Saturday, January 30, 2021

MORE SPECIFICS FROM SEBASTIAN'S NOVEMBER 26/20 "APPEAL TO THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE"

Keep in mind that Sebastian has more experience dealing with/working with Lanxess, Chemtura, CRA, GHD, and the MOE/MECP by far than the other TAG members. In fact keep quite clear that although there are some excellent technical people now on TAG most of them have mere months of experience encompassing perhaps all of eight or nine meetings with each other and a lot less with the guilty parties previously mentioned. Also speaking of guilty parties do not forget Woolwich Township. Sebastian has seen mayor (sort of) Sandy Shantz and what incompetence/corrupt behaviour she is capable of including manufacturing a phony crisis as an excuse to disband CPAC. ................................................................................................ pg.4 According to the Region of Waterloo's consulatnts, CH2M Hill "...Elmira's water sources had been contaminated at least a decade before the November 1989 "discovery" ". Also the Ontario Ministry of Environment knew full well that contamination had moved both eastwards and southwards from the east side pits onto the Stroh property and likely the Martin farm as well. A September 29/83 letter from Grant Mills of the MOE stated "It may be necessary to define the extent of the contaminant plumes east of the buried pits and south of the company property to remove any uncertainty regarding control of off-site impact in those areas." That statement is a SMOKING GUN ! ......................................................................................................... pg.5 The August 1987 Terraqua Report indicated that Uniroyal contamination had descended into the middle, municipal aquifer on site and that "At most wells the middle aquifer is observed to have higher concentrations of contaminants than the water table aquifer". The Terraqua Report also indicated that inorganic contaminants (Na, Cl) from Uniroyal had migrated off-site. "Contours of both Na (Sodium) and Cl (Chlorine) in the water table and middle aquifers again indicate that significant volumes of water containing elevated concentrations of Na and Cl exist beyond the eastern boundary of the Uniroyal site". This is referencing the Stroh farm yet again. This is yet another SMOKING GUN despite the lies and denials coming from Lanxess Canada.Interestingly Terraqua also indicated that containment wells would not work for a number of reasons. .............................................................................................................. pg.6 Bob Hillier an MOE hydrogeologist stated in his April 1990 report "That shallow groundwater flow is also to the east not just west and south is confirmed and will contaminate beyond the company's property. Seepage from RPE4 and RPE5 has migrated easterly in the shallow aquifer beyond the property limits.". Yet another SMOKING GUN! Finally still on page six of Sebastian's report we are advised that GHD have recognized at least part of the purpose of the Stroh Drain in their 2020 Canagagigue Creek Sediment and Soil Investigation Work Plan with " Drain at 6770 Line #86 - Sample points are located in locations to determine soil and sediment quality within drain, whose drainage area comprised a portion of the east side of the Lanxess site.". Well finally thank you GHD! Yet another SMOKING GUN as to the significance and partial purpose of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). ................................................................................................................. Still on page 6, Sebastian lists some groundwater concentrations of Uniroyal contaminants. They include phenols at 182,000 parts per billion (ppb) at well OW37-5A located south and east of RPE-5 within mere yards of the Stroh property. Chlorophenols were as high as 100,000 ppb and 2,4-D at 120,000 ppb. Also at lower concentrations were dioxins/furans, Picloram, 2,4,5-T, 2,4-Dichlorophenol etc. all within yards of the Stroh farm. The evidence and SMOKING GUNS have been available for decades although they may as well have been written in invisible ink for the INTENTIONALLY OBTUSE PROFESSIONAL LIARS in charge of this cleanup. ............................................................................................... More yet to come.

Friday, January 29, 2021

SOME SPECIFICS FROM SEBASTIAN'S NOVEMBER 26/20 "APPEAL TO THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE"

Following are just a few relevant facts in Sebastian's report indicating the probability of a "sink" of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) located on the Stroh farm to the immediate east of the Uniroyal/Lanxess Canada chemical production facility. ................................................................................................................ pg.1 the deepest soil sampling to date along the northern half of the property line between Lanxess and the Stroh farm was only 15 cm. or 5.9 INCHES deep. This is in soil that has been tilled (turned over) repeatedly in the last fifty years since overflow of RPE 1-5 ended. Despite that, concentrations of both DDT and dioxins/furans exceeded health guidelines. .................................................................................................... Ridiculousness of Lanxess personnel suggesting that a TAG site tour beside the Stroh Drain in April 2019 substituted for soil sampling in the area. I, Vivienne and Michael Heitmann also attended that site tour with TAG and frankly some attendees were shocked by how close the Stroh Drain is to the property line and for how far it runs parallel to that border. ..................................................................................................... pg.2 Above and beyond surface flowing wastewaters gravity flowing onto the Stroh farm, both north and south, there were literally thousands of buried drums of toxic chemicals locasted within mere feet or a few metres of the Stroh farm. Uniroyal Chemical buried these chemicals in various pits including RPE-4, RPE-5, BAE-1, RB-1 and RB-2 in some cases within inches of the property line. Only professional liars, intentionally obtuse persons and self-serving fellow travellors could pretend that these did not migrate eastwards onto the Stroh farm. ........................................................................................................... pg.3 All authorities including our corrupt Ontario Ministry of Environment confirmed in the 1980s that the east side pits, RPE-4 and RPE-5 were leaking into the natural environment. ..................................................................................................... pg.4 Alleged location of GP-1 by Conestoga Rovers (CRA) is put into question by Sebastian from 1983 map published by Jackman (MOE), Ralston & Smith (GRCA). That map showed it on the east side of the diagonal ridge of high ground in Lanxess's south-east corner. The implication is that GP-1, the recipient of much/all east side overflowing wastewaters was much closer to the Stroh farm then admitted to by all the guilty parties. It is likely that CRA shifted the position of GP-1 on followup maps in order to pretend (lie) that these toxic wastewaters did not flow directly onto the Stroh property. .......................................................................................................................... More to follow.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

