A VERY SHORT WHILE AGO: (4 1/2 Years )

The Waterloo Region Record of March 24, 2016 had an interesting article titled "Woolwich mayor's charges tossed". This of course was in regards to alleged mayor Sandy Shantz's multiple violations of the Municipal Elections Act (MEA). The mayor and a number of her colleagues on Woolwich Council had apparently felt that the legislation was intended for others but not for themselves. Myself, Dr. Dan Holt and Richard Clausi decided otherwise. .................................................................................................................... The Crown prosecutor, Fraser Kelly, stated that it was not in the public interest to proceed with the ten charges laid against mayor Shantz. These charges first had to face the scrutiny of a Justice of the Peace for their approval and then also were examined over a period of months by two different Prosecutors. Eventually Fraser Kelly also suggested that the charges were not laid properly. Horse .... in the extreme. They were laid exactly as directed by the Superior Court and their staff. Any errors were totally and completely due to either professional incompetence, intent or a failure of the process set in place by the courts in the first place. ..................................................................................................... Regarding not in the public interest to prosecute I was quoted in this article as saying: "If the Crown advises that the specific laws broken by Mayor Shantz are minor or trivial then...clearly I missed that part of the (Municipal Elections Act) which specifically stated that the following sections are trivial or minor, therefore merely suggestions to be followed by election candidates, if they feel like it". .............................................................................................................. Overall this entire process convinced me that our judicial system is badly compromised. It plays favourites with charged police officers, politicians and other sensitive individuals. Judges are appointed and the system is very cliqueish and internalized. Worse it is neither transparent nor accountable other than to those who benefit from its' largesse and bias.

WELLINGTON WATER WATCHERS QUIZ PROVINCIAL ENVIRONMENT LEADERS

The article in today's Record is titled "Provincial party environment leaders in the hot seat on water issues". The Record reporter is Leah Gerber and she has indicated that the Wellington Water Watchers hosted a live virtual convention. In attendance on the panel later answering questions from the public was Jeff Yurek, Ontario Environment Minister as well as the Environment critics from the Liberals, NDP and Green Party. Discussions included drinking water issues in First Nations communities as well as the Conservative government's proposed changes to the Environmental Assessment Act. Our Environment Minister also pledged to extend the moratorium on water bottling permits until at least April 2021. ................................................................................................... Kudos to the Wellington Water Watchers (out of Guelph) for their ongoing activism and advocacy for our drinking water here in Ontario. They have been very active regarding bottled water issues courtesy of Nestle's Canada and have advocated for much stricter controls on the water bottling industry. This includes issues with the Middleton Wellfield purchased by Nestle's while the nearby town of Elora was also looking for additional water sources.

SHORTAGES OF CLEAN WATER -YES, NO SHORTAGES HOWEVER OF STUDIES, REPORTS, HORSE MANURE & WORSE

I've been recently reviewing the CH2M HILL March 1991 report titled "Elmira/St. Jacobs Water Supply Project Volume I". I have long understood that the "surprise" discovery of NDMA in the south wellfield was staged both as a face saving device for the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) as well as a manufactured for the public, "crisis", that would assist our authorities in pushing Uniroyal Chemical into even greater cleanup mode. Now make no mistake, cleanup had been underway throughout the 1980s as all our political authorities began to realize what a mess they (Region, Township, Province) had made in Elmira, Ontario. They had at the very least condoned idiotic toxic waste disposal for fourty years in and around not only a wonderful natural resource, the Elmira Aquifers, but had also allowed the Canagagigue Creek to be used as a sewer in order to spread Uniroyal's toxins downstream, far and wide. ............................................................................................................. Even the federal government through the Department of Supply & Services (DSS) were involved in a remediation study that included Environment Canada, MOE, and Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira. This March 1991 report by CH2M HILL also included a hydrogeolofical evaluation of the Elmira aquifer System. Now after the "Elmira Water Crisis" struck in November 1989, the feds up and took off. Could this have been part of the manufactured crisis to allow all the political guilty parties (Township, Region, MOE) to control the narrative? Afterall as far as politicians are concerned the story or narrative going out to the public is every bit as important (or more so) than actual health crisis itself. Afterall this is a decades long poisoned water story at its heart. That surely had to be spun to avoid public outrage and public demands that heads roll or even that criminal prosecution should occur. When you think about it, imagine if one individual was caught poisoning one neighbour's food or water. That individual would end up doing quality jail time. Not so in Elmira for Uniroyal Chemical, the MOE, Woolwich Township or the Region of Waterloo.

LANXESS CANADA CONTINUES THE TRADITION STARTED BY CHEMTURA: RUN & HIDE FROM THE REAL STAKEHOLDERS

2015 was the watershed moment when Sandy and Mark B. talked their new council into once again giving Uniroyal/Chemtura the keys to the "city". Now of course some of the "new" council included old, tried and true and dyed in the wool Uniroyal sympathizers like Murray Martin. Other"new" council members included Larry Shantz, Pat Merlihan and Scott Hahn. Yes the council before them were generally inexperienced but with "experience" like Mr. Flip Flop (Mark) who tailored his comments to the current audience of the moment, sometimes experience is overated. .............................................................................................. Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) certainly were under pressure. The 2010 (2011) to 2014 (2015) Citizens Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) brooked no bull.... from those two parties. Lord knows the polluter and their regulator tried their best and they'd been allowed to bafflegab and bullfritter the time away for the previous incarnations of UPAC and CPAC without pushback for many, many years. By the way the second dates in brackets two lines above reflect the actual dates that the incompetent Woolwich Council managed to get the committee up and running. Truly hypocritical of Sandy and Mark, Chemtura and the MOE to whine and pretend how inexperienced and incompetent the previous council were when it took them even LONGER to get the CPAC show on the road. Further hypocrisy shines in their asking the current CPAC to please continue on until they were finally ready to go on September 15, 2015. Todd Cowan's council got CPAC up and going by May 2011 whereas Sandy and mark needed an additional four months. Mind you manufacturing a phony CPAC "crisis" takes time and that's exactly what they did in order to justify their contemptible behaviour which included kissing the butts of the most responsible and guilty for the destruction of both the Elmira aquifers and of the Canagagigue Creek. ....................................................................................... The new protocol does not even require the attendance of the guilty parties at the Technical Advisory Committee (TAG) which is the group of citizens appointed by council. Hence opportunities even by the council chosen few to ask questions of Chemtura/Lanxess and the MOE/MECP are few and far between. Both guilty parties sincerely thank Sandy and Mark for their nasty and disgusting interventions to allow even less transparency and accountability. The Chair of TAG is paid (well) by Council (directly-Lanxess indirectly?) and they are much happier with their second Chair than their first who routinely took Chemtura/Lanxess, MOE/MECP and Conestoga Rovers (CRA) to task for their failures and miscues.

