ELMIRA ENVIRONMENTAL FAILURES THAT SHOULD CAUSE PUBLIC OUTRAGE

 We were promised that the Elmira Aquifers would be restored to drinking water standards after Thirty Years of "cleanup". The wells were shut down in November1989. The on-site Pump & Treat started in 1992. The off-site Pump & Treat started in 1998. The thirty year deadline conveniently became 2028, five years from now. After 25 years of lying by the polluter and successors as well as by the Ontario Ministry of Environment we now know that the 2028 cleanup will not happen. CPAC members first so advised Woolwich Council and the public in May/June 2012. Chemtura and the M.O.E. absolutely denied it for six months before admitting that a major upgrade in Pump & Treat was required to make it happen. The "major" upgrade has never happened and since about 2015-16 all parties have started to admit that the 2028 "cleanup" won't happen.

Five miles of provincial and federal sediment and soil criteria downstream from Uniroyal/Lanxess are exceeded for DDT and dioxins/furans. Mercury and PCBs concentrations are also toxic. Fish tissues exceed the formal Tissue Residue Guidelines. Both human health and lifeforms in the Canagagigue Creek have been impacted by Uniroyal Chemical's decades of using the Creek as a toxic waste sewer. Despite this a Risk Assessment (HHERA) conducted by long time consultants to Uniroyal (CRA/GHD) concludes that there are no unacceptable risks to human health in the Creek and other than right beside the chemical plant chemical risks to other life forms is also deemed acceptable.

The Martin swimming pond south-east of Uniroyal Chemical has been the recipient of toxic chemicals including DDT and dioxins/furans via a diversion from the Stroh Drain into the swimming pond used by Mennonite children for decades. This is an abomination and this gross negligence could even be defined as either genocide or religious discrimination. Perhaps a case might even be made that the entire location of Uniroyal Chemical was "acceptable" based upon disrespect or contempt of the 22 downstream Mennonite families located along the Creek. 

There is so much more. When will this environmental criminal activity be treated as it should be? The answer is easy. Only after the current crop of political leaders are removed from office including municipal, regional and provincial.