THE DATA IS ALL THERE FOR TAG TO DEMAND MORE FROM LANXESS, CANADA

Uniroyal, Crompton, Chemura and now Lanxess Canada all have had one particular goal from the start. That goal is to overwhelm and overwork citizen volunteers while offerring up alternate, mostly false and deceptive scenarios. The longer the process has gone on, now 29 years (Jan. 92-Jan. 2021), the more reports and background literally decades away from first hand memory of citizen volunteers is in existence. Furthermore their intellectual prostitutes ...oops client driven consultants are paid professionals eager to reread old reports and carefully explain to recent citizens why those independent reports aren't as accurate or knowledgeable as ones that they've produced over the years. ............................................................................................................ TAG member, Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach has produced three excellent reports this past fall, dated September 2, September 9 and November 26, 2020. In the last two weeks I have reread his November report two more times. It is an excellent "summary" of numerous reports produced in the 1980s and very early 1990s. It clearly spells out for any and all TAG members the state of knowledge in regards to Uniroyal Chemical toxins flowing by mostly surface water overflow onto the Stroh (primarily) and Martin farms mostly from 1944 until 1970. Groundwater flow is also mentioned and indeed evidence is produced that even Lanxess admit that the Stroh Drain on the Stroh property has drained parts of the Lanxess (Uniroyal) property. .................................................................................................................... His "summary" is indeed ten pages long and frankly there will be a number of TAG members unable to follow it. Unfortunately even those of a more technical bent are so new to TAG that I believe it is likely that they too will be challenged to be able to follow along. There are just so many different named pits, ponds, specific areas, chemicals, chemical by-products etc.. Sebastian did give a presentation to TAG late last year (Nov. 26/20). Unfortunately as per my posting here the next day, TAG member Dustin Martin did no favours to either Sebastian or the public with his hit between the eyes criticism of Sebastian's presentation. .................................................................................................... I presented east side (Stroh) maps and text to TAG last February as a so called "written" delegation. This of course is part of Sandy Shantz's bull.hit public consultation process. In a court of law they would refer to that as intentionally prejudicing a witness. First the parties in charge (Township, Lanxess, MECP) advise TAG members that they and only they are worthy to actually speak directly at public meetings to TAG and all others (except of course Lanxess, GHD & MECP) are only permitted to submit written statements. What is our crime? Apparently we (CPAC & the public) have failed to ask Lanxess exactly how high they want us to jump and kiss their ass..uming that we are somehow unworthy of speaking directly to TAG members. It's O.K. for professional liars to verbally (& written) mislead TAG but heaven forbid any proven knowledgeable local citizens be allowed to address them directly. WHAT A FARCE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT and CONSULTATION.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

LANXESS/GHD/MECP FAILURES TO RESPOND

What a pathetic joke TAG (& RAC) are compared to even UPAC and CPAC in their early days. Then of course there were nearly four years of CPAC from May 2011 until January 2015 when the three guilty parties above attempted to spin and put a good face on their pathetic attempts at cleanup and were dismayed and stunned by CPAC's outright rejection of their neverending bull.hit. Chemtura, CRA and the Ontario MOE/MECP at least showed up regularly to answer some questions honestly, albeit most dishonestly. Now since September 2015, those parties don't even regularly show up at all to TAG unless there is a special request or event. Then of course they are as arrogant, self-entitled and dogmatic as ever and TAG do not appropriately publicly spank therm. ............................................................................................................. As much as possible, Lanxess have ignored and talked over any and all environmental concerns that TAG have expressed regarding the Stroh property. Essentially Lanxess do not debate nor do they even discuss contrary opinions or facts. They are in charge and all our authorities bow down to them and their sickening pretense of science, facts and reasonableness. They determine agendas, meeting dates, timing, scoping of issues, cleanup expenses, whom are invited to sit on TAG, MOE/MECP timing of new Control Orders, even I suspect some of the MOE/MECP issues and concerns are run by Lanxess prior to being put in writing and issued to TAG members. In a legal setting it compares to an alleged mass murderer being entirely in charge of his own defence, prosecution, choice of judges, timing of trial dates and even which members of either the media or the public are allowed to attend. It's one hell of a system that our politicians have handed to polluters both in Ontario and likely in Canada. The politicians literally have sold their souls and betrayed their own citizens all for the unholy dollar.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

SHAMEFUL PROGRESS REPORT (NOV. 2020) YET AGAIN

There is one TAG member (Linda) entrusted with reporting on the Lanxess monthly Progress Reports. She has been diligent and perceptive but her efforts are stymied by a lack of followup questions from TAG members and a complete failure by Lanxess, consultants GHD or even the Ontario Ministry of Environment to explain or clarify issues that she has presented for a long while. These issues generally focus on the amount of off-site pumping (& treating) of the Elmira Aquifers. There is also no overall view of the off-site pumping that has been done since the summer of 1998 which would allow comparisons with today's generally pathetic pumping rates. ................................................................................................... The total off-site pumping for November 2020 averaged an incredibly small 38 litres per second. Compare this to the 53 litres per second way back in 2012 when CPAC and Woolwich Council formally advised both the Ministry (MOE/MECP) and the public that the cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers would not be complete by the mandated 2028 deadline. In response, months later, Chemtura and consultants (CRA) promised to TRIPLE the off-site pumping plus do some off-site source removal via In Situ Chemical Oxidation. None of that has occurred and each and every TAG meeting those bastar.. should be roasted alive for that. They aren't because 1) all but two members know nothing about it 2) one who does has been co-opted for decades. 3) the one who isn't co-opted is focused on the east side (Stroh & Martin) contamination. Thirty plus years of professional deceit, deception, manipulation and lying. Well done work by world class corporate polluters.

Monday, January 25, 2021

ELMIRA ALSO TO RECEIVE NEW WASTE WATER (SEWAGE) TREATMENT

Today's Waterloo Region Record has a front page article describing new technology, methane aerated biofilm reactors (MABR), that are being installed currently at the Hespeler wastewater (sewage) treatment plant. This new technology will be much more efficient and cost effective than the old technolgy which required large amounts of electricity to run blowers producing oxygen through air bubbles. This improved technology will deliver the oxygen passively through strings of biofilm. While I am all in favour of improved technology to either lower treatment costs or to increase treatment efficiency, I believe that Waterloo Region have been well behind the curve in properly and fully treating wastewater prior to its discharge to local creeks and rivers. A prime example has been the decades of reduced river health and aquatic organisms health downstream of the Kitchener wastewater treatment plant near Doon. ........................................................................................................ We are advised in today's article by Catherine Thompson titled "Coming soon: A less wsteful way to treat wastewater", that this new technology will also be arriving at the Elmira wastewater treatment plant. That too is long overdue based upon occasional "spills" or overflows of partially treated sewage entering the already and forever stressed Canagagigue Creek.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