HORRIFIC GROUNDWATER CONCENTRATIONS ON THE UNIROYAL ELMIRA SITE (90-91)

Funny how AFTER the south and north wellfields were admitted to be contaminated with NDMA in late 1989 (E7, E9 -south) and in 1990 (E2, E8 -north) that then some of the beyond belief groundwater contamination on the site came to light. This massive groundwater contamination was on both the west side of the site (and the creek) as well as on the east side of both. Undoubtedly after nearly thirty years of on-site hydraulic containment (i.e. pump & treat) these numbers representing dissolved contamination will have been reduced however the lack of source removal is why even today Uniroyal senior staff (Ramin Ansari) advise that on-site pump and treat will continue forever. If the pumping were to stop in the future the still buried wastes would again begin to increase the contaminant load in the on-site groundwater. Following are some of the awful groundwater readings: ................................................................................................ ........Location (well #, East or West)....Concentration (parts per billion (ppb)) ................................................................................................ dichloroethylene (DCE) ....OW62-17 .W ........300,000 ....................................OW50-15 .W ..........330,000 ....................................OW16-d .E ............320,000 ....................................OW18-d .W ..........139,000 ................................................................................................. phenols....................OW37-5A .E ........75,000 ................................................................................................. vinyl chloride ............OW10-14.W .........121,000 ..............................OW88-8 .W ..........50,000 ................................................................................................. toluene ...................OW10-6 .W .........178,000 ...........................OW51-6 .W ..........43,000 ...........................OW88-8 .W .........110,000 ................................................................................................. chlorobenzene............... OW10-6 .W ..........13,000 ......................................OW88-8 .W .........200,000 ......................................OW18-d .W ..........44,000 ................................................................................................. ethyl benzene ....................OW37-5A .E ..........3,300 ................................................................................................. 2-chlorophenol ...................OW37-5A .E ........100,000 ................................................................................................. aniline ...........................OW10-6 .W .........78,000 ................................................................................................. carboxin ..........................OW10-6 .W .........19,000 .....................................OW69-13 .E .........9,700 ................................................................................................. ................................................................................................. The above is a tiny, TINY listing of all the chemicals found in groundwater on the Uniroyal Chemical site. It is a tiny, TINY listing of all the different momitoring wells on site with ridiculously high concentrations of contaminants. Notice I didn't even bother with listings of NDMA which has concentrations hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of times greater than the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS). Honest citizen activists wanted serious contaminant source removal on that property because leaving it to nothing more than pump and treat for the next three hundred years or more is NOT acceptable, practical or likely. At some point much sooner the unethical, immoral sons of ....... will call a halt to even the minimal pump & treat.

PIECE BY PIECE THE EXTENT OF UNIROYAL CONTAMINATION THAT FLOWED TO THE STROH FARM (Eastwards) IS BEING REVEALED

On Tuesday here I pointed out Figures 7.7 and 7.8 in the CH2M HILL Report Volume II (Feb. 1991) which clearly indicated that CH2M HILL recognized that phenols from Uniroyal had spread over to the Stroh farm. Now from the same report we have NDMA doing the exact same thing as per Figures 5.1 and 5.3 . These two Figures represent NDMA in both the Upper Aquifer as well as in the Municipal Aquifer. This is hardly unexpected as NDMA is considered one of if not the fastest moving contaminant in groundwater from Uniroyal Chemical. Again similar to phenols, the NDMA concentration contours for both aquifers have crossed the invisible (from below) line/fence on the surface as they've migrated from the source areas (RPE 1-5) along and immediately beside the Uniroyal/Stroh property boundary over to the Stroh property itself. ........................................................................................... Interestingly to me I see a fairly clear bias by CH2MHILL in regards to their drawing of contaminant concentration contour lines. This goes for pretty much all their contaminants including benzene, chlorobenzene etc. This has occurred in both shallow and deeper aquifers as they have seemed to want to hammer the point home that the major source areas on the Uniroyal site are the west side operating lagoons. They have done this by showing the west side only as being source areas while including contaminated wells on the east side of their property within plumes originating from the operating ponds. This is simply inaccurate. Whether or not the west side has higher concentrations is irrelevant when all parties acknowledge the volumes of solids, sludges, tars and liquid wastewaters deposited into the east side pits over the decades. If nothing else this bias also shows how Conestoga Rovers were able to draw contaminant concentration contour lines to the liking of Uniroyal Chemical using subjectivity and "professional" interpretation. Ha! ................................................................................................................... One last point. This report clearly points out (pg. 57) that NDMA concentrations in many locations are far higher at depth than they are in shallow aquifers, even on the Uniroyal site. This is counterintuitive as usually contaminant concentrations are reduced as they migrate away from the source. This phenomenon may be relevant regarding second and third sources of NDMA in the Elmira Aquifers. The two additional sources that I'm thinking of are Varnicolor Chemical and Nutrite. Both have low level concentrations of NDMA in their shallow aquifers, while the much higher NDMA levels deeper beneath their sites are all attributed to Uniroyal. Of interest also is that CH2M Hill acknowledge right up to the final conclusion that Nutrite and Varnicolor are the two leading contenders (out of many) to be additional source areas. Also interesting is that it took over a decade for the public announcement that indeed Nutrite contributed ammonia to the Municipal Aquifer whereas allegedly not NDMA. That bizarre belated announcement was never properly explained. Afterall the sweetheart deal between the MOE and Uniroyal in October 1991 attributed everything to Uniroyal in exchange for a very limited cleanup ($$$$) plus the Region and Township got their alternate water supply paid for (provided they didn't let the cat out of the bag to the public regarding multiple other sources).

NDMA PRODUCTION

In its most basic, NDMA can be formed by the chemical interaction of dimethylamine ((CH3)2 NH2) and nitrites (N02) forming N-nitrosodimethylamine or (CH3)2NNO with the C being carbon, the H being hydrogen, the N being nitrogen and the O being oxygen. Therefore the two most important precursers are dimethylamine and sodium nitrite (NaNo2). Both nitrites (NO2) and nitrates (NO4) are very common in the natural environment especially in rural, agricultural areas. They can be found in fertilizers as well as in septic tanks and animal feedlots. Dimethylamine can also be found in urine and feces as well as in sewage treatment plants and the leather, rubber and pesticide production industries. One can certainly see how Elmira and Uniroyal Chemical (rubber additives, pesticde prod'n) ticked all the boxes when our authorities were looking for the source of NDMA in Elmira's drinking water in 1989. ............................................................................................................ There are other factors involved in NDMA production. An acidic environment is one of them. Production wastewaters filled with various acids such as both 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T (2,4 dichlorophenoxyaceticACID and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyaceticACID) are an example. .................................................................................................. Soil moisture is yet another factor. Drier soils will produce more NDMA than wetter soils as one would find say on both sides of the Canagagigue Creek where Uniroyal Chemical was located. ...................................................................................................... A high carbon source in soils increases the production of NDMA as long as the two precursers are available (i.e. dimethylamine and nitrite). I suspect one high carbon source would be sugars perhaps such as automotive antifreeze. Any chance that pig feedlots would feed stale doughnuts or pastries to pigs? ...................................................................................................................... So besides Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira were there any other local industries that ticked all the boxes? The answer I believe is yes and that would be Varnicolor Chemical, just down the road (Union St.). They handled and used dimethylamine, antifreeze, acids (H2SO4), and had drier soils as they were at a higher elevation on Union St. than Uniroyal. They also were located on the site of a former pig farm plus they had a septic tank in their backyard that while formerly enriching the soils with nitrites (same as the pig farm) also discharged both sulphuric acid after a spill from a tankertruck inside the building connected to the septic tank and a buried road tanker and discharged dimethylamine that was used in a can coating process. Lastly this same underground discharge from inside their building on Union St. also discharged antifreeze (carbon source). ......................................................................................................... Perhaps if our authorities (MOE/MECP, Region & Township) had honestly provided this information in 1989 to 1991 then I might have at least a little confidence in their excluding Varnicolor Chemical from consideration of even contributing to the NDMA in our Elmira Aquifers. Keep in mind that the very same municipal aquifer that runs below Uniroyal Chemical also runs below Varnicolor Chemical. Keep in mind that the Ministry of Environment reneged on their promise to investigate and examine the "...full aereal and vertical extent of contamination on the Varnicolor site.". They waited for twenty-five years to release anything about the deeper subsurface contamination on the site. They also lied like dogs and were caught so doing multiple times by citizens in those early days (1989-1992). ................................................................................................................... Citizens have learned the hard way. Our authorities lie to us routinely. You can call it a coverup, a conspiracy or whatever you want. I look at it this way: Once I've caught you lying to me more than once, than your word is meaningless and you deserve both my contempt and my disbelief of whatever other misinformation you are trying to sell. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice and shame on me.

