JEFF MERRIMAN (CHEMTURA) NEARLY HAD A BIRD OVER THIS

 

Way back when in a land far away when independent thinking citizens were still allowed to openly criticize the most outrageous, ridiculous junk science as well as self-serving factual interpretations I asked Jeff in a public CPAC meeting if in fact both DDT and Dioxins were DNAPL chemicals. Geez I thought the poor guy was on the verge of a heart attack or a stroke.  He sputtered, he choked, he looked aghast as if I'd asked him if he'd stopped beating his wife yet. 

NOOOOOO they aren't he almost shouted. "Why would you say that?" he asked. Well he was so visibly upset that it was even hard for me to stay on the attack. The discussion ended there with his denial. I shouldn't have let it. Of course they are DNAPLS by definition. They are chlorinated solvents after all with a density greater than 1 plus they do not dissolve readily in groundwater. Uniroyal & Chemtura had gone to great pains to constantly refer to both of them as "hydrophobic" or water fearing. Funny thing is that Ontario has a drinking water standard for dioxins. Yes it is very low but nevertheless apparently Dioxins can dissolve somewhat into groundwater. I believe the standard is something like 15 ppq or parts per quadrillion. 

So exactly what are their chemical makeups? Dioxins or at least the nastiest ones are also known as TCDD or Tetra Chloro Dibenzo p Dioxins. Lots of chlorine (4) in that compound plus carbon, hydrogen, oxygen. DDT are also known as Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Again tons of chlorine (2&3) as well as carbon and  hydrogen, While both compounds may prefer bonding with soils versus water nevertheless I understand that both can dissolve (low concentrations) in water. 

So was Jeff Merriman simply shocked that I could put things together and see these highly toxic  compounds in their full negative light? Or had he tried to keep the DNAPL problems and issues well away from DDT and Dioxin somewhat as a scoping mechanism? After all the whole Elmira Water Crisis has been about scoping right from the start. Who remembers the Toluene plume on and off the Uniroyal Chemical site? Who remembers the Benzene plume on and off the site? What about the Chlorophenol plume and more? This is because off-site plumes were scoped to only NDMA and chlorobenzene whereas toxic chemicals in the Canagagigue Creek have been scoped down to DDT and Dioxins. 

All mighty convenient for the polluter I would say as it again minimizes the extent of both the environmental damages and the human health injuries. 

DEMOCRACY: THE ART OF GOVERNMENT TELLING CITIZENS WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR BUT DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO

 

The impolite term for this is lying. Amazing to me how rapidly formerly honest individuals lose their abhorrence for liars after they are elected to office. They are literally surrounded by liars. Little lies or big lies politicians rapidly learn that the rules of civilized behaviour to not apply to them. Why should they when you can have it both ways? You can do whatever objectionable thing you want without consequences or condemnation simply by telling questioners, the public etc. what you know they want to hear. Of course it's best if you have a firm handle on where the facts and truth are located. Only idiots like Trump tell lies constantly which can be readily fact checked.

The latest whopper that our Federal government appears to have been caught on is their past claim that Canada has stopped sending weapons, ammunition and or military equipment to Israel for use in Gaza or otherwise. Well today's K-W Record has a group of both Israeli and Palestinian persons who gained access to Israeli import/export documents showing that Canada has been sending exactly those commodities to Israel on about a three or four times a year basis. Now that is brazen by our own government telling us clearly what most Canadians want to hear namely that Canada is not providing military assistance and equipment for use the last couple of years in Gaza.

Here I am still shocked by our municipal, regional and provincial government lying to local citizens telling them what a wonderful job they are doing in cleaning up our drinking aquifers and our Creek ("Gig"). Not much mention of course of the always leaking former Uniroyal Chemical site which Dr. Gail Krantzberg (McMaster Univ.) several years back advised CPAC would eventually dilute, leak and migrate all their contaminants off site.

Sandy I advise you to shut your mouth accusing me of  seeing conspiracies locally.  Politics is dirty and disgusting and essentially is exactly that: a conspiracy for the few to fool the many.

LANXESS, WOOLWICH & MECP ARE TERRIFIED TO TALK OR DEBATE WITH SERIOUS CRITICS

 

You don't restrict membership to public consultation bodies to only cheerleaders and professional colleagues otherwise. You don't weed out through lying and manipulation the very best informed citizen(s) who can articulate their concerns and doubts clearly and using scientific data provided by both the polluter/proponent and others. Finally you don't refuse to let concerned citizens ask questions. It used to be called "Public Forum" at past CPAC meetings and the likes of Susan Bryant and possibly dubious others were nevertheless allowed to speak. 