POLITICAL DONATIONS HELP WANNABEE LAWYERS BECOME JUDGES

Well that certainly explains some particularly bad choices as local judges. Let me guess: is/was Robert Reilly a Conservative? If so that might explain his bias and or incompetence. Did Conservative Ken Seiling back in the day when he was Regional Chair, whisper in Robert's ear? Were there any other local Conservatives whether municipal, regional or provincial who dabbled in local trials of activists or other political undesireables? Oh heck why just focus on Conservatives despite their current federal embarassing ties to sexists, homophobes and racists (eg. Mr. Sloan). Could the local Liberal establishment be involved in whispering in local judges ears about particular cases before them? ................................................................................................... Last November 23. 2020 the Waterloo Region Record published a very important Editorial titled "Take politics out of judicial appointments". I've known for some time that the worst of us ethically (politicians) are the ones who appoint lawyers to become judges. I was appalled when I first learned. Appalled and disgusted. Provincial governing parties appoint provincial judges and federal governing parties appoint federal judges. What a horrible opportunity for honest citizens to end up facing unqualified, incompetent, biased judging. Is it any wonder with all the other problems within the justice (Just Us) system that so many wrongful convictions have taken place over so many decades? ................................................................................................ This Record Editorial indicates that the problem is even worse however. Not only do the governing parties want to know if a judicial candidate is a member of their party but they also want to know prior to their decision whether or not to appoint them to a judgeship, whether they've donated to the party and how much. Have they actively been involved in party politics such as election campaigns or leadership races. As the Record states, this information allows the politicians doing the appointing to know, in this case, "...exactly how Liberal friendly a candidate is." Are judgeship appointments at the federal level simply Liberal politicians quietly rewarding Liberal friends? ............................................................................................... Democracy Watch, a private citizens' group, have filed a challenge of the appointment process in the Federal Court, alleging that the appointment process is undermining the independence of the judicial system. I wonder how many of the judges adjudicating the case are past Liberal (or Conservative) appointees. Has Canada become a third world country in terms of our justice system? Or is the question better asked along the lines of exactly how far has the Canadian justice system been intentionally devalued and broken down from the values of fairness, honesty and truth?

Friday, January 22, 2021

EXPOSING POLITICAL HYPOCRISY IS JUST SO MUCH FUN

1) The Proud Boys are now calling Donald Trump weak and ineffectual. .................................................................................................. 2) The Conservative Party of Canada just booted Derek Sloan out of their caucus. ...................................................................................................... 3) Sandy Shantz a) insisting on erecting warning signs along the Canagigue Creek b) getting on her environmental high-horse and insisting that Woolwich Township needed to examine the former Varnicolor's (now Elmira Pump) Risk Assessment very carefully because she's worried about deep contamination having to go "somewhere". ...................................................................................................... 4) The Ontario Ministry of Labour are being called upon to do more inspections and monitoring of workplace working conditions. i.e. COVID-19 working conditions. ................................................................................................. O.K. I admit it. It took me a very long time to recognize the depth, the expanse, the extent and the pervasiveness of both corporate and political corruption in Canada. I am sure that there are Canadians who by the time they were 23 or 24 years old had taken the measure of municipal, provincial and federal governments and knew that they smelled to high heaven. Just way too many scandals, too many "cracks" in the system, too many instances of double standard treatment of politicians, police officers, wealthy and prominent persons caught excessively benefiting from a system already set up to ensure their continued status and lifestyle, far above the rest of us. What I had seen and experienced and then interpreted as aberrations or rogue elements within organizations were no such things. They were the norm. .................................................................................................. And here is my next admission. Geez do I love to expose those lying bastards. Whether it is bought and paid for... oops-client driven consultants, corporate polluters long on rhetoric and short on cleanup, municipal councillors who routinely break laws that have little or no enforcement, provincial ministries whose real hidden mandate is simply preserving the status quo (eg. Min. of Labour, Environment, Transportation), certain school boards, police behaviour both public and private and finally our "Just us" system (i.e. Justice system). ................................................................................................... Going back to the four numbers above: 1) Donald Trump "forgot" to pardon Proud Boy members involved in the Capitol Hill insurrection. 2) A wonderful cartoon in today's Waterloo Region Record showing all the sexist, racist, homophobic members of the Conservative Party. 3) Sandy is the most blatant pro polluter mayor in Woolwich history and her minimal "greenwashing" efforts are fooling no one. 4) The Ministry of Labour have been nothing but a shield protecting recalcitrant and third world employers from the law for many decades but now they are getting their wrists slapped for failing to enforce Covid rules. Oh my a virus filling up hospitals requires enforcement of rules whereas employees being crippled or killed on the job do not.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

UNIROYAL/LANXESS/CRA/GHD BIG LIE # 7

Yesterday here I went through six "Big Lies" that much of the Woolwich and Waterloo Region public have swallowed over the last thirty years. Today we will discuss "Big Lie" #7 which is giving Lanxess Canada fits. They along with Woolwich Council and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE/MECP) have long pushed the idea that all of Uniroyal Chemical's east side toxic liquid wastes flowed south and west. The big lie at the north half of the site is that these toxic wastes never reached either the deeper sub-surface aquifers nor the Canagagigue Creek. This was premised partly upon magical qualities along the alleged due western route of these liquid wastes. Suppposedly shallow aquifer contaminants discharged at the surface where they and surface flow from the east side RPE (retention pond east) pits ended up in swampy areas that broke down or nuetralized these toxins. Like most good lies it had at least a tiny grain of truth. Cattails have some ability to uptake liquid wastes but certainly not remotely the daily volume that Uniroyal discharged over decades. ................................................................................................................. The other claim was that man made ploughed ditches directed overflowing surface waters southwards and hence less actually flowed westwards. First off these were ditches in the ground. They were not pipes or even open concrete swales or waterways. Hence they leaked both through the bottom into the sub-surface as well as during precipitation events the liquid wastes overflowed the shallow man made ditches and discharged along their entire pathway. ................................................................................................................... Finally these man made ditches did not go directly into either GP-1 or GP-2, their polluter designated and wishfully hoped for final resting place. The ditches stopped near the bottom of the most southerly major pit, namely RPE-5. They discharged into the swampy area just south where they gravity flowed mostly south-eastwards and crossed over to the lower lying Stroh ptoperty into a bowl shaped topographical area. Here they settled out with likely hydrophobic compounds such as DDT, dioxins/furans, PCBs etc. soaking into the ground where they adhered to (bonded) soil particles. ..................................................................................................... To date Ramin Ansari and Lanxess have flatly refused to do serious, honest soil sampling in the appropriate areas of the Stroh farm and property. Their ridiculous (Big Lie) excuses include that well we took a public walk with TAG in 2019 near the area (i.e. Lanxess property only) and that put the issue to rest. ........................................................................................ BULL.HIT, HORSE MANURE and "BIG LIE" all rolled into one. Shame on GHD (consultants) and Lanxess but even more shame on Woolwich Council, TAG chair and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks whose "sweetheart deal" apparently absolves Uniroyal/Lanxess of off-site cleanup to the east.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