STILL MORE EVIDENCE OF UNIROYAL TOXINS TRAVELLING TO THE STROH PROPERTY

This time the evidence comes from the following report: "Elmira-St. Jacobs Water Supply Project Volume II- Elmira Aquifer System: Contaminant Plume Mapping And Source Investigation" prepared by CH2M HILL Engineering Ltd., Waterloo, Ontario, February 1991, on behalf of the Region of Waterloo. While I haven't completed my review as yet a few choice items have however leaped out at me. These speak to more than just the east side (Stroh property). ....................................................................................................................... On page iii (right at the start) we are advised that CH2M HILL assumes presumably based upon timing and production records that NDMA actually entered the municipal aquifer (MU) in the 1950s. Now this would also be due to the nature of the semi-impermeable aquitard being missing below one or two of the west side lagoons on the Uniroyal property hence allowing quick migration from the shallow aquifer directly into the MU. Between private wells in those days still in Elmira, as well as the municipal drinking water system from the nearby north wellfield drawing Uniroyal contaminated groundwater towards itself, I believe that it is highly likely that Elmira citizens were drinking NDMA contaminated water from likely as early as 1960 and maybe as late as 1970 until and after the Elmira water Crisis of November 1989. .............................................................................................. Indeed on page 1 we are advised that after the south wellfield (started in 1970) was shut down (wells E7 & E9) and well E2 shut down as well in the north wellfield that a contaminated with NDMA well (E8) was still in operation however allegedly it was diluted by the other north wellfield wells namely E5, E5A, and E6. I wonder if the tap water was below the current standard of 9 parts per trillion or the then interim standard of 14 ppt or perhaps neither. ....................................................................................................................... Two Figures in this report show heavy phenol contamination from the Uniroyal east side pits (north & south) had crossed over onto the Stroh farm property. The two Figures are 7.7 and 7.8 and they show significant contamination in the Municipal Aquifer (100 parts per billion) and incredibly high concentraions in the shallow aquifer right on the property line between 25,000 and 119,000 parts per billion (ppb). ........................................................................................................ Have no fear, Uniroyal/Lanxess apologists, fellow travellors, politicians and assorted others with axes to grind will continue to deny, deny, deny, and deny.

MORE INFO FROM THE "ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT * PHASE I " (Aug. 91) RE: STROH DRAIN, DITCH & BERM (SDDB) AREA EAST OF IT

First off on a barely semi-related note: This report above has a number of references to local landfills and Uniroyal Chemical and other industries contributing to them. This includes (pg. 33) part of the M2 landfill now on the Lanxess property being reburied in the First St. Landfill immediately downstream of Lanxess and right on the Canagagigue Creek. Pg. 26 & 33 also reference DPA (diphenylamine) tars being buried in M2. Plus more. .................................................................................................................. Page 37 references "vegetative stress" both along the Canagagigue Creek as well as to the east of RPE-1. Well to the east means the Stroh farm and this "vegetative stress" was visible for decades in planted crops next door as well as being proven a few short years back when the soil was (barely) tested i.e. 15 cm or 5.9 inches deep. .............................................................................................. Page 16 has a reference to "...recontouring the area in 1989." This area referenced was the extreme eastern side of the Uniroyal/Lanxess site right beside the Stroh farm. Despite this "recontouring" there were lots of high detections of DDT, dioxins/furans there and even some PCBs in a test pit. ............................................................................................................... There are further references to overflow from the east side pits being collected in open ditches and drained towards the gravel pit on page 39. The next page (40) suggests that many of the used drums deposited in RPE-4 & 5 ruptured at the time of disposal. An estimate of 3,400 drums were in these two pits with the majority in the southern pit RPE-5 which of course is closest to the SDDB (Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm). These two pits (RPE-4 & 5) were not excavated until the fall of 1993. .............................................................................................. There is no honest way around the huge probability of a sink of DDT, dioxins/furans and possibly PCBs and more in the lower lying area to the immediate east of the SDDB. Dishonest people with a financial conflict of interest will however maintain otherwise and their fellow travellors (politicians etc.) will support them.

VOLUMES OF OVERFLOWING WASTEWATERS FROM EAST SIDE PITS CONFIRMED BY MOE, CRA, GRCA

My review of the overland flow of wastewaters from the east side pits (RPE 1-5) continues. Two reports I am examing are "A History of Uniroyal Waste Management At Elmira" and the Environmental Audit. Phase I Report, August 1991. The first report was authored in 1985 by Wayne Jackman and Al Ralston of the Ministry of Environment (MOE) along with Tony Smith of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). The second (Environmental Audit) was produced by Conestoga Rovers & Associates on behalf of Uniroyal Chemical and as mandated by the Ontario MOE. .......................................................................................... Quoting from page 11 of the first report "There was in all likelehood surface drainage to the stream from the east side waste ponds as well as groundwater seepage to the stream from both east and west ponds." This quote is very important as it indicates the volumes of overflowing wastewaters leaving the east side ponds several hundred metres away from the Canagagigue Creek. Lesser volumes would have totally soaked into the ground over that significant distance and not gravity flowed both onto the Stroh and Martin farms as well as into the creek. .................................................................................................. The Environmental Audit delivers some fascinating information on pages 43 to 44 namely: "Seepage and overflow from the pits RPE1 to RPE5 was directed by drainage ditches into gravel pits located in the southeast portion of the Site. This practice began in the early 1940s until approximately 1970, when the east side ponds were closed and/or lined. Liquids would pond in the gravel pits and eventually seep down into the subsurface soils. Liquid waste water was continually standing in the gravel pits until the east side pits were closed. When seepage from these pits subsided in the early 1970s, the gravel pits dried up. The area of the standing water in GP-1 and GP-2 was approximately .23 and .36 hectares, respectively." Wow! Conestoga Rovers (CRA) are claiming that the volumes of wastewaters overflowing from the east side pits were so significant that wastewater "...was continually standing in the gravel pits...". That is an astounding statement in that it applies to any lower ground surface elevation areas along the paths of these overflowing wastewaters such as the area to the immediate east of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). Also of great interest is the part of the quote which stated "Liquids would pond in the gravel pits and eventually seep down into the subsurface soils." Of course they would whether in GP-1 and GP-2 or wherever else they had ponded such as the low elevation area, basically a very large bowl, (345 -345.5 metres above sea level) to the immediate east of the SDDB. ..................................................................................................................... Stories have changed somewhat over the decades not based upon better evidence or scientific understanding but based upon the self-serving wishes of the polluter and the MOE not to have to spend more money on much needed cleanup.

LUISA D'AMATO TAKES QUITE A ROUND OUT OF OUR POLICE BOARD

First off kudos to Ms. D'Amato. The "civilian" police board has been fundamentally a sacred cow forever and it never should have been. Instead of three regional councillors, as well as regional council appointed citizen members and a provincially appointed citizen member all sitting on their duffs collecting their per diem and socializing, this Board has been needed to improve our local police force. It has failed miserably. ............................................................................................................. The title of Luisa D'Amato's Opinion piece is "Police Board members can't be silent about racism" and was published on September 11, 2020. I know what Ms. D'Amato means however literally she is incorrect. The police board can and is silent about racism. They have been silent about "carding". They have been silent about misconduct and harassment of female members of the force. They have been silent about police shootings and killings in Waterloo Region. Being silent, keeping their heads down and not rocking the police boat is what they do best. .................................................................................................... Ms. D'Amato singles out the following Board members namely Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz, Ian McLean, Karin Schnarr and Tony Giovinazzo for asking questions regarding spending by the police but nothing about racism, racist behaviour and or any difficult or awkward questions that oops might be construed as being provocative, embarassing or critical of the police. As Ms. D'Amato states "The silence is deafening. And heartbreaking." She later adds "Systemic racism in police services is inextricably woven into systemic racism in society." "In this task, polite silence is not our friend." .................................................................................................................. Full disclosure: I have in the past applied to be a civilian appointee to this Board. Apparently outspoken, hard working and opinionated people need not apply. No surprise at all.