All the guilty parties are terrified of an almost 76 year old man with typical health problems for his age. They are terrified that their self-serving  narrative will fall apart. Their nonsensical claims may spring a leak publicly and their credibility wash away. They are tongue tied despite ongoing years of public propaganda, psuedo science and absolutely ridiculous and flimsy puffery inflating their failed actions trying to turn a rotting pile of toxic waste into a bed of roses. 

They have the media somewhat enthralled.  As an optimist I have not irrevocably given up on either the Woolwich Observer or the K-W Record.  They like most print media have faced incredible challenges and should be given credit for their resilience even if it has required serious reporting cutbacks and the ability  to devote the time and manpower necessary for difficult issues such as the never ending Elmira Water Crisis. 

They have all the local politicians rapped around their fingers. Deals were done, bent and broken or reinterpreted by mealy mouthed polluters as they felt necessary. Our compromised and corrupt Ministry of Environment have buried their heads in the sand while going through the motions of actually "regulating" the environmental behaviour  of Uniroyal Chemical and subsequent owners of the Elmira site. 

Local citizens have lost interest after 36 years of talk, delay, talk, delay, talk, delay...you may see a pattern here. The Elmira "cleanup" is a straw man being pushed by the fourth chemical company, Lanxess Canada, simply to continue to allow the site to continue to leak and migrate off-site for at least the next thirty-six years or likely much longer.

EVERYBODY IS ON THEIR SIDE YET THEY ARE AFRAID TO PUBLICLY TALK TO ME !

I guess they are just a pack of gutless wonders. 

IT IS ONE HELL OF A WORLD WE ARE LEAVING OUR CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN

 

Children are dying of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza. When they or their caregivers venture out to obtain food from intermittent aid deliveries they are sometimes shot and sometimes bombed. Apparently those with the guns and bombs can not tell the difference between a package of flour or rice versus an AK47 rifle,  a tank or other offensive weapons.

Meanwhile in the Ukraine Russia continues bombing residential areas, infrastructure sites (power & water) and killing civilians daily for the last three years now.

Weren't these the exact scenarios that the United Nations was supposed to step up and put an end to? I understand that the biggest U.N.  funding comes from the U.S. and maybe a couple of other veto holding states (China, Russia etc.) . The whole idea of a veto really was a stinker from the start and has been used and abused by all the holders of said vetoes. Is it necessary to dismantle and start from scratch some sort of world body perhaps oddly enough based upon numbers and population versus say size of economy, number of available nukes etc.? I guess both China and India would welcome those kinds of changes and the U.S. and Russia not so much.

Something needs to be done to shut down these abominations taking place in 2025. Does anyone, anywhere actually see some advantage to the public (world) interest in having civilians (men, women, children) starving and maimed not through accident but by intent? Frankly this is why I have very little optimism for the long term future of mankind on this planet. We still don't understand that being victimized by those stronger both comes around and goes around if it is not stopped with speed and firmness. If as I believe the vast majority of people in the world are inherently good then they need to step up and oppose the much fewer who are not.  

SEE HERE'S THE THING: WHO TRUSTS REPEAT PROVEN LIARS OTHER THAN SYCOPHANTS, IDIOTS & SELF-SERVING FELLOW TRAVELLORS ?

 

So now we are told by our latest corporate entity running the former Uniroyal Chemical site in Elmira, Ontario that they must study steady state groundwater concentrations in the Elmira Aquifers. By steady state they mean without pumping wells going. Hence they have shut down extraction/pumping wells W3R, W5A, W5B, W6A, W6B, W8 and W9. They will remain shut down for approximately eight weeks. These wells generally together pump around fourty litres per second of contaminated groundwater for treatment (partial) and discharge to the Canagagigue Creek. Who do you think pockets these no longer being done treatment costs? Bingo : Lanxess Canada.

But it gets better. Yes there is a relationship between how much on-site pumping is required to maintain on-site hydraulic containment versus how much off-site (downgradient) pumping is drawing/pulling on-site (i.e. Lanxess) groundwater downgradient and off the site. Hence by reducing the off-site pumping one could expect a reduction in on-site pumping as Lanxess aren't ever going to spend a penny more than they have to. The problem is of course that the twits (??$$$??) slowed down on-site pumping BEFORE they slowed down off-site pumping. Gotta give them credit. These boys and girls know two things really well. 1) How to bull**it and 2) How not to spend money on cleanup.

On-site pumping reductions have been going on for some time now as in long before any off-site reductions. So how does this affect Lanxess financially? Basically the taxpayers are on the hook for 50% of the off-site cleanup. Isn't that a stinker. Personally I don't recall ever dumping any, much less millions of litres of toxic liquid and solid wastes on that site. Oh I forgot : the justification has something to do with the Ontario M.O.E. approving various idiot in ground burying of said toxic wastes hence they have some culpability. 