HOW THE GUILTY PARTIES IN ELMIRA HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH THE BIG LIE

Most of today's posting will come directly from Gwynne Dyer's Opinion piece in today's Waterloo Region Record. The title is "Lucky Joe Biden comes to power at a time when his opponents are in utter disarray". In this article by Mr. Dyer, a very well known historian and military expert, he discusses the " Big Lie", both Mr. Trump's (wah...the Democrats stole the election) to Adolf Hitler's various Big Lies. In fact Mr. Dyer quotes extensively from Adolf's infamous "Mein Kampf" with specifics as to how to get away with outrageous lies to the public. .............................................................................................................. "In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility because ...in the primitive simplicity of their minds (the great masses) more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation.". Wow and there folks is the psychology behind getting away with blatant public lies. ........................................................................................................................ Do you think that dishonest, unethical politicians and private interests have actually stopped doing the same thing? Clearly Donald Trump got away with it and continues to do so to a large extent. Here in Elmira there have been a number of Big Lies. For example: 1) The cleanup will be world class and the drinking aquifers restored to drinking water standards by 2028. Horse crap! 2) Uniroyal Chemical were the only contributer to the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers with NDMA, chlorobenzene and ammonia. More horse crap. 3) A local citizens group sucessfully challenged a multi national corporation and forced a cleanup. Unbelieveable. Just look at the first big lie. Thirty plus years later and Lanxess (Uniroyal) are receiving a new Control Order extending the cleanup deadline. The citizens group leadership have been very sucessful in promoting themselves. Two of them ran for mayor of Woolwich Township. The third didn't because she's not a Canadian citizen. The creek and the aquifers haven't done nearly so well. 4) Canagagigue Creek will be restored to its former beauty and health. Ridiculous. The entire cleanup has been based upon dilution is the solution to pollution. Everything either flows and dilutes in the groundwater or eventually (centuries?) flows into the Canagagigue Creek and is carried downstream to Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and eventually Lake Erie. ...................................................................................................................... The private and political guilty parties have used and abused the principles of the "Big Lie" from long before the November 1989 shutdown of the drinking wells in Elmira. 5) NDMA was "discovered" in Elmira in 1989. Bullcrap! 6) In the early 1980s Elmira residents were advised that their drinking wells were safe and that there were ample monitoring and warning wells between Uniroyal and the wellfields. Really! So what happened? To this day the public really don't want to know the truth. It is too abhorrent. It is too outrageous. It is too infamous. It would destroy their faith in government and all our authorities. Right now especially, the public need and want to trust and have faith that our authorities are competent and trustworthy. It would crush them to know the truth.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

KUDOS FOR PROMPT NOTICE - SHAME FOR CANCELLING A VIRTUAL TAG MEETING FOR NEXT THURSDAY.

What the heck is going on? Aren't the guilty parties already satisfied with how they've got public consultation stifled, stymied and broken in Elmira, Ontario? Do they really need to cancel virtual public TAG (Technical Advicory Group) meetings as well? As if removing the best and brightest from first hand public participation in the alleged cleanup of Elmira's ground and surface water wasn't enough. Currently Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach is leading the attack on Lanxess's east side (Stroh & Martin farms) coverup and it's an uphill battle even with support from honest, dedicated people behind the scenes. Honest, dedicated people denied the right to speak at TAG by pretend mayor, Sandy Shantz. Just like in the U.S., the biggest idiot here became mayor (illegally as per Justice David Broad's CONDITIONAL reinstatement of Sandy in 2016). ........................................................................................................... Both our legal and political systems reward the rich, not the honest. Regarding next Thursday's, January 28/21 TAG meeting I guess Sandy or the TAG Chair wanted to sit in the big boys chair at Woolwich Council for the meeting. Maybe they just aren't bright enough to figure out how to host a Zoom type meeting from home. Oh heck, give them the benefit of the doubt. While this cancellation/postponement continues a decades long litany of delays and procrastination, maybe they have a legitmate excuse for the cancellation. Nice if that would have been shared completely with all of us however.

Monday, January 18, 2021

I'M THINKING ABOUT A STATE OF DISUNION ADDRESS TO WOOLWICH COUNCIL

Hmm I'm trying to recall if my last Delegation to Woolwich Council was regarding the proposed residential subdivision at Union and First St. right across Union St. from Sulco (CCC) and Lanxess Canada (Former Uniroyal). If so I do believe that I received a polite and respectful reception (no questions as always - I call it the Bauman snakebitten syndrome). This reception was likely a result of relatively newer Council members (Merlihan, MacMillan & Redekop) as well as the fact that Woolwich Council know that they have a huge problem with that subdivision's location. .................................................................................................................... Regardless it may soon be time for another foray into the cesspool of Woolwich local politics. Ironically some of the rats seem to be slow in abandoning the rapidly sinking Trump ship south of us. I have a prediction for the future regarding a similar situation here. The time will come when the history of Woolwich Council appeasement, support, cooperation and indeed collusion with Uniroyal Chemical and their litany of corporate successors (Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess) will become both publicly known and publicly aknowledged and accepted. At that time watch the appeasers and fellow travellors, past and present, on Woolwich Council run for the hills. There will be disavowals, condemnations and criticism, some of it literally decades too late, coming from past Uniroyal supporters on Council. Now keep in mind that many Woolwich councillors had zero environmental background or knowledge when they got on Council. Others simply deferred to the "old hands" on Council and followed their lead. Regardless, friends of the company did and have done a huge disservice to the public interest, public health and public knowledge of the severity of the contamination and the damage to the environment, wildlife and human life in the Canagagigue watershed as well as throughout Elmira due to contaminated air and water.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

TRUMP, COVID, DEPRESSION, ISOLATION, ZOOM MEETINGS, PHONE CALLS & EMAILS

Well I have to admit that that is one heck of a title. Fortunately my choice of topics is mine and mine alone despite the idiot troll from Guelph who still stupidly thinks that I'm going to change my agenda/topics to suit his wishes. If you haven't seen any/many of his ongoing comments it's because they are generally too stupid and or irrelevant to the article posted to be of any interest to readers of this Blog hence they don't get published. Also of course he is endlessly trying to hide his comments behind pretend names which I will not abide. I do publish Anonymous comments but that's at least up front and readers can attach whatever weight they want to anonymous comments whereas phony names is intentionally deceptive. ..................................................................................................... Trump is almost gone. Hallelujah! At one point in time I believe that millions of people were actually wondering if a blatant, self-serving liar who literally makes up whatever "facts" he wants was going to get his comeupance. Recent public shaming may have gone a little too far with Les Armstrong of Wilmot Township however Mr. Armstrong's influence is of miniscule proportions to that of Mr. Trump. The more important the person, the more important that they speak truth to the millions of people listening to them. Trump squandered and abused that whether by stupidity, mental illness, personality disorders or whatever. He needed to be reined in and confronted by all around him, yet quoting former Governor Schwartzenegger, "spineless" Republican colleagues failed to do so. Instead some enabled and enhanced his constant lying and bull.hit. ........................................................................................................... Covid of course has and is leading to depression and isolation. A family member by marriage has recently departed partly based upon a medical dignosis and possibly also due to the effects of nearly a year of Covid, combined with health issues and topped with a serious personal health problem. My limited advice to all is to use your phones, e-mail, snail mail, zoom meetings etc. regularly to help combat depression. Oh and subject to sidewalk ice conditions and personal mobility, walking is a great way to stay in touch with your neighbours

Friday, January 15, 2021

ARE THERE STILL LIVING VICTIMS OF UNIROYAL CHEMICAL TOXIC POLLUTION IN ELMIRA, ONTARIO?

