REGION OF WATERLOO NEW SEWER USE BYLAW THIRTY-ONE YEARS LATER

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "New sewer bylaw tightens limits on contaminants". Hmm. I wonder how many people remember the why and what of 1990, Uniroyal and Varnicolor Chemical scandals? At the time I provided doumented evidence to the Ministry of Environment as well as to the Region of Waterloo that Varnicolor Chemical were violating every law and agreement that they had with the Township, the Region and the province. They were simply slightly classier midnight dumpers hiding behind licensing and minimal "treatment" of the toxic wastes that they were permitted to receive. These infractions included illegal use of the Region's landfills and sewers. Lo and behold the Region investigated only to discover that the very same lab analysis was being included with each load of chemical waste being dumped into their landfill. Hey a photocopier is a lot cheaper than actually treating and analysing wastes. Rgarding sewers Varnicolor regularly were dumping used paints and solvents down their floor drain at 62 Union St. from where they could go either untreated into the storm sewers and the Canagagigue Creek or alternatively to the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant. ........................................................................................................................... Supposedly the new sewer bylaw will have stricter criteria for heavy metals and PCBs. Really are you telling me that ANY PCBs are allowed in our sewers? Doubtful! The new bylaw also provides the Region the opportunity to issue their own tickets rather than have to take offenders to court. As with all laws they are only as good as the enforcement that follows. In 1990 enforcement and monitoring were pathetic and dirty polluters took full advantage. I would like to think that today enforcement of environmental laws is better than thirty years ago although that really isn't much of an achievement.