What is going on is simple. The more on-site wastes that can be allowed to leak, flow and migrate off their site the less that they have to pay 100% to remediate. Every litre pulled off their site by off-site pumping saves Lanxess money in the long run. The MECP know this perfectly well and as always are willing to sacrifice the public interest on the alter of public confidence in their government institutions such as themselves.

Maybe there is a case for what Lanxess are currently doing. TRAC are way too over their heads to even have a clue as to the decades long history of pumping levels on the site. It takes time and effort to keep up and to back up and do research into past pumping levels which TRAC members neither have the time nor inclination to do. As usual they are in the dark as to what came before they showed up. This is exactly what all the guilty parties want and have. 

 

  

LOCAL & PROVINCIAL BRAINTRUSTS STILL BUILDING & DEVELOPING

 

Maybe some of them missed the memo. It's no longer politically incorrect to suggest stepping on the brakes regarding immigration and the resulting flooded labour markets, housing shortages, overworked Emergency Rooms and hospitals plus environmental degradation of our rivers and streams. Our Federal government finally conceded that their handling of immigration, student visas and other gateways into Canada needs work. A lot of work.  

So the tiny village of St. Jacobs would be better off with more subdivisions. Better off exactly for whom? Not the current residents and not the Conestoga River thank you very much. So the Region claims an 80%  capacity at the local Sewage Treatment Plant at peak times yet there have been and are sewage backups into homes. Residents are crying Bull**it to the Region's 80% figure. The Region wouldn't lie to citizens would they? I mean they've certainly gone along with misleading local citizens about the cleanup coverup in Elmira so why not fib in St. Jacobs as well?

Today's paper carries the following article written by Bill Jackson titled "Residents question whether St. Jacob's sewage plant can handle ambitious growth".  Clearly the answer is no and how smart do you have to be to build greater sewage capacity BEFORE building more homes and subdivisions? Or heaven forbid simply put on your big boy pants and say no to large developments in inappropriate locations. Oh right Woolwich don't want to ever offend our current genius Premier who's all about making money for developers, his friends, colleagues and family. 

A FEW RAMIFICATIONS OF THE DNAPL COVERUP

 

1)  If they successfully can deny on-site DNAPLS then migrating (gravity flowing) off-site DNAPLS can also be ignored. This includes from Uniroyal's south-west corner (M2) over to the Nutrite site as well as over to beside the Howard St. Water Tower at OW57-32. Finally according to the map from last month's TRAC meeting the major source of chlorobenzene to the Elmira Aquifers is the east side pits and ponds which we know flowed onto the Stroh property. Talk about a "Non Disclosed Work Around". Woolwich and Regional officials aren't just planning on burying DDT and dioxins on the Stroh and Martin farms but likely DNAPLS as well. These decisions will haunt both our downstream Mennonite neighbours as well as the drinking water treatment required throughout Waterloo Region (IUS-Integrated Urban System) for many more decades and even speed up what should have been the unnecessary process and cost of building a Lake Erie Pipeline to Waterloo Region.

2) Focus has been upon how much NDMA has been removed (not enough) from the Elmira Aquifers since 1998 when we should be looking at chlorobenzene. Yes NDMA has a very low and difficult to achieve drinking water standard of .009 parts per billion. Chlorobenzene however has a drinking water standard of EIGHTY parts per billion and they aren't even close especially in the Municipal Lower Aquifer. 

3) Thirty-six years have been wasted (1989-2025) by pretending that DNAPLS don't exist in Elmira whereas every other negligent chemical companies who handled chlorinated solvents have them in spades and know they need to be addressed. This was the main message of Drs. Cherry and Parker in the January 2007 meeting at the University of Waterloo. Funny how sad and despondent Pat, Susan B. and Wilf were when they heard that compared to my attitude of finally let's go after them! It never happened.

The history of the Elmira "cleanup" is the history of Non Disclosed Work Arounds. Every significant decision has been made in private backroom deals with the public excluded. These "Work Arounds" have neither followed environmental law nor any kind of environmental policy such as the Precautionary Principle. UPAC, CPAC, RAC/TAG and now TRAC are merely window dressing to give the appearance of public consultation. Only pre-approved parties plus a few co-opted citizens have been granted full access to all reports, discussions, technical meetings and real decision making. 