The answer is yes although our authorities are quite happy to pretend otherwise. Or at least to be happy not to know. Recently I was talking to a middle aged gentleman in Elmira who played in the Canagagigue Creek as a child. This would be in the early 1980s. Now keep in mind the creek had improved somewhat by then because of the construction of the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in 1965. Now there were multiple issues with local manufacturers sending their wastes to the new STP after 1965 (such as Borg Textiles) and it took a while to sort them all out. Therefore until 1970 Uniroyal still on occasion were dumping in their on-site pits and ponds. Therefore the daily flow of thousands of gallons of toxic liquid waste had been stopped for perhaps ten years when this individual was playing in the creek. There are two ways to look at that. Chemical wastes and concentrations in the creek had been reduced although being in the creek not too far downstream from the effluent coming from the Elmira STP might not have been a great idea. ............................................................................................................... Of course the daily flow of toxic liquid wastes directly from new production into the creek may have ended but the ongoing flow from contaminated soils and groundwater theroughout the site had not been stopped. That did not even begin to be reduced until approximately 1996 after the introduction of the "cheapest and least effective" method of containing the highly contaminated South-West corner of the Uniroyal site was implemented. This method was referred to as the Upper Aquifer Containment & Treatment System (UACS) and it was an incredible crock and lie. It did not hydraulically contain the other 3/4 of the site from dischatging their shallow aquifer water into the creek. Therefore this individual was certainly exposed to Polycylcic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, DDT, NDMA, dioxins/furans and a plethora of pesticides and herbicides. In those days (the 1980s) there were no warning signs and little or no warnings from the company, health authorities or local municipal councillors. Everybody were keeping their heads down and hoping that Elmira might luck out and avoid the coming disaster finally known as the 1989 Elmira Water Crisis. ................................................................................................................ All our authorities are pleased to hide behind lies, damned lies and statistics as Winston Churchill once said. Currently over 40% of our population will have cancer in their lifetimes. I believe that industrialized urban environments have a disproportionate number of these cancers do to environmental toxins in our air, water and foods. This is courtesy of the results of Uniroyal Chemical's behaviours from 1942 until nearly 1970. The cleanup since 1989 can best be expressed as per local activist Rich Clausi: "When all was said and done, more was said than was done.". ................................................................................................................... Cancer is not the only result of environmental poisoning. Suppression of animal and human immune systems leads to an increase in biological and virological infections. Some of these are life threatening. Many other diseases, including rare diseases have been found locally again I believe due to damaged human immune systems courtesy of discharges to air, water and soil of dioxins/furans, mercury, PCBs, pesticides and herbicides. It seems clear to me that the decision makers at Uniroyal and their fellow travellors (politicians & bureaucrats) have no belief in or fear of hell. Otherwise they would never have permitted these atrocities.

Thursday, January 14, 2021

GRAVEL PITS ARE ONE OF THE SACRED COWS IN ONTARIO

No surprise here as Conservative Premier Doug Ford continues his dismantling of both environmental and private citizen protections in Ontario. The Waterloo Region Record carried an article titled "Wilmot residents get letters from applicant of controversial gravel pit". This gravel pit, known as the Hallman Pit is near Shingletown on the west side of Kitchener. The letters from the applicant addressed various concerns of citizen neighbours and objectors to the gravel pit. While citizens do have legislated rights to the enjoyment of their own properties those "rights" are often contravened when gravel pits move into the neighbourhood. Noise, dust, visual impacts, greater road traffic and also groundwater contamination issues all can negatively impact the environment, nearby property values and neighbours enjoyment of their properties. ............................................................................................................. The letter fromt he IBI Group, representing the proponent of the gravel pit, advise objectors that recent legislative changes (May 2020) have reduced the pertinent legal oversight to only the Aggregate Resources Act which many consider a rubber stamp in favour of aggregate producers. There are various studies involved which of course the consultants doing the studies are hired by and paid for the proponents of the gravel pit. The Region of Waterloo, to date, are not yet satisfied with those studies but likely after a little tweaking, they will be. What a great system for the gravel and sand producers in Ontario. This is what justifies expensive lobbying of provincial governments by the lobby group possibly known as the Ontario Sand And Gravel Association (OSGA?).

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

ANOTHER HISTORY LESSON

May 8, 2012 Waterloo Region Record.... "The township government has now lost faith in that deal and broken ranks with the company and provincial Ministry of the Environment. It is incumbent on the province and company to prove in a reliable way that the cleanup is on track. And if they cannot do this to the satisfaction of the township and general public, they must take stronger measures.". This previous quote is from the Record's own Editorial that day. ................................................................................................................... Continuing the quote..." Is the government up to the challenge? The public has reason to doubt it is. After all, the province long ago signed an agreement with the company on what needed to be done. The government might face legal hurdles to a better plan. And considering that the province is sharing the cleanup costs in a time of massive budget deficits, it might shirk tougher but far more costly action out of a misgyuided sense of frugality. None of this justifies inaction.". ............................................................................................................... Here we now are going on nine years later and NOTHING good has happened. Lots of talk, lots of promises and lots of changes of government; municipal, provincial and federal. The cleanup is being wound down because the latest owners of Uniroyal Chemical (Lanxess Canada) say that the 2028 deadline was arbitrary and they can't meet it. They expect the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE/MECP) to write them a new and nicer Contol Order which the MOE/MECP have indicated they will do. The latest suggested cleanup date for the Elmira Aquifers is between 2050 and 2060 however if allowed the company will redefine "cleanup" as well as possibly pump groundwater from parts of the Elmira Aquifers for use industrially or for other uses. The Region of Waterloo have indicated that most likely Elmira residents will reject any attempts to put them back on Elmira groundwater drinking sources.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

NITROGEN REMOVAL FROM THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

On January 2/21 the Waterloo Region Record published a story titled "Restoration could reduce pollution" written by Leah Gerber. The article advises that "...targeted wetland restoration dramatically reduces nitrogen pollution.". Most nitrogen soil and water contamination is related to agriculture, both crops and livestock. The nitrogen is put on the fields as a fertilzer and the livestock "deposit" the nitrogen as manure. This study by two University of Waterloo grad students is extremely important as it proves that wetland restoration needs to occur near high nitrogen input areas such as rural agricultural areas or even farms on the edge of urban areas. Here the nitrates and nitrites degrade both groundwater and surface water quality. Examples are the higher concentrations of these compounds in North Dumphries and Wilmot Townships due to their high agricultural presence. .............................................................................................................. Locally here in Elmira, we have learned the hard way that nitrogen in the soils and groundwater can assist in ruining our water supply. Both Nutrite (later known as Yara) and Uniroyal contributed nitrogen and ammonia to the natural environment. Even the Varnicolor Chemical site also likely increased the concentration of NDMA in the groundwater via the prior extensive pig farms in the area. Dimethylamine came from Nutrite, Uniroyal and Varnicolor and it was a precurser to NDMA formation. The dimethylamine combined with nitrogen in the ground, especially under acidic conditions (read Uniroyal) to produce N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Varnicolor also had acidic conditions due to sulphuric acid and other discharges to their property on Union St. This of course has continued to be kept covered up as our authorities "sweetheart" deal with Uniroyal originally had that company accepting 100% of the blame for NDMA in groundwater and drinking water in Elmira.