OLD DOCUMENTS TELL THE TALE - OF COURSE THEY ARE UNDER THE CONTROL OF ALL THE GUILTY PARTIES

Many I have not seen and many I will never see until or unless there is a public inquiry regarding the failures of our municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments in regards to the 1989 Elmira Water Crisis. A crisis totally forseeable and totally mishandled and mismanaged at least from a public interest standpoint. The shame of it all is that the lessons learned regarding (in)effective environmental cleanup will continue to be ignored as our authorities one refuse to admit that their "supervision" of large, corporate polluters is so superficial and two that these government regulatory bodies end up on the liability hook exactly because of their ineffective and incompetent supwevision. Hence why would any level of government ever agree to any kind of public inquiry unless it was not independent and was safely under government control. ....................................................................................................... Most of the old documents I have seen paint a picture of a heartless corporation (Uniroyal) more concerned with appearances (just in case) than with responsible waste management. At the same time, those reports authored by our regulatory bodies are careful not to condemn. In fact sometimes they go out of their way to assist the polluters with comments about "historical" waste practices and how these methods may seem crude by today's standards but they were the standard industrial practice of the time. Sure they were because our politicians and other assorted self-serving hypocrites passed environmental laws that were intentionally either full of holes or totally unenforceable. By the late 1800s in Europe (especially Germany, France, Switzerland) the effects of poor chemical waste disposal were known whether it was dumping on land causing aquifer contamination or dumping in rivers (Rhine, Rhone). The very same chemical discoveries allowing commercialization of products derived from chemicals production also allowed for waste treatment of the wastes produced if the manufacturers felt so inclined. After a few lawsuits and government rumbling European chemical producers either saw fit or they expanded to, at the time, "third world" countries like Canada and the United States with fewer (i.e. zero) waste disposal restrictions. ........................................................................................................ The old documents I am referring to discuss the "state of the art" waste disposal practiced in Elmira, Ontario at the time. Whether Uniroyal, Varnicolor, Nutrite or others it progressed from direct dumping into creeks, storm and sanitary sewers to "storing" wastes on-site in ponds, pits and lagoons. As Dr. Gail Krantzberg advised CPAC in 2012, everything dumped into holes in the ground eventually leaks out and migrates by any of several physical processes. These documents also indicate that Uniroyal Chemical's solid and liquid wastes have flowed off-site but not just west and southwards but also eastwards. This would include both the Stroh and Martin farms not to mention the Stroh Drain and back into the Canagagigue Creek. It is odd but to date, of the reports I've read, all the parties in the know, even with reports after the 1983 construction of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) somehow managed to avoid speaking of it. That is weird unless of course they were in on the conspiracy.

TAG/LANXESS PRIVATE DEAL JUST GOT MORE SKETCHY

I told Susan Bryant decades ago that when you lie down with dogs you get fleas. In other words making deals with truth challenged, smoke blowing obfuscators is always a bad idea that rarely ends well. Or as an accountant friend of mine likes to say "Verbal deals aren't worth the paper they aren't written on." It's been my experience that even written deals mean nothing to people who have far more money than either integrity or honour. .................................................................................................................. The TAG Chair made a private deal with Lanxess accepting that overland flow of toxic waste waters onto the Stroh property was unlikely between 1942 and 1970. This occurred of course after I had submitted a written Delegation to TAG last February which included maps and text. The maps and information was referenced and included data from Conestoga Rovers, MOE and GRCA. Part of the purpose of my Delegation was to remove the option of plausible deniability from the TAG Chair in that she or Lanxess, MOE/MECP could not at a later date state that gosh they had never had the opportunity to closely examine the agreed upon, by all parties, ground surface contour lines which show exactly where liquids gravity flowed from the east side waste pits (RPE 1-5) onto the entire east side length of the Stroh farm. Lanxess and the MOE/MECP have agreed that there was some overflow onto the north two thirds of the Stroh property only. TAg has kindly confirmed this information in their July 30, 2020 Minutes (pg. 7) of that public TAG meeting. ........................................................................................................ Now it appears that Lanxess have undermined their own and TAG's position and private deal. Somebody once said that when you tell the truth you don't have to keep checking your past words so that your current words don't conflict with them. If you've spoken honestly and honourably in the past and continue to do so you will avoid tripping yourself up by undermining your own past sketchy statements. Yesterday here in the Advocate I mentioned the latest report released on behalf of Lanxess Canada by their consultants GHD. Well lo and behold on page 3 of their report titled "2020 Canagagigue Creek Sediment and Soil Investigation Work Plan", GHD have firmly put their and Lanxess's (& TAG's) feet into their mouths. GHD have referenced the Stroh Drain by referring to it as they usually do as the "Drain at 6770 Line #86". The Stroh farm fronts onto Highway #86 on Church St. in Elmira on the immediate east side of the Lanxess (Uniroyal) property. This highway runs directly between Elmira and Guelph, Ontario. Quoting from this very recently released report "Sample points are located in locations to determine soil and sediment quality within the drain, whose drainage area comprised a portion of the east side of the Lanxess site." ...................................................................................................................... "...Whose Drainage Area Comprised A Portion Of The East Side Of The Lanxess Site." WELL! Gosh that only took six years for the company, whether Chemtura or Lanxess to admit the obvious. Back in 2014 CPAC and I (SWAT sub-committee) presented maps, photos and data to Chemtura Canada regarding the Stroh Drain. They all pretended to be surprised including the Ontario Ministry of Environment that there was a man made drain running parallel to the Chemtura property line for approximately 125-150 metres and which was barely ten metres from that property line. Again all the ground surface contour lines made it obvious where surface waters ran plus the Drain was deep enough to be intercepting and redirecting shallow groundwater as well. ............................................................................................................. Six years to admit the obvious and to do so metaphorically speaking all of five minutes after denying it. This is partly why the "cleanup" is past thirty years and counting when the companies are allowed to behave like five year old children covered in peanut butter denying that they opened the jar. They are not worthy of either respect or polite conversation from citizens and stakeholders. Shame on our governments for pretending otherwise.

WOW ARE LANXESS EVER TRYING TO SELL THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL B/S

I received a copy today of the "2020 Canagagigue Creek Sediment and Soil Investigation Work Plan" produced by GHD, consultants to Lanxess Canada. It is best described as a crock of crap backed by a whole bunch of consolidated conveyers of coordinated crap. Now do not misunderstand here. While the final product would quite capably float to the top of the concrete pools in a sewage treatment plant, that does not necessarily mean that all the conveyers/purveyers of this crap are necessarily corrupt, dishonest or intentionally misleading the public. Just some of them. Large scale polluters, Varnicolor Chemical in Elmira for example, knew the importance of having credentialed, qualified staff in order to sell their bullsh.. . They had Masters students (chemistry) as well as a PHd. on staff. Now of course the PHd. (Dr. Bert Nalliah) was an honest man and he eventually had enough and went public with his concerns. The owner of Varnicolor, with my assistance as well, spent some quality time in jail. Some say not nearly enough considering the environmental damage that he caused in and around Elmira, Ontario. .............................................................................................. Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess have caused more damage than Varnicolor Chemical yet none of them have as yet seen the insdide of a jail cell. That is unfortunate in that it sends a signal that multi national, multi billion dollar companies are essentially exempt from the environmental rules that govern the rest of us. Money talks and unfortunately our politicians all have big ears. .......................................................................................................... I will of course read the entire report especially as the actual report is so tiny compared to the alleged 42 pages that were sent. Approximately 12 to 14 pages covers the text and two Figures presented. The rest appears to be all the Curriculum Vitae (resumes) of various staff who have assisted on the Work Plan. I wonder how many of them have actually read the finished product. I also can advise that most of them have not attended any UPAC, CPAC, RAC or TAG meetings over the decades. Hence they are advising/commenting only on what is set immediately before them by the guilty parties, not on the reality of the entire situation nor with any direct knowledge or experience of concerns expressed by the public. ...................................................................................................................... Seriously, two thirds of the report are "experts" Curriculum Vitae. Talk about marketing stinky horse manure as roses.

MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE K-W RECORD CALLED FOR ACTION WE ARE STILL WAITING

The Waterloo Region Record published their own Editorial on May 8, 2012 titled "Make Elmira's water safe again". They indicated that two respected scientists and an engineer have indicated that the 2028 mandated cleanup deadline will not happen. These include bot CPAC members as well as Dr. Gail Krantzberg of McMaster University. The Record Editorial also states that Woolwich Township have lost faith in the 1991 (sweetheart) deal between Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) and the Township have broken ranks with both the company and the MOE. In hindsight the Township council were led by the disgraced former mayor Todd Cowan however time has proven their environmental stance to be accurate. .............................................................................................................. Now in 2020 it is admitted by all parties including the guilty ones that a complete cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers by 2028 to below drinking water standards will not occur. Currently Lanxess and the MOE are doing what they do best which is to blow smoke, misdirect and stretch the truth. They are opening a discussion to determine if other alternatives to a proper and complete remediation of the Elmira Aquifers would be acceptable. Keep in mind this is after three decades of resisting more aggressive, costly and effective remediation methods suggested by informed citizen stakeholders. Yes these include Source Removal both on and off the Uniroyal/Lanxess property. They are still being resisted and refused to this day and instead more than thirty years after destroying our local water supply the company (Lanxess) are offerring us excuses while trying to determine how flexible ( & uninformed) younger generations in Elmira will be to their blandishments. ................................................................................................. Funny how when public anger was at its peak in 1990 to 1995, neither Uniroyal Chemical nor their ostensible and alleged regulator (MOE/MECP) were saying anything other than a complete cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers as well as the Canagagigue Creek would be unacceptable to them. They lied then and they are lying now.

MORE TIDBITS ON LAST THURSDAY'S TAG MEETING

Another new member has graced the TAG committee likely as a direct result of the resignation of Joe Kelly. To date three TAG members have resigned including Bill Barr, Pat McLean and Joe. .............................................................................................. Susan Bryant yet again introduced herself as a "founding" member of APTE. Bullshit alert! The three founding members were Susan Rupert, Sandra Bray and Esther Thur. ................................................................................................. Tiffany (TAG Chair) suggested that the recent Documentary "Toxic Time Bomb" was not a reflection of how things are right now. I beg to differ. That is exactly what it is and exactly why all the speakers said what they said. ................................................................................................. Susan stated that once contaminants get into the ground and groundwater they are the devil to get out. That is accurate although I would suggest that a more aggressive and expensive attack would have led to significantly better and faster results than hydraulic containment (pump & treat) on its own. ........................................................................................................................ The Ministry of Environment (MOE/MECP) appropriately still have concerns about the "shovel" method of sampling used in the Canagagigue Creek to sample sediments. Well bloddy good for the MECP. That sampling took place three years ago. Get off your butts and order new sampling YESTERDAY! ...................................................................................................................... Also sediment depositional zones were not fully sampled in the 2017 creek sampling. Well of course they weren't. I've been writing here for many years about the "locational bias" of sampling in the creek. Chemtura/Lanxess and the MOE/MECP found some nice handy, accessible to roads and equipment areas that were convenient to sample and they stuck with them. Depositional areas however can be off the beaten path. It might cost more to have to hike in and out carrying equipment and Chemtura/Lanxess want none of that. ................................................................................................. There was "capping" of soils in the North-West part of the on-site creek however geotextile covering (or any other covering) lessens soil erosion but does nothing to stop contaminated groundwater flow into the creek. ............................................................................................... Well now I've heard two stories. The one is that sediments will be sampled in the bottom of the Styroh Drain (SDDB) and the other is that water from the Stroh Drain (SDDB) will be tested where it discharges into the Canagagigue Creek. Either or both are grossly inadequate and simply going through the motions rather than determining if there is a "sink" of dioxins/furans, DDT and more present on the Stroh property in and around the SDDB. ............................................................................................................. Further potential "hotspots" allegedly will be looked for along the creek. Sure they will. The locational bias as described earlier also succeeds in greatly reducing the extent and cost of remediation. That's the whole idea. Why would Lanxess ever honestly look for more cleanup to do? ................................................................................................................ Dustin Martin continues to impress. He has concerns regarding some chemicals that have not been retained to date as being Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPC). Dustin is looking for a better rationale for removing chemicals than just a case of "trust them". New member Wilson also wants greater criteria for removing COPC from the active list. ........................................................................................... Susaqn Bryant asked for clarification regarding suspended sediments. She indicated that Dr. Richard Jackson was greatly concerned with suspended sediments and the failures to measure them and consider them.Tiffany attempted to explain when and why suspended sediments were removed from certain samples but I did not find her explanation particularly helpful. ............................................................................................... There has been a suggestion to end DNAPL monitoring. The DNAPL scam first flowered in the early 90s and with APT's help suceeded in taking the necessity of DNAPL remediation off the table for many years. The coverup has continued generally with APT's assistance although there have been rough spots when facts and scientific evidence disturbed the status quo. ................................................................................................ Raw sewage leaked on July 30 and 31 into Shirt Factory Creek causing odours and dead fish. The leak could also be seen around Misa 0800 and its discharge into the creek on the Lanxess site.

REINVENTING THE WHEEL, OVER AND OVER AGAIN

For most of last night's TAG meeting it was looking very bad. Agenda Item "3.1.1 Alan Marshall - Aug 8 and Aug 11" at the start of the meeting consisted of perhaps 30 to 40 seconds of The TAG Chair, Tiffany, suggesting that my input was listened to and given consideration. Whoopdedo combined with horsefeathers. She made absolutely no attempt to defend her and TAG's, month's ago, private decision to totally reject my written Delegation showing exactly where the "sink" of DDT, dioxins/furans etc. is located on the Stroh property. She did not apologize for this private decision regarding my Delegation being made without so advising me afterwards in a timely manner. She did not apologize for the utter lack of reason, logic, or evidence being given for that decision. She did not apologize for the complete process failure in making the decision first privately with Lanxess (Ramin Ansari) and secondly privately with TAG. There was absolutely zero public discusiion or debate of my formal written Delegation. ........................................................................................................... THAT IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING & CONTEMPTIBLE PUBLIC PROCESS done in order to appease Lanxess Canada and their partners in pollution, the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MECP). It was also done in order to hide improper and possibly illegal private dealings between a citizens' committee and the polluter they are supposedly monitoring and advising. .......................................................................................... Speaking somewhat on Tiffany's behalf I will add that alleged mayor Sandy Shantz was present at the virtual meeting and keeping a close eye on me, Sebastian and Tiffany. She likely has been advised of the "crisis" or "revolt" unfolding on TAG and was there to keep controllable individuals in line. ........................................................................................................................ As last night's virtual meeting was public (sort of-citizens had to pre-register to "attend"), the cat was let out of the bag at the very end of the meeting. Sebastian stepped up and politely (as always) asked when his "appeal" to his TAG colleagues would be discussed. Keep in mind he had been earlier advised that it might be slipped in during discussions around the Conceptual Site Model (CSM) or Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPC), Agenda Items 4.1 and 4.2. It didn't happen so he spoke up at the very end of the meeting with his request. ........................................................................................................... It is at this point that I have to reconsider my semi harsh comments in yesterday's post that TAG members "...are in a crisis of their own making". Technically my comment is correct but practically the real issue is expressed in the title above. Older experienced members have been nastily and dishonestly thrown out by Sandy Shantz. Some have voluntarily fallen by the way. Todd Cowan dumped some appropriately (Susan & Pat) but also got rid of some good ones like Gerry Heideburt, Ken Driedger and possibly Ron Ormson. Since TAG started five years ago, even half of their membership has resigned namely Bill Barr, Joe Kelly and (thank God) Pat McLean. It is a never ending case of trying to educate new citizen members as to what went before, what facts are accepted by all and which are in dispute. This is all to the supreme liking of Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess. Also it is to the liking of the MOE/MECP. They took an incredible shellacking at the hands of Dr. Richard Jackson who had little patience with professional game players. ................................................................................................................... Sebastian has twice in writing advised his TAG colleagues that he will not agree to by-passing of SOIL and water sampling of the rest of the Stroh property (i.e. southern third) which includes the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) as well as the soils and sediments all around it. Dustin Martin, a newer TAG member, stepped up and advised that he would like to read any reports dealing with the east side, presumably the east side of Lanxess as well as the Stroh property. Hence he could make a more informed decision on the matter. Kudos to Dustin. Hopefully other TAG members will also step up and do the same. That said look at it from my standpoint. It was six years ago that I had Ron Campbell and Graham Chevreau in my home showing them all the reports and data about the east side overflowing onto the Stroh property. They took that back to CPAC who followed up appropriately. Where are Ron and Graham today? They are still working hard to improve environmental matters while never forgetting the stupid, biased, self-serving, pro Chemtura decision made by Woolwich Council to disband the best CPAC there had ever been. Thank you Sandy and Mark. ................................................................................................ What sense of urgency did Tiffany and TAG put on Sebastian's "appeal"? They won't be discussing it at the October 22nd TAG meeting. No, the December 10th meeting will do nicely. Another three months away. Remember that my Delegation went to TAG last February. Remember that this entire Stroh property contamination came up in 2014 and is the primary reason that Chemtura and the MOE/MECP conspired with Sandy and Mark to dump that CPAC. This folks is a microcosm of why thirty-one years after our wells went down that to date the Uniroyal/Lanxess site remains disgustingly contaminated, our wells are still polluted and the Canagagigue Creek remains unremediated of Persistent Organic Pollutants (PCBs, mercury, DDT, dioxins/furans).