CHLOROBENZENE, CHLOROPHENOLS, CHLOROFORM, CHLOROETHANES, DDT, DIOXINS (TCDD), CCL4, MBT, BT & SO MANY OTHER DNAPLS

 

Just as Uniroyal/Lanxess are full of it so is their property in Elmira full of DNAPLS. The list goes on and on and only once did Jaimie Connelly (M.O.E. hydrogeologist) lay down the law on DNAPLS including a number of different Effective Solubilities versus Lab Solubilities. In other words the greater the number of different solvents etc. dissolved in groundwater the lower the actual solubility of the individual solvents including the chlorinated ones. While I'm making nice with the generally corrupt and despicable M.O.E./MECP let me also add that it was M.O.E. hydrogeologist Bob Hillier who first brought a bottle containing Dnapl  to a public UPAC meeting in the 1990s. It had been pumped from well OW88 in the south-west part of Uniroyal where chlorobenzene concentrations were through the roof.

The "Non Aqueous Phase" part of DNAPL (Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid) refers to its' consistency and inability to readily dissolve in water. In other words while it can pour and flow like a liquid it doesn't immediately either mix readily or dissolve in water. Yes some DNAPLS can dissolve more readily in some solvents. To say that the groundwater beneath Uniroyal Chemical is a witches' brew doesn't even begin to cover it. When I think of DNAPLS I think of how mercury behaves from a broken thermometer. Or another metaphor would be the "Blob" found on the bottom of the St. Clair River in the 1980s courtesy I believe of another hero chemical company named Dow Chemical. 

The DNAPL coverup at Uniroyal Chemical started (at least for the public) in the very early 1990s. Back room agreements were made with the M.O.E. and all the other Environmental Appeal Board parties obviously including APTE when you look at Sylvia's behavior towards her own DNAPL critique written by myself, Sylvia and Glenys. I do not believe other APTE co-ordinators had any knowledge of this betrayal as neither Esther Thur nor Rich Clausi had knowledge of it. Susan Bryant was in India at the time. Uniroyal had already effectively disabled APTE the moment one or two leaders agreed on their own to coverup DNAPLS. This coverup continued despite my best efforts at UPAC. There was  a revival around 2006-2007 with Jaimie Connolly and even Wilf Ruland, he who had ten gears for reverse and only one to go forward (remember the old joke about the gearing on Egyptian battle tanks?).  Unfortunately Susan B. and Pat Mc.(CPAC Chair) "forgot" to send me those 2006 letters from Jaimie and Wilf for a couple of years. Oh right Susan B. blamed it on my late switch from FAX to E-Mail.

The 2007 DNAPL meeting at the University of Waterloo between Drs. John Cherry and Beth Parker and myself, Susan B., Wilf & Pat Mc.  should have been the turnaround. Instead months later Pat and Susan B. faked huge concern over a proven flaw(s) in the proposed Ammonia Treatments System that I found and ran by both Susan and Wilf Ruland. Wilf carefully agreed with what I had found and tried at a meeting with Uniroyal/Chemtura and CRA to get some compromise from them. Wilf's ten reverse gears couldn't handle Conestoga Rovers pushback so he dropped it. 

And all the guilty parties rejoiced as they lied their way through another problem that desperately needed to be addressed to properly remediate the Elmira Aquifers. For God's sake why do you think that chlorobenzene's groundwater concentrations have been far, far less successfully reduced than NDMAs in both the Municipal Upper Aquifer and especially in the Municipal Lower Aquifer? It's the damn DNAPLS both on and off site that are greatly delaying the reduction of chlorobenzene concentrations and those DNAPLS should have been properly and professionally addressed thirty-five years ago rather than covered up by all the guilty parties.   

  

 

DNAPL-DENSE NON AQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS - POLITICAL "WORK AROUNDS" TO AVOID COSTS, LIABILITY & PUBLIC CENSURE

 

The term  "non disclosed work arounds" above has been borrowed from a distinguished friend who used it in e-mails yesterday to myself and various others some of whom have ethics and integrity in inverse proportion to their actual authority or power. At least that is my opinion not necessarily his. In fact my friend while immensely talented and knowledgeable does not use his powers to belittle or insult, even the most blatant excuses of humanity, as I do.  For myself call it compensation for having a smaller brain than his.

 Chlorinated solvents are the best known DNAPLS. Chlorine is a heavy atom and one of the distinguishing characteristics of DNAPLS is the first word  "Dense" in their name . It means that their Specific Gravity is greater than 1 which is the specific gravity of water. Hence DNAPLS sink through groundwater. From day one Uniroyal Chemical with support from the Ontario Ministry of Environment have lied about the proliferation of Dnapls both on and off their site in Elmira, Ontario. Chlorobenzene is merely one of dozens of different DNAPLS negigently mishandled by Uniroyal for decades. It and NDMA are the face and focus of the groundwater pollution  here. For Uniroyal and the M.O.E. to ever deny the presence of either free phase or residual DNAPL in, on and around this site is the height of stupidity, brass, contempt and frankly utter lack of ethics or honesty.  Until or unless they ever stop lying I view their word at best as garbage.