Monday, January 11, 2021

THE NEXT VIRTUAL TAG MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 28, 2021 AT 6:30 pm.

RAC is scheduled for ...Good God April 8, 2021 at 5 pm. Wow I sure hope that the "mandatory" (ha!) attendance of Lanxess and their tame "regulator" the Ministry of Environment is not too onerous for them. I expect that this is all part of the weaning process. In other words Sandy Shantz was entrusted with the anti-democratic job of greatly reducing citizen expectations of proper public consultation. This she started five years ago by manufacturing a pretend CPAC crisis that did not exist and then further lying by suggesting that twenty-five years of professional deception, delay and obfuscation by all authorities was just dandy, but first hand informed citizens calling out these alleged "professional" liars was not. That is what enraged the guilty parties the most. Like our idiot neighbour to the south who spouts, whatever misinformed, nonsensical and without any legitimate evidence, gibberish and drivel he wants; our local polluter and fellow travellors do the same. And just like Donald Trump they demand to be believed, appreciated and respected for their bullsh.t. Something like the four year old caught literally with their hand in the cookie jar insisting that the non-existent dog ate all the cookies. .......................................................................................................................... I am not supporting or recommending the upcoming TAG meeting. How could I? It is a sham of public consultation. Members are picked by proven dishonest persons. The public are refused their right to speak out publicly on matters that affect them and about the loss of their local drinking water. Water that was contaminated over decades by private interests and then drunk, likely for decades, by the public long after our authorities knew they had a problem. Proven collaborators with conflicts of interest are welcomed by our politicians on the TAG committee while proven citizen stakeholders who have been front and centre, honestly insisting upon facts and truth have been denied. Shame on our authorities not on the honest citizens (most) who have been given the nod to sit on the TAG committee. RAC of course are a whole different fish. They are generally bureaucrats and government agencies who have sucessfully held their noses, closed their eyes and covered their ears for decades, constantly nodding acceptance of the bullsh.t peddled to them by Lanxess and other polluters. .......................................................................................................................... For me the shame of the attack upon the U.S. Congress last week was the insanity and stupidity behind the assault. Yes the U.S. in particular is a country founded upon revolution. Just ask the British about that. Unfortunately American politicians have many, many decades ago, sold out to the highest bidders, en masse. The smart, corrupt politicians tend to keep their heads down and continue to coddle, mislead, and lie to the American public, while pouring oil over troubled waters when necessary. I have little or no sympathy for them. Perhaps their Waterloo is coming. I only hope it is for the right reasons, not to benefit a narcicisstic, self-entitled, mentally unbalanced individual. That is how Hitler attained complete control of Germany and nearly of the world.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS - EH MAYBE

Well as per the comment I left yesterday afternoon (3:39 pm.) on yesterday's posting, I have indeed checked out the contrary evidence received by e-mail yesterday. In fact the contrary evidence actually continued with a few back and forth e-mails, clarifying the location of the photograph published in last Monday's Waterloo Region Record. Now I did send an e-mail last Monday to the Record photographer asking him for the location of his photograph but did not receive a response. Well yesterday morning and afternoon the reporter who wrote the article was able to get confirmation from the photographer. Confirmation becasue she apparently was also present when the picture was taken. ......................................................................................................... I was very skeptical of the information I received although not of the source. Therefore despite very good reason not to go back out for a hike yesterday afternoon, I did so. I axctually had the Record's picture in my pocket as I proceeded via the very clear directions given me. Well as expected the coast was clear and there was not a crowd of people anywhere within sight. A few people did pass by during my visit. .............................................................................................................. Long story short, while I feel fine about 3/4 of my posting yesterday, the last paragraph is wrong. Yes I believe that Lanxess are seriously lacking in shame, ethics and integrity based on their behaviour since they purchased Chemtura in 2017. No, calling them hypocrites is not substantiated by the photograph in the Record last Monday. I am convinced that the Record reporter and photographer were accurate with their stated location of the photograph (Shirt Factory Creek). My previous conclusion was based upon items in the background of the Record's picture. It was also partially based upon thirty years of professional lying by almost every authority and party to the contamination, cleanup and coverup. There are two takeaways from this for me. One don't rely totally on what your eyes are telling you. Always double and triple check. Secondly if like our politicians, polluters, and client driven consultants, you are in the business of lying; then guess what. Eventually everyone will assume that you are lying 100% of the time when you might actually only be lying 85% of the time.

Friday, January 8, 2021

NO SHAME, NO ETHICS, NO INTEGRITY - LANXESS CANADA FORMALLY JOINS UNIROYAL CHEMICAL, CROMPTON & CHEMTURA

TAG have been formally asked by a fellow member if the colour photograph in last Monday's Waterloo Region Record is of the Stroh Drain. This is the photograph accompanying the article titled "In Elmira, toxic waste remains an issue". He also asked his fellow TAG members and presumably the Chair, Tiffany Svensson, that if so, how long have Lanxess and their consultants GHD been doing work along the Stroh Drain. The obvious answer back from all parties will be no it's not a photograph of the Stroh Drain. That will be a dishonest answer although understandably most TAG members will be readily fooled. ................................................................................................................. Lanxess lost much ground with me and others when they used their financial power to intimidate two local film makers (Michael Heitmann/Bonita Wagler) into not releasing their Documentary titled "Grand Illusions". This was shortly after they, Lanxess, assumed ownership of the former Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura site in Elmira, Ontario. They did come upon the scene however after the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) were public knowledge courtesy not due to Woolwich Township, the GRCA, MOE/MECP, Lanxess or CRA/GHD. No this knowledge only became public after I "discovered" the Stroh Drain in 2014 and immediately called both Dr. Dan Holt, Chair of CPAC, and Vivienne, another CPAC member. Thirty years (1984-2014) of serious examination of the Uniroyal Chemical site and area by numerous citizens' committees (CEAC, UPAC, CPAC) who allegedly were receiving full cooperation from Uniroyal, Crompton, Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment never even came close to advising citizens about this environmentally important Drain. In fact with but a couple of exceptions going back to 1991 all the rest of hundreds of maps produced by Conestoga Rovers failed to include this Drain running parallel to the Uniroyal eastern border for about 175 metres. The Drain is parallel and barely twenty-five feet away from the Uniroyal property. This is but one reason why I refer to the listed political or quasi political groups above as the "guilty parties". They have lied to the public and stakeholders consistently for decades either by commission or omission. ........................................................................................................................ Since the May 2014 "discovery" by the public of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm, all the guilty parties have yet again joined forces to minimize, delay and deny the importance of this Drain (SDDB). Conestoga Rovers (CRA), GHD, Chemtura, Lanxess, MOE/MECP all to varying degrees have claimed that there is no issue and that little to no toxic wastewaters flowed onto the Stroh property/farm. That of course was untenable hence Chemtura initiated a "timorous" investigation of the soils on the Stroh property along their eastern border which found significant dioxin and DDT contamination even after three decades of farming and tilling of those soils. The guilty parties have flatly refused to do soil testing in and around the further south Stroh Drain including in the low lying land to the immediate east of the SDDB. At least publicly that is. ........................................................................................................ Perhaps lying and hypocrisy are bedfellows in Woolwich Township. Now it turns out Lanxess and GHD have been testing creekbank soils in the Drain as per Monday's picture in the Record. They've actually been testing while simultaneously refusing to do so. Clearly the results are not to their liking. Undoubtedly after thirty years of corruption by so many parties, this lying and hypocrisy barely stands out. But it should. Also any belated attempt after the fact to "voluntarily" provide lab results from samples taken by GHD or any other dishonest parties are suspect in the extreme.