TAG ARE IN A CRISIS OF THEIR OWN MAKING

Of course as I've often spelled out clearly to Lisa (Support person) and Tiffany (Chair), neither of them are responsible for the behaviour of former councillor Mark Bauman or mayor Sandy Shantz. Yes Lisa was present at the contemptible, by invitation only, April 9, 2015 meeting held in the Woolwich Administration building. This was where the proven guilty parties (Chemtura, CRA, MOE) got together with their fellow travellors (GRCA, Susan B., Pat M., RMOW) to throw stones at the absent CPAC members (who were refused attendance at the meeting). CPAC were appointed by the previous Woolwich Council members yet other than Dr. Dan Holt (chair) they were denied attendance by at that time the illegal mayor. Illegal due to her failures to follow the Municipal Elections Act and her subsequent removal from office. These stones included personal false allegations relating to character and credibility. Pretty funny (not) that the filth present would so characterize their opponents. Also pretty funny (not) that Susan and Pat were in their throwing this filth as well. Lie down with fleas Susan and you'll catch them yourself. ................................................................................................... So what is the crisis? Is it simply my pointing out the obvious that TAG have made an awful decision but worse yet they have to date refused to stand by their decision. By that I mean they have refused to defend it. Surely there must be some logical, technical evidence based reason why they would deny overland flow both to the east side of the Stroh Drain (SDDB) hence further onto the Stroh property AS WELL AS they appear to be denying that the very same DDT and dioxins/furans that ended up in GP-1 and GP-2 had to have flowed across the low lying formerly swampy area west of the SDDB on Lanxess property and immediately north of GP-1 (gravel pit 1). Think carefully about that. The overflowing waste pits (RPE 1-5) are approximately 100 to 400 metres north of GP-1 and GP-2 and the former swampy area is located directly between the waste pits and the gravel pits (GP-1, GP-2). This low lying swampy area used to have standing water in it until it and the neighbouring Stroh farm were drained by the 1983 construction of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). ..................................................................................................... I gave my written Delegation (maps & text) to TAG in February 2020. No questions and no comments and no feedback written or verbal, until early July in the Woolwich Observer when I read a comment from Susan Bryant that TAG have decided to test the Stroh Drain only. Well that was nice. Good to see the formal response to my Delegation coming from that @#$%. Then at the TAG meeting on July 30/20 TAG Chair Tiffany Svensson made the same announcement. Well, well. Two sharp e-mails later I had made my displeasure known to the TAG membership. One brief and totally inadequate but polite response came from Tiffany. .................................................................................................................... If that was it, TAG could weather the storm. But it's not. A single TAG member has stepped up and politely but FIRMLY spelled it out for their TAG colleagues. This TAG member's position is exactly what I expect from each and every honest TAG member. No they are not all honest but the majority are. Maybe there will be discussion and debate at tonight's virtual TAG meeting (6:30 pm.). Maybe not. Regardless in the title to this post above I stated that this is a crisis of TAG's own making. Most of the members were too busy, too distracted (family, career, life) or too trusting and loyal when they followed the Chair's lead and O.K.d a self-serving "deal" proposed privately by Ramin Ansari (Lanxess) not to fully sample the southern third of the Stroh property not to mention the Martin farm also. .................................................................................................. TAG are at a crossroads. They can not in my opinion maintain their credibility when they are on the wrong side of a cleanup decision and still refuse to discuss and debate that decision publicly. If those admittedly busy volunteers can dig in and unbiasedly look at the evidence available as well as at the multiple refusals of Chemtura/Lanxess to provide more evidence through honest soil sampling, then the honest majority can win the day for themselves, the environment and the residents in Elmira and downstream of the creek. There will be pushback from Sandy (Woolwich Twp.), Lanxess, GHD, MECP and more. That is to be expected as some of them will be on the financial hook as well as the credibility hook for their resistance to honest investigation. ............................................................................................................... By the way TAG. Don't you think that your investigation of the facts should include actually talking to the single person most responsible for "discovering" the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) back in 2014 and for doing the most research and investigation since? Otherwise.....???

THE "CLEANUP" MARCHES INEXORABLY ALONG TO THE BEAT OF THE POLLUTER

Here we are still discussing CSMs and COPCs (Conceptual Site Model, Contaminants of Potential Concern) along with additional minor sampling in the Canagagigue Creek and on the Stroh property in September 2020. Our authorities have known that the "Gig" was grossly contaminated since the 1950s and while the ongoing onslaught of solvents has long ago ended, the less dissolvable (hydrophobic) compounds remain. These include PCBs, DDT, other pesticides and dioxins/furans plus more. .................................................................................................... The problem is that we are working on a foundation of nonsense, psuedo science and horse manure. By allowing the polluter to control the investigation, sampling, timing, and overall agenda we the public and the environment have been manipulated beyond belief. This has all been done with the quiet (sometimes) acquiesence of our authorities, municipal, regional, provincial and even federal. ............................................................................................................ Back on October 30, 2019 I sent an e-mail document to the TAG Chair and members. It advised that multiple issues and concerns had been raised by TAG, myself and others that had yet to be fully and properly addressed. Despite that the Site Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA) process was marching inexorably along. I mentioned issues in my e-mail including inappropriately high Method Detection Limits for chemicals which was diminishing the number of formal exceedances found in creek sediments as well as the "shovel" sampling method used versus proper core sampling that had initially been raised by TAG member, Joe Kelly. Other issues included so called Background" concentrations in the creek which actually included Uniroyal Chemical compounds dumped upstream in landfills such as the Bolender Park Landfill as well as the First St. Landfill. Let's also add in here Varnicolor Chemical upstream dumping in the infamous Lot 91 which also abuts Landfill Creek in Elmira. Of course with or without mention there is the issue of other industrial contaminant sources in Elmira which has been fully ignored by the guilty parties. Most of these industrial sources all eventually end up in the creek and they have NEVER been even lightly examined or investigated. Potential, likely or known sources include Borg, Thur, Varnicolor, Sanyo, Walco, Elmira Coverall, and multiple gas stations. .................................................................................................................... Following are four posts I did in April 2018 in regards to the 2017 Canagagigue Creek Sediment and Floodplain Soil Investigation. They are dated April 12, 14, 17 and 18. The titles of the posts in order are "Are you kidding me? This is disgraceful even by their standards", "2017 Canagagigue Creek Report is even more Precious", "Deeper analysis of Canagaigue Creek Toxic Results", and "Deeper yet Analysis of Toxic Results in Canagagigue Creek". These posts specifically state exactly what is so bad, amateurish, and biased in this foundational document being used by Lanxess Canada in their SSRA of the Canagagigue Creek. These four posts are all available in the Archives section (right side) of this Blog. None of these issues have been properly addressed much less fixed. The company, their consultants and the Ontario Ministry of Environment simply stagger on ignoring serious concerns while mumbling about future fixes and corrections that do not happen. The Canagagigue and downstream users (human & wildlife) will continue to suffer at the hands of polluters and their alleged regulators while the politicians involved will continue to look the other way.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST UPDATE

Last Thursday I posted here that it would be interesting if reports on consulting services between Blumetric Engineering Inc. and either Lanxess Canada or Woolwich Township were accurate. Well I've been looking on-line and to date here is what I've found. Woolwich Township have had consulting services from a company called GM Blue Plan in regards to the bridge just off of Middlebrook Rd. (near West Montrose) that crosses the Grand River. Close but no cigar. ................................................................................................................ Blumetric do consulting work regarding landfills and gravel pits among other environmental issues. They have done such work in Wilmot Township as well as in North Dumfries Township. The company also consults on municipal wellfields and has been contracted to the Region of Waterloo for wellfields in Cambridge. There are numerous other contracts awarded to the company by the Region of Waterloo including their work on behalf of the Region in regards to Source Water Protection Plans. ................................................................................................... Sandy Shantz (mayor of Woolwich Township-sort of) is a Waterloo Region councillor and hence involved with any regional water or well studies in and around Woolwich Township. After the Dr. Richard Jackson tenure as TAG Chair (Technical Advisory Group - i.e. Uniroyal Chemical), a new Chair, likely far more amenable to either Lanxess or municipal control was required. Dr. Jackson, unfortunately for Uniroyal/Chemtura/Lanxess and the MOE/MECP was more amenable to the truth. It is reasonable to assume that Sandy went for an employee of a company already doing substantive business in Waterloo Region. Some of the contracts between the Region of Waterloo and Blumetric are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars area. Could this be construed as "scratch my back and I'll scratch yours"?

GROUP MANIPULATION - ARE THERE UNIVERSITY COURSES ON THE HOW AND WHY?

This is not a treatise against groups, committees or clubs. There are immense advantages, economic and social in joining a group of like minded individuals. It can be for a hobby such as tennis, golf, squash etc. or it can be for a social cause such as Black Lives Matter, environmental groups (Greenpeace, David Suzuki, Ecojustice etc.), Democracy Watch and on and on. Fitness clubs bring state of the art equipment within everyone's reach while requiring relatively small monthly payments. .................................................................................................... The flip side is that large groups can be easily and readily manipulated by such minded individuals. Even huge, internationally known groups such as the NRA (National Rifle Association) in the U.S. who have vast membership numbers across the States are currently alleged by a number of their members as well as by at least one state government to be corrupt. Corrupt not so much in their mandate and ideals as in the top very few individuals milking the coffers for their personal benefit. That has likely been a shock to millions while less so to higher up insiders. ............................................................................................................ Small volunteer groups are also routinely manipulated by those put in charge. What I have seen personally leads me to believe that volunteer groups can be totally corrupted from within simply because of human nature wanting to trust those that we have given some authority to. Briefly swinging to professional politicians why do you think that they are not routinely tarred and feathered, beaten and assaulted? It's because sometimes even with overwhelming evidence against them, we really want to believe that they are there for our benefit and the benefit of our friends, family and neighbours. We are too busy with jobs, family and friendships to be able to spend the time (much less the money) to absolutely and unequivocally nail every last fact down. They look us in the eyes and say "trust me". I'm the person you voted for despite what so and so says about me. It becomes almost a cult of the personality and boy has that happened in Elmira, Ontario as well. ................................................................................................ APT, UPAC, CPAC, and TAG may all be perfect examples of good people being led astray. Good people have lives outside of the environmental crisis that first was acknowledged in November 1989. I was and am proud to have met and get to know several members of APT Environment back in the very early days. I too was totally trusting of each and every APT member when they professed their shock and horror regarding the grossly damaged state of Elmira's environment. It never even crossed my mind that two or three of them were acting and good at it. However great time spent listening. learning and observing eventually pays off. Watching good members fall by the wayside as they were squeezed out of APT, either quietly or otherwise, and you see the pattern. ............................................................................................................... Two or three very strong and clever personalities within an organization can, if they are ruthless enough, between internal politicking and lobbying manipulate the less dominant personalities to their will. Within bounds of course. You can't be handed the reins of authority by a membership vote and then turn around the next day and profess an unbiding love for the local polluter. Nor can you immediately embark on self-serving purges to rid the group of any members that you view as potential rivals to your longterm dominance of the group. I think of people with these characteristics as sociopaths. The smarter they are the more corrupt they may eventually become. Corrupt as in diverging from both the public interest and hopefully the same interests that the group has. ................................................................................................................... If only what you saw is what you got. It isn't. People need to spend more time asking questions, demanding transparency and regularly holding their leaders, whether professional or volunteer, to account.

I HOPE THAT COVID-19 MEETING PROTOCOLS DO NOT BECOME THE NORM i.e. (TAG Meeting Thursday September 10/20 at 6:30 pm.)

The TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting is a zoom meeting. In other words there will not be people sitting in Woolwich Council Chambers along with a live gallery of spectators. Folks will be at home on their computers for an on-line meeting only. Anyone who wishes to be allowed into the Zoom meeting (TAG meeting) needs to contact Lisa Schaefer (lschaefer@woolich.ca) by this Tuesday in order to receive an invitation to attend, albeit remotely. Lisa will e-mail you the link to attend as well as a password, I believe. Under Covid protocols this may be necessary or not but it would be difficult to sincerely criticize an abundance of caution right now. That said I am concerned that those manipulators among us (politicians especially) will abuse the situation because it certainly affords them much more control of so called "public meetings". ................................................................................................... Under New Business (3.1.1) it seems that both my e-mails to the TAG Chair (Tiffany) and TAG members will be discussed. Also interestingly so will the Toxic Time Bomb Documentary (3.3.3.). Along with the Record newspaper article about the film I also included a very funny cartoon poking fun at guilty parties who attempt to diminish their critics by referring to them as "conspiracy theorists". ................................................................................................... It would seem to me that in order to give TAG members the full picture, that Tiffany Svensson's self-admitted "...not as a robust response as you would like..." comment in her August 10, 2020 e-mail to me might have also been included for TAG members. Possibly I'm overreacting. Possibly they already have it. I don't know. Also I would suggest that any other recent e-mails on the topic would have been relevant to include if indeed there is going to be any discussion of my two e-mails. For example this might include Tiffany's e-mail chain (if it was an e-mail versus a phone or in person conversation) back and forth with Ramin Ansari (Lanxess) and his requesting and receiving a blank cheque agreement that TAG will no longer pursue investigation of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) in exchange for a token couple (?) of sediment samples taken somewhere in the bottom of the SDDB. ................................................................................................. The devil is in the details and it is NOT up to Tiffany or any other single self-appointed individual to be negotiating or agreeing to anything regarding the cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers, the Uniroyal site or the Canagagigue Creek. That this has been going on behind the scenes for the last thirty years is exactly why I wrote my book and named names. All interested stakeholders, whether appointed by a corrupt municipal council or not, need to be at the table. Otherwise your precious "public consultation" will continue to be a sham and a facade giving credibility to professional liars. In the beginning all stakeholders were present albeit the powers to be assurred that they had lots of "friends" at that table in 1992.

