complaints regarding this GHD report done on behalf of Lanxess. Similarly TAG members such as Dustin Martin (new) and David Hofbauer agree with Ms. Doughty as well as add points of their own. Unfortunately all is for naught as the process gives 100% control and authority to the polluter and friends. Dr. Richard Jackson was correct in his assessment that it is not technical problems stalling/delaying and denying proper cleanup it is public policy problems. i.e. government legislation and will