Thursday, January 7, 2021

WHICH IS WORSE - THE LOONY LEFT OR THE RADICAL RIGHT ?

Well historically, right wing conservative governments whether called Conservative or Republican have loved to paint everybody to the political left of themselves as the "Loony Left". Sometimes this has even included Liberals or Democrats (U.S.). Right about now though I suspect that Trump's radical right supporters have done more good to the Democrats and more harm to the Republican cause than any Democrat has ever done. The optics of a wild and enraged mob of right wing, incredibly stupid, hostile and aggressive citizens attacking the U.S. Congress will take decades to be erased from many memories. The fact that the sitting President (Trump) not only egged them on over the last month or more as well as on Tuesday and early Wednesday is almost beyond belief. Seriously if Trump wasn't already facing criminal charges I don't know how he's going to avoid them after his behaviour yesterday. ................................................................................................................. The damage done to the natural environment, human beings and democracy by so called Liberals and Conservatives right here in Elmira, Ontario is also immeasurable. No I haven't forgotten a lowly four years od disappointing provincial New Democrat government in the early 1990s. It's a matter of ongoing decades of stupid Liberal and Conservative governments. By the way Liberal and Conservative includes allegedly non-partisan municipal councillors, many of whom have clear party affiliations. ........................................................................................................ Monday's K-W Record article still enthralls me. The picture is also interesting. Perhaps we should hold some sort of contest to try and see if any long time locals can recognize the exact location shown in it. It seems obvious that it is not the Canagagigue Creek (too small). Maybe if TAG members ask Lanxess Canada ever so politely, respectfully and deferentially about it; Lanxess will deign to respond truthfully. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

"WEASEL WORDS" - I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THEM IN YESTERDAY'S POST

What of course reminded me of the MOE/MECP's, GHD and Lanxess's english skills in employing intentionally deceptive words and language was simply rereading Monday's K-W Record article by Leah Gerber titled "In Elmira, toxic waste remains an issue". In that article are a number of unintentional errors as well as intentional ones by Lanxess reps using "weasel words" to lie and decieve the public while stickhandling carefully. The " stickhandling" includes the choice of words such as "significantly, based on laboratory analysis, significant damage, impacts of significance, in this area" etc.. It is outright lying to the public while allowing themselves lots of wiggle room in case any TAG or RAC (HA!) members were to decide to challenge them. ............................................................................................................. The company rep appears in this newspaper article to suggest that Lanxess have done their due diligence. News flash Mr. Michael Mackin: Firstly you personally have never attended a single public UPAC, CPAC, RAC or TAG meeting in your life. Therefore you are nothing but a bought and paid for mouthpiece spouting off whatever bull.hit your employer instructs you to. Secondly if your definition of due diligence is making private, behind closed doors sweetheart deals with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, not in the public interest, then by your definition you've done your due diligence. Otherwise you are full of it. Thirdly your claim that "There is nothing to indicate any impacts or concerns from an off-site release to soil and groundwater based on laboratory analysis." is breathtaking. The fish are full of mercury, PCBs, dioxins/furans, DDT and more based upon laboratory analysis. What the hell are you talking about? Ahh yes, weasel words again. "...off-site release to soil and groundwater...". You are intentionally ignoring off-site releases from Uniroyal Chemical directly into the SURFACE WATER of Canagagigue Creek. Also this last dishonest quote of yours implies that impacts or concerns must be based upon laboratory analysis. Well another news flash Michael. Just because your company discharges toxic chemicals to the natural environment without laboratory analysis at the time does not lessen the negative health effects upon either animals or human receptors. Your victims do not ask for or require lab results from the discharge to know that they are sick. .................................................................................................... All in all just more of the same crap but from a different corporate entity. There is more in Monday's Record article to raise the ire of knowledgable and honest citizens. Of course the majority of those involved are not honest when you consider the Township (Woolwich), the MOE/MECP, GHD, Lanxess, and local and provincial politicians. That most are in on the sham is how they get away with both the coverups and the control of public consultation.

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THE GROSSLY CONTAMINATED LANXESS CANADA PROPERTY IN ELMIRA, ONTARIO

Lying, cheating, bribing, back stabbing, lobbying, defaming, delaying, deceiving, out of context "facts", partial truths, whisper campaigns, intimidating, threatening, suing, blacklisting etc. the list of behaviours goes on and on. White lies, black lies, lies of omission, lies of commission, lies of every colour, odour, size and level are all on the table. The "little" people might lie on a resume to get a mediocre job to put a roof over their heads and to eat three meals a day. The rich and powerful in our society attempt life changing lies in order to harm people they view as standing in the way of their life long lives of privelege. They belive that they are entitled to walk over others rights in order to both maintain and increase their personal power, authority and wealth. Sometimes they call themselves Conservatives. Sometimes they call themselves Liberals. Regardless that sense of entitlement is most often seen in its' full blown splendor with politicians. We have just been treated to several provincial and federal politicians across Canada ( & the U.S.) stepping down after their hypocritical behaviour in demanding that citizens not travel during Christmas while they go to California, Florida, the Caribbean and St. Barts. ...................................................................................................................... Industrial and business entitlement is usually less public. They work behind the scenes enlisting all the nasty behaviours listed above. Local, provincial and federal politicians are their usual accomplices. Not all of course but usually they have a large choice to pick from. Unlike other local citizens then in Elmira I was never approached by Uniroyal Chemical privately to work on their behalf environmentally. Industrial polluters love "natural attenuation". They love dilution is the solution to pollution even more. The idea is to locate along creeks and rivers and dump your wastes into them for as long as the public (not the politicians) will allow you to. Even after you've stopped dumping and the MOE have been forced into ordering remediation, these companies employ all the nasty behaviours listed above to lessen their responsibility and their cleanup costs. ................................................................................................................. Just look at Lot 91 in Elmira at the extreme east end of Oriole Parkway. "Cleanup" consisted of removing all surface drums of chemicals and some of the buried ones. The soil and ground was saturated with solvents and much more. That site has been draining via both surface flow during rainstorms and via groundwater into Lanfill Creek since then (1994) and then into the nearby Canagagigue Creek. Methane levels in the sub-surface, likely from the First St. Landfill located across Landfill Creek, resulted in Woolwich Council putting a holding provision of some kind on the property. No buildings were to be constructed below ground surface (i.e. basements) as the methane levels were explosive as they exceeded 50 parts per million (ppm). Not a problem. Yesterday I noticed a FOR Sale sign by Cushman & Wakefield on the property. They are advertising 5.1 acres of INDUSTRIAL LAND. What the hell! For that to happen Woolwich Council will have to rezone , remove the holding provision and provide water and sewer services to a site that is reclaimed floodplain. Yes Dorothy...DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION in Woolwich Township. ...................................................................................................... This is also called the "do nothing" option. Let the filth (those in charge) allow the filth (solvents, PCBs, dioxins, NDMA etc.) to discharge slowly over decades and enrich the lives of aquatic organisms as well as human beings downstream.

Monday, January 4, 2021

HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU WATERLOO REGION RECORD - THEY PUBLISHED!

My faith and confidence in the Record have received a significant boost. Quite frankly the bizarre and blatant manner in which the Record did not seem willing to publish (especially in Elmira), quite frankly a very gentle article about Lanxess Canada (Uniroyal Chemical) and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), seemed lacking in finesse. It is quite one thing for example for Lanxess, GHD and the MECP to be involved in a decades long coverup but for them to also publicly carry signs and placards announcing their collusion and corruption will never happen. It's all about credible deniability , controlling the process of the cleanup, controlling public consultation etc. This is not remotely to suggest that the Record or the Woolwich Observer are in the same league of wrong doing as various consultants, MECP, Woolwich Township etc. No, the media, especially print media, are fighting for their very corporate lives and existence. The media are the publics' friend but they are and have been under enormous pressure for a very long time. .................................................................................................................... Therefore I am sorry that the long term state of affairs including the environmental coverups, the political collusion at all levels with polluters and the willingness of the corporate polluter to use wealth, power, authority and even financial pressure on third parties caused me to have such serious doubts about the backbone of the Waterloo Region Record. To the Record I say "I am sorry to have doubted you and then said so here". You have confirmed your independence from Lanxess and other power brokers. Please so continue. ..................................................................................................... Now some specifics about the article published today in the Record. It's title has been changed from a wordy "Experts probe Elmira chemical-manufacturing site for groundwater contamination" to a much pithier and more accurate "In Elmira, toxic waste remains an issue". You're damned right it remains an issue and that is exactly what the public need to hear, over and over again, until it is resolved to the satisfaction of the vast majority of informed, knowledgable and honest stakeholders; not to the satisfaction of the polluter, his corrupt regulator, their fellow travellors, toadies, co-opted citizens and mostly NOT to the satisfaction of the dishonest, biased and in some cases plain stupid politicians. ................................................................................................................ One other not so small matter. The first and biggest issue for me was what appeared to be corporate power and influence killing a local public interest story. That has been resolved favourably (Thank God). The next issue is that the quality and accuracy of the story is marginal. The issue at the last RAC meeting (December 10/20) that the author is attempting to report was not NDMA nearly so much as it was about dioxins/furans, DDT and more not just on the east side of Lanxess (long ago proven) but that they have crossed the property line (also proven) and may (likely) be still in high concentrations in soils to the immediate EAST of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). Yes Sebastian is leading the charge at TAG (Technical Advisory Group) but he is being opposed both from within and from without, primarily by those with vested interests including financial, status, power and authority. The Mayor and other twits on council are also leading the honest ones on Council down the garden path, as has been done for decades. ................................................................................................................. How many times do the honest stakeholders have to prove over and over again, the same thing? How much evidence is required to convince the dishonest, the biased, the self-serving who are in total charge of the cleanup, the Agenda and public consultation? The answer is an infinite amount. The guilty parties who have for decades sacrificed public interest, public health and the environment on the alter of money, profits and power will NEVER see, hear or read enough evidence to change their minds. They are intentionally OBTUSE. They are intentionally blind, deaf and stupid and our own politicians enable them.

Saturday, January 2, 2021

IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK, IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK...

THEN it probably is a duck! ................................................................................................. I did receive an e-mail Thursday from one of the two reporters whom I contacted regarding why the recent story published in the New Hamburg Independent AND briefly put on-line in the Wateloo Region Record's synopsis of upcoming stories has as yet failed to be published in the hard copy K-W Record distributed in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Elmira. The one reporter advised that they felt that it would be published "tomorrow". Of course "tomorrow" was New Year's Day hence I felt that they actually meant today, Saturday, January 2, 2021. WELL IT'S NOT HERE IN ELMIRA AT LEAST AND I STILL EXPECT THAT ALERTED FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES IN KITCHENER & WATERLOO TO ADVISE ME IF IT SHOWS UP IN THEIR PAPERS. ................................................................................................................................. Now to further muddy (maybe) or possibly clarify what's going on. This same environmental reporter for the Record has in the interim had TWO OTHER environmental articles published in hard copy in the Record delivered to Elmira. WTF! On December 31/20 she had an article about a gravel pit near Shingletown (outside Kitchener) published and today is an excellent article regarding nitrogen uptake by wetlands. This is huge because while excess nitrogen has numerous negative environmental consequences such as elevated nitrites and nitrates in groundwater used for drinking water locally it is of particular concern to folks in Elmira. .................................................................................................. Here in Elmira we have ammonia contamination of our groundwater along of course with NDMA and so much more. Now for the chemically astute among us, guess the major components of both ammonia and NDMA. You got it: Nitrogen! Nitrates and nitrites are NO2 and NO3 (nitrogen & oxygen) and ammonia I believe is NH4 (nitrogen & hydrogen) and NDMA consists of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon otherwise known as N-nitrosodimethylamine. That we have excess nitrogen in our soils and groundwater is hardly a coincidence in a heavily rural and agricultural area. Fun fact: prior to Varnicolor Chemical discharging dimethylamine (NDMA precurser) into their subsurface soils; that site had been an extensive pig farm for decades readily discharging large quantities of pig urine and feces, just loaded with nitrogen. Get the picture? .................................................................................................... Meanwhile back to the major point. The Record's article last Sunday in the New Hamburg Independent (Dec. 27/20) was all about NDMA (correctly or not) being discussed at a recent (Dec. 10/20) RAC meeting as well as Dr. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach's serious concerns about the Stroh property beside Lanxess Canada (formerly Uniroyal Chemical). It has yet to be published in the K-W Record here in Elmira. WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? PERHAPS LANXESS OR THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT'S PERMISSION. It sure looks like a duck from here.