TAG & LANXESS CAUGHT RED HANDED - WHAT A WAY TO RUN AN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP

It's been confirmed. Private, behind closed doors and well out of the public view, negotiations and deals continue to be how Lanxess Canada (sucessor to Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira, Ontario) conduct the monkey business required to do the very least possible to clean up the environmental messes of their predecessors. Ramin Ansari, on behalf of Lanxess Canada has massaged, manipulated, coerced or perhaps merely cajoled Tiffany Svensson, TAG Chair, into a non-transparent, unaccountable to the public and not in their best interests, agreement. This is an agreement that TAG will NOT push for soil testing in an area on the Stroh property that has been proven by formal tests, maps, ground surface contours and more to be the likely repository of Persistent Organic Pollutants such as DDT, dioxins/furans, PCBs and other pesticides and chemicals. Tiffany then using likely only partial recollection and discussion of that meeting has managed to achieve deference to her position from the TAG members. ............................................................................................ And that's why she has refused to date to advise the citizen (me), who made a detailed, specific written Delegation to TAG (Technical Advisory Group) which included maps, data and text from sources which included Conestoga Rovers & Assoc., GRCA, MOE etc., as to what possible rationale or reason for TAG to reject the conclusion of my Delegation in its' entirety. It turns out that Tiffany does not have any such rationale. There is no valid or scientific reason to reject the results of my Delegation. Oh other than, gosh privately I (Tiffany) gave a free pass to Ramin to help him and Lanxess out. WHY did she do this? ......................................................................................................................... With an alleged public consultation process that is such a sham it's really difficult to see any honest reason for these kinds of private deals being made. Obviously conflict of interest concerns are valid. Is it Woolwich Township or Lanxess directly who are paying her generous per meeting salary? Also it would be interesting if stories I've heard about her full-time employer (Blu-Metric) receiving contracts either from Woolwich Township or Lanxess and their consultants (GHD) are correct. That certainly would be an obvious breach of conflict of interest principles although Woolwich Township have had an uncanny knack for avoiding those principles in the past. ............................................................................................ Maybe there is still hope. Next Thursday's TAG meeting will include in its' package two e-mails (Aug. 8 & 11) that I sent Tiffany Svensson, TAG Chair. Unfortunately her very brief response after my first August 8/20 e-mail does not seem to be included. My August 11/20 e-mail to her is though as well. Tiffany and TAG still have a chance to make this right. Yes the disrespectful and undemocratic process of deciding to reject the content of my Delegation via private, non-public discussion with Lanxess Canada is an abomination. That's going to be hard to get past. The second issue of course is the fact that there was absolutely zero transparent and public discussion of my public Delegation to TAG. At no time was I given either the courtesy or rerspect of a reasoned response to it. Personally I doubt very much that such a reasoned or intelligent response is possible. The facts are obvious. Maybe they can come up with something but under the circumstances the evidence had better be solid because frankly their word has for me, recently become tenuous.

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES

Inconsistent and contradictory evidence appears from time to time. Of course asking Lanxess or GHD which is correct has been out of the question for the last five years. First of all neither I nor the public nor past CPAC members are permitted to ask questions. Let me clarify that. We can ask questions in an oral or written Delegation to RAC but they are highly unlikely to respond to either. Secondly we can ask in a written Delegation to TAG but has recently been proven they have also no imperative forcing them to respond. A shameless and contemptible joke of public consultation. Also Lanxess and the MECP show up only occasionally to TAG meetings while RAC sometimes meets four times a year and sometimes less with their presence. ........................................................................................................... The issue at the moment is sampling soils, sediments, ground and surface water on the Stroh property further south than they have to date (i.e. in and around the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB)). Of course this really wouldn't be an issue for either an honest Ministry of Environment (MECP) or an even half honest Lanxess Canada and their consultants GHD. The fact that it has been a battle speaks very loudly to the raw and basic corruption of the entire process. This process includes the polluting company being in charge of the entire "cleanup". They are in charge of "public consultation" and who can and who can't participate. They are in charge of hiring their own (client driven) consultants to produce the science and the evidence that they want. They have long ago taught the MECP to be very circumspect and careful lest the MECP find themselves burning through their annual budget in fruitless and repeated environmental hearings and or judicial courts. ..................................................................................................... It is a case of fighting the very same battle over and over again. You can win on one occasion only to have the polluter simply bring the same issue up yet again a year or two later as they see fit. Hence it seems that one never gets a definitive achievement because if Lanxess (or Chemtura, Crompton, Uniroyal) don't like it then it continues on literally for decades. The DNAPL coverup on the Uniroyal site is a perfect example of that as well. The company and supporters just keep on denying, denying and denying despite their own reports saying otherwise. There is and always has been a huge disconnect between much of the written reports and the company's interpretation of them. It's like Alice in Wonderland sometimes. ............................................................................................................ Maybe before today is over I will have garnered some additional strong support to attempt to keep on pushing all the guilty parties and their fellow travellors to do more and better regarding the SDDB and nearby area.

GRAND RIVER LIFE CONTINUES TO PAY THE PRICE OF OVERABUNDANCE OF HUMANITY

The article in yesterday's Waterloo Region Record titled "Will Grand River's "dead zone" revive?" written by Leah Gerber, was excellent. The "dead zone" is in specific reference to freshwater mussels, not to all life in the river. It turns out from recent firsthand eyewitness accounts that there actually was even some life in the Canagagigue Creek (Elmira) in the 1950s and 60s, contrary to my understanding for many years. That being said I already knew that that particular stretch of the Grand River, immediately below the Kitchener Sewage Treatment Plant (aka wastewater treatment plant), was in bad shape. This was due to my son's fieldwork while studying biology (Master's degree) at Wilfred Laurier University just a few years ago. I mean seriously most if not all STPs have a so called "mixing zone" immediately downstream of their outlet into whatever surface water body they discharge into. In theory the "mixing zone" does not extend the entire width of the river and in theory it does not extend for kilometres downstream. In theory. You will also find that government sampling of the STPs discharged effluent is often past the mixing zone. Who says that our authorities still don't believe that "Dilution Is The Solution To Pollution". Ha! They are just smart enough not to tell us. .................................................................................................. There is no doubt that the $250 million spent on the Kitchener STP was money well spent. There is also no doubt that as the population continues to grow, even more money will be required to keep pace with treatment of increased human waste. Of course politicians are constantly on the outlook for legacy projects to hang their hats and reputations on. Afterall how many politicians that you know want a Sewage Treatment Plant named after them? It is a constant source of amusement to me up here in the wilds of Elmira when I drive past Seiling Drive just outside of Elmira (north) knowing that the former Woolich dump is located on a road named after our long time regional chair. I think you get my point. It is far easier for local/regional politicians to spend money on ION trains than on say state of the art sewage treatment PRIOR to "dead zones" appearing in our heritage Grand River. ................................................................................................................ Besides "dead zones" for mussels there was the huge issue of feminization of fish. This was due to human birth control pills and other pharmeceuticals getting flushed down toilets. Guess what? Neither Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) nor drinking water treatment plants can remove all chemicals from the water. Just look at the Annual Water (drinking) Report issued each spring from the Region of Waterloo. There are maybe 40 to 50 common chemicals, pesticides etc. listed that have been tested. That's it, out of literally hundreds of known chemical contaminants in our air, soils and water (ground & surface water). Libraries, arts and culture expenditures, high tech mass transit and so much more are "sexy". Water treatment whether drinking water or sewage is not "sexy" and regional councillors whose only talent is getting elected are not the best arbiters of which budget items require trimming and which require expansion. Here's a currently much less controversial suggestion: Let's take $25 million each year away from the Waterloo Regional Police budget and stipulate that it goes towards increasing the water treatment budget here in Waterloo Region. I believe that would help both the health of human beings and the health of the environment.