There are both rules and laws regarding environmental cleanups. Uniroyal and successors have lied, misled, fudged data, used junk and psuedo science, manipulated citizens and politicians alike in their quest to minimize and reduce both their moral and legal liability. They were told by Dave Belanger of CH2MHILL back in the early 1990s that hydraulic containment i.e. Pump & Treat was the "cheapest and least effective solution" to remediate the Elmira Aquifers. Dr. Richard Jackson publicly at TAG (Technical Advisory Group) described their pilot test of ISCO (In Situ Chemical Oxidation) near W3R pumping well as pathetic and amateurishly done. 

This is the reality of their multi failed cleanup of both our groundwaters and of our surface waters (Canagagigue Creek) not to mention their impressively forever (?) contaminated property. Our municipal, regional and provincial politicians have been worse than negligent. They have been complicit and as a direct result Elmira and area citizens have paid and continue to pay the health price of contaminated air, water and soils. 

And certain a**hole politicians have the nerve to suggest that I have failed to treat them or their fellow health assaulters ( more gently said than murderers) with courtesy and respect when all they deserve is a swift kick out of town never to return.

 

UNIROYAL DNAPL (CHLOROBENZENE) LYING FINALLY BEING PUBLICLY EXPOSED / MECP AT LEGAL RISK ?

 

I've recently been posting here about Jesse Wright's of Arcadis incredible revelations at last month's TRAC meeting (June 19/25).  Mr. Wright kept it as low key as possible but between his maps presented on overhead screens as well as his words there are at least SIX "chlorobenzene potential off-site sources". Oh my God and he said this as if it were nothing. Is this why Lanxess are bringing in third party patsies i.e. to share the blame ?  Just like Stantec being involved in the Creek Risk Assessment is the idea to put bodies, companies and layers of patsies between the first class LIARS of yesterday and the revelations of truth today?  

"Chlorobenzene potential off-site sources" could indicate individual companies such as Borg, Sanyo, Varnicolor, Motiveair etc. having illegally spilled and dumped chlorobenzene on their properties. At least that is where the yellow (sort of) rectangles representing off-site locations roughly appear to be. Or maybe it's something else altogether such as what I told CPAC back around 2006 namely that free phase DNAPL had been found one hundred feet below ground surface at OW57-32 beside the Howard St. Water Tower. All the professional liars (MOE, Chemtura, CRA) rushed in to say oh no the evidence isn't conclusive enough. No it's not DNAPL it's dissolved chlorobenzene or whatever else bull**it they could dream up. This included Susan Bryant and other CPAC members at the time. CPAC even then was helping Uniroyal/Chemtura and the Min. of Environment cover up the truth . 

The DNAPL found at OW57-32 could have gravity flowed from Borg or Varnicolor. It could possibly even have gravity flowed underground from Uniroyal Chemical. But nobody wanted to know! Covering up DNAPL with everybody's complicity including APTE's (i.e. Susan Bryant) was the big deal. To admit that there was free phase DNAPL off-site in particular made the chances of a successful pump & treat even lower than they already were. Pump & Treat may work for dissolved contaminants but it is ridiculously slow on DNAPL which could take between decades and centuries to fully dissolve.

Could this also be the evidence needed to finally get a Public Inquiry or equivalent into Ministry of the Environment corruption? How could it be possible not to have detected some dissolved chlorobenzene in and around Varnicolor Chemical after I exposed them in 1990? The answer is easy. More lying by them. Yes they had promised a full horizontal and VERTICAL delineation of the soils and groundwater beneath Varnicolor.  They then totally reneged on that promise. They did not do the deeper soil or groundwater sampling required to find excessive concentrations of chlorobenzene there from either their own dumping or from DNAPL released and gravity flowing from Uniroyal Chemical. There was evidence at CH38 near Sanyo Canada (Industrial Dr. & Oriole Parkway) of excessive chlorobenzene in the groundwater for decades. Excessive in relation to the plume leaving Uniroyal Chemical. 

Sitting back and merely enjoying the guilty parties squirming could be fun. Watching them face legal jeopardy for lying to the public, Breach of Trust and or other possible legal consequences would be better in order to dissuade future bad actors. The question is who will initiate this legal action when all our political actors also have tainted hands?

APTE MESSED UP BIG TIME IN JANUARY 1994 OVER DNAPLS

 

The evidence has been there for many, many years but dogmatic, blatant lying by both the Ministry of Environment and by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess has covered it up. Woolwich Township CAOs and mayors generally have gone along with the program. The free phase DNAPL found at OW57-32 by the Howard St. Water Tower more than fifteen years ago can no longer be denied. Arcadis and their rep spoke about the number of off-site potential chlorobenzene sources within the block of First St., Union St., Howard St, and Industrial Dr. at the June 19/25 TRAC meeting. This block also encompasses the Howard St. Water Tower.

I am sorry for the vast majority of APTE members who will eventually learn that your leaders Sylvia and Susan B. conspired WITH Uniroyal Chemical to coverup the DNAPL situation here in Elmira, Ontario. In exchange for silence on DNAPLS Sylvia and Susan B. were promised (falsely so far) downstream Creek ("Gig") rehabilitation plus permanent spots at the consultation table with Uniroyal and successors.  They sold out their friends, neighbours and colleagues for that plus a little positive recognition from all the local political bodies. As soon as Sylvia and family left Elmira, Susan B. pivoted to Pat Mc., a new wingman if you will. 

APTE swallowed Sylvia's nonsense hook, line and sinker at the January 1994 co-ordinators' meeting in which Rich Clausi and I presented our DNAPL evidence and APTE DNAPL report which had been  prepared by Sylvia, myself and Glenys.  Sylvia turned it into a popularity contest versus a factual DNAPL examination. That was easier for the co-ordinators to decide on hence their co-leader (Sylvia) took the day immediately demanding that I be kicked off the Uniroyal team at the public UPAC meetings. I have to believe that Uniroyal was so proud of her.

Indeed Rich and I made an error in presenting Pat Potter's angry letter demanding what the hell Sylvia was doing saying nice things in writing about Uniroyal. Pat had received a copy that was sent to the CCPA (Cnd. Chemical Producers Assoc'n) by Sylvia. Sylvia simply suggested to the co-ordinators that constant criticism needed some positive reinforcement here and there. It was a weak response but it worked and now the issue could be redirected as an attack on Sylvia which was not the purpose of the meeting.

APTE you got snookered even worse than I did as I still believed in Susan B. when she got back from India and worked with her for years afterwards, just not as an APTE member. 

ONE OF THE REASONS TRAC ARE USELESS AS TI*S ON A BULL

 

They have no lengthy history and the only one who does is both dishonest and getting old. Not a crime (old) but possibly a reason why she doesn't speak up although I believe it's more the former than the latter. On both June 30 and July 1, 2025 I posted here about the astounding DNAPL turnaround presented by Arcadis on behalf of Lanxess. At the 50 minute 38 second mark of the  June 19/25 TRAC video on the Woolwich Township website we are both shown on the screen and verbally advised by the speaker for Arcadis that the orange/yellow squares and dots are potential off-site sources of chlorobenzene. 

A month has gone by since that TRAC meeting and of course NOTHING has been released to the public about this transformative information. Nor is it likely to happen. Too many past lies by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess for Lanxess to admit that as recently as last fall their consultants GHD were still lying about the presence/absence of other sources of chlorobenzene. Also sure as heck nobody wants to admit to the presence in our aquifers for years of free phase DNAPL and how that has impacted (slowed) the cleanup of our groundwater. 

So TRAC simply let this drop. They are too ignorant of the past DNAPL arguments, discussions and coverups to realize how significant this is. Meanwhile of course don't expect our corrupt Min. of Environment (MECP) either to speak up and clarify this huge issue.

NICE TO SEE A FRIEND RECEIVING ACCOLADES

 

It doesn't happen nearly often enough. Of course the unworthy also receive accolades. There was a time when I was young and naive when I thought groups like the GRCA were the real deal. Please. Yes there are undoubtedly individual professionals and technicians doing good work who think that the whole organization is on the up and up. Their nickname of the Grand River Construction Assoc'n may only have come after a few misguided plans went awry. Plans such as approving solvent tank farms on the infamous Varnicolor Chemical Lot 91 site in Elmira. Other approvals of buildings far too close to the river for any kind of safety. Now at the same time there have been success stories of downstream residents being given timely warnings of impending floods. Perhaps my angst with the GRCA is mostly due to who the decisionmakers are (local municipal politicians) and to the fact that they have been totally useless here in Elmira either speaking for or advocating for reduced chemicals present in the Canagagigue Creek. They roll over just like all the others.

The Region of Waterloo hand out environmental awards. So do every other dirty polluter within a hundred miles. Ask yourself why the Region of Waterloo have always avoided naming names. Names like all the big polluters who have ruined our groundwater in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira etc. The Region want these large, powerful corporate entities onside for things like political donations and support for large community events. Think ION etc. The politicians support and protect the polluters in exchange for the same support back. That support will also be needed when the Region suddenly announce how much worse the groundwater is then they ever imagined hence the Lake Erie Pipeline is required now.  Constant lying to the public is what governance has become. 

This lying has reached it's zenith up here in Elmira. Imagine total failure in the Elmira cleanup yet all these lying parties are bragging about how great their pump & treat has been and now decades too late they are going to make it even better. This is the "magic bullet" that Dr. Dick Jackson (Sept. 2015-Jan. 2016) warned us about. It does not exist. Yes there are lots of good technologies but they've never been used or even honestly attempted here. It's all gamesmanship and nonsense and all the good little boys and girls are gobbling it up.

Meanwhile the newbies like Nathan and Hadley pretend that they have the answers. Neither has a clue and how could they as to what's gone on for the last thirty-six years that they were nowhere to be found.

OUR FIRST NATIONS FRIENDS LAUNCH LEGAL ACTION AGAINST FEDS (Carney) & ONTARIO (Ford)

 

Well done! I also expect that various fairly well known environmental groups may also have done the same already or are in the process.  The federal Bill is known as C-5 and the provincial Bill is named simply Bill 5. Whether or not these Bills are unconstitutional as claimed I do not know. What I do know is that they make a mockery of earlier protective legislations done in the public interest as they afforded environmental protections to our natural environment whether air, soil, ground water or surface water. 

Right now I'm sitting indoors after being advised that my outdoor air is dangerous to my health. At age 75 I take that seriously. The danger is both smoke from western forest fires (caused by climate change/global warming)  as well as other industrial pollutants.  At the same time I run my tap water coming from a pipeline from Waterloo through a Brita filter both to get rid of the chlorine smell as well as to assist in further reduction of glyphosate and dozens of other low level industrial pollutants and solvents from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge's industrial days and free ground discharge. As bad as Waterloo Region's water has become it's still better than the groundwater mess up here in Elmira thanks to Uniroyal Chemical. 

Nevertheless these provincial and federal political idiots think it is just dandy to rewrite (i.e. scrap) or bypass protective environmental legislation just to milk the very last nickel of profit from our natural resources at the very lowest cost possible to the proponents of these schemes. This low cost of course is by externalizing all the environmental costs of waste disposal, rehabilitation, cleanup costs etc. onto both the taxpayer and onto the natural environment. In other words more environmental degradation.

My best wishes go to our First Nations fighters as well as to our environmental groups involved in fighting both Bills (Bill 5 & C-5). The Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "First Nations launch legal challenge" on page A5 of today's newspaper.

SYLVIA, SUSAN B., PAT Mc. - THREE LADIES WHO ENSURED UNIROYAL'S (DISHONEST) NARRATIVE PREVAILED

 

By far and away Susan paved the way for the world class polluter to keep on making money here in Elmira while going through the cleanup motions. The other two were her wingmen if you will. Susan was often out of her depth and neither of those two were any help technically however Susan also relied upon hydrogeologist Wilf Ruland as well as myself for technical assistance. My embarrassment at being manipulated by her is only alleviated somewhat if you will by the number of people inside and outside Elmira who still think that she is an activist and an environmentalist. She is a very slick talker who has stabbed friends and colleagues in the back always promoting herself along the way. Her relationships with Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess have been miles beyond what they should be including working with the company's consultants, CRA,  on their E-Dat program. Of course Susan's input was editing the text not anything mathematical or scientific. Basically when Susan Rupert, one of the three real founders of APTE (Sandra Bray & Esther Thur), moved out of Elmira and Susan Bryant and Sylvia took over the leadership, it was the beginning of the end for any successful cleanups. No Susan Bryant was NOT a founder of APTE.

Also Susan B. appropriated Esther Thur's work and Uniroyal collection at the Elmira Library and claimed it as an APTE creation. Esther started it as an APTE member but quit APTE in disgust and joined Richard Clausi and I as Elmira Environmental Hazard Team members. Later Dr. Henry Regier joined the EH-Team as well. Esther spent far more years building the Uniroyal document collection as an EH-Team member than as an APTE member and she was an EH member until her passing on. 

Susan B.s greatest gift was that of self-promotion which included awards from now obviously pro Uniroyal/Lanxess groups such as the GRCA,  Woolwich Twn. and the Region. She played ball with them and allowed them to look good while in return they tossed her environmental bones of little to no significance. These and other other parties were always making future promises which rarely were even reviewed down the road much less actually kept.  Susan's early presence at meetings with them gave them credibility for which she was rewarded privately as mentioned above as well as by one promise Uniroyal and corporate tards did keep. She was always invited to meetings whether or not she was even a member of CPAC such as from early 2012 until September 2015. Yes she and Pat McLean were meeting privately on the Uniroyal/Chemtura site behind both CPAC's back and Woolwich Township's back as well as the public's back. That was how Susan always operated and it was NOT in the public interest. 

Eventually Susan B. will likely receive some corporate award (sponsered by Lanxess). Eventually after that all her supporters will be shocked to find out the truth. I think hydrogeologist Wilf Ruland will feel betrayed as well unless he too was in on the scam with the company from the beginning. I and others found his alleged "independent hydrogeologist" status to be an ironic joke. He and other hydrogeologists were afraid of CRA (Conestoga Rovers) and their influence and refused to push even when the facts were all backing their position.  

Also surreptitiously Pat Mclean while Chair of CPAC was receiving all expense paid trips around North America to attend get togethers after being sponsered by Uniroyal/Chemtura to the chemical industries public relations body. Names have changed and it may currently be the CIAC (Chemical Industry Assoc'n of Canada). These bodies had occasional environmentalists on them but mostly co-optees and corporate types polishing their resumes. Remember that Pat's chemical knowledge was such that she barely knew the difference between a DNAPL and a horse apple. 

All of this guaranteed the non-cleanup we have today in mid 2025 and for decades more.     

TODD COWAN'S PLACE IN WOOLWICH ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

 

I find this very difficult. Todd tried unlike the rest who kept their heads down and didn't make waves. Todd appointed an excellent CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) which included Dr. Dan Holt, Dr. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach, Viv Delaney, Ron Campbell, Graham Chevreaux and myself. At a later date CPAC appointed a sub-committee (SWAT- soil, water, air, team) which was myself after getting bounced by a lying Todd & CAO plus the sub-committee included Dr. Henry Regier and Rich Clausi. 

Todd succumbed to after the fact Chemtura pressure. Chemtura of course lied like dogs and Todd only needed to convince himself that 5% of what they said was true and then he lied to council to get me bounced according to one of those councillors. Nevertheless CPAC and SWAT carried on and made the professional liars (Chemtura & M.O.E.) lives miserable at public CPAC meetings calling them out on their bulls**t. 

Never before had informed citizens so relentlessly held their feet to the fire demanding honesty and truth from them. The Chair Dr. Holt kept the meetings civil but he would not allow either the Ministry of Environment or Chemtura to continue responding with the same lies and nonsense. We were not there to play the game or go through the motions and that scared them. They were no longer in control of the narrative. It can be done but then Sandy Shantz and Mark Bauman flew in to rescue them after Todd got annihilated in the 2014 election. Todd was the author of his own dramatic political flareout .

A COUPLE OF FIRES ON HIGH ST. IN ELMIRA OVER THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS

This was not unexpected  by me considering the location close to the former Bolender Landfill. However the facts are not aligning with that theory. The first fire was even further away from the landfill, was in a garage and had some routine combustibles stored there. The most recent fire while I believe as yet the cause is undetermined nevertheless was suggested to have started in the kitchen of the home built in 1909. No one was home at the time (thank goodness) and there is no suggestion of carelessness etc.

My major concern with the former Bolender Landfill is the Flip Flop behaviour yet again of Woolwich staff and allegedly technical people. Their consultants have also been all over the block over the decades of their writing reports about the methane filled landfill. One report and they have dangerous levels of methane to the north, reports later to the east, several years later to the west. Similarly their consultants have advised offering free methane meters/alarms for residents on High and George St. Then they don't. Also as I recall Woolwich had made it clear in various reports that as long as no new construction within so many metres of the landfill property line then everyone was safe. So then what do they do but they issue a building permit literally right up to the property line of the former landfill.

No need to worry though. Just because provincial legislation says that is illegal Woolwich are masters of manipulating theirs and other rules to bend to their wishes. I'm sure they will be happy to talk in circles to anyone who questions their God-like, cat-like, Ford & Trump-like skillsets. 

   

PUBLIC CONSULTATION IS IGNORED IN WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

 

I should clarify that. As long as the public consultation supports the fragile, fantasy based ideas of the mayor, Lanxess and all their fellow travellors then it is appreciated. Otherwise please flight off is their attitude. Don't harsh my mellow. I'm naive, lazy and uninformed and that's good enough for me. Let Lanxess and the MECP do their thing and public scrutiny will be by appointment and upon request from pre-approved mostly credentialed people who know their place. There will be no raised eyebrows, no laughs of derision and certainly no raucous explosions of disbelief. Anyone caught coughing the word "HORSESH**" will be immediately ejected . Control of opposition will be absolute. They don't want any of that. It could accidentally trigger questions or heaven forbid even accusations. Chemical company Lