TAG - AS ALWAYS, GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

Man it is difficult to determine my own feelings towards TAG members. Yes in general I believe the TAG committee doesn't have a chance. That is by intent of Lanxess, MECP and Woolwich Township. That said, there are good members on TAG including Sebastian, Wilson and David for sure with hopefully Linda and Dustin as well. Heck even Susan last evening spoke well on behalf of the residents (Old Order Mennonites) along the Canagagigue Creek. Usually I include Katharina but she is still trying to complete reading the Risk Assessment with, as a Biologist, her focus on the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA). Tiffany is a bust, Sandy's presence is a farce and Dustin has missed the last couple of meetings. Linda was a little quiet last night but other TAG members did step up. ................................................................................................ Wilson appropriately raised the alarm concerning Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH- pyrene, fluoranthene, antracene etc.) with concentrations greater than the screening (criteria) values. He suggested that there was a data gap as the CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) as well as Ontario Ministry of Environment (MECP) criteria are more for ecological (wildlife) purposes than for human health issues. Wilson also criticized Dose Averaging over a lifetime as being inappropriate for farmers/Residents who have heavy exposure to creek sediments and soils for about 60 days per year. Carcinogenic effects and others could misrepresent exposure and risk as these shorter risk timelines are underestimated via Dose Averaging. .............................................................................................. Sebastian raised the issue of a Health Assessment for the Mennonite families along the creek. Wilson suggested that Health Assessments have been done before in other Risk Assessments (RA) that he's seen. Basically a health history of residents might give TAG and others a better understanding of the risks involved. Tiffany, unsurprisingly to me, seemed unenthusiastic to the idea. Sebastian further advised that Elmira has seen nothing from the Ministry of Health (provincial or federal) over the decades. Susan suggested that APTE decades ago tried to raise health issues and or studies and got nowhere with any authorities. She also suggested that something like a blood test for dioxins could be helpful. Regarding concerns for pregnant women and their heightened exposure/risk to toxins, Wilson stated that "no level of dose averaging is appropriate if a human receptor is pregnant." Susan added that WHO (World Health Organization) have stated that there is "No safe level of exposure" for dioxins . Finally Wilson stated that he does not agree with all of Stantec's assumptions such as chickens aren't near the creek and that cattle crossing time in the creek is limited. He feels that these assumptions are unsupported. ....................................................................................................................................... David recalled that there were assumptions made about sediments and sand being diluted before they ended up as amendments to the soil in gardens. He finds those assumptions to be odd. Susan pointed out that currently there is little to no exposure to Uniroyal Chemical contaminants in our drinking water with the Elmira aquifers no longer suppling that water. She therefore suggested that there was both greater human exposure through the creek and that the substances involved (DDT & dioxins) were more dangerous than dissolved chemicals in groundwater. Therefore why was more money not being used to clean up the creek. Linda agreed somewhat with Susan although she also is strongly in favour of restoring Elmira's groundwater to a potable condition. ................................................................................................ Years ago I too was told that there was no safe level of dioxin exposure. Now the MECP, Lanxess consultants and others are trumpeting mathematical formulas determining Risks from Exposures, Hazards and Receptors present. It seems obvious to me that "suits" far away from the acute toxins released by Uniroyal Chemical have no business telling people living amongst those toxins for the last fifty to seventy yaers, anything. It also seems to me that those very same "suits" are being paid by the polluter not by the residents. Will TAG ever stand up and tell Lanxess/GHD/MECP to FU.K OFF? .................................................................................................... Lastly no one is mentioning the Martin swimming pond. CHILDREN swam in it for generations. It is filled by contaminated groundwater as well as by the contaminated Stroh Drain with dioxins and DDD at the absolute minimum based upon the wholly inadequate "2020 Canagagigue Creek Soil and Sediment Investigation". Both myself and a TAG member have seen the pipe flowing from the Stroh Drain and discharging into the Martin pond. A former Woolwich councilor has also seen that pipe although I'm skeptical of that councillor as an honest witness. Exactly where in this entire bullsh.t process has Stantec or anybody else determined the Risks that those generations of children have been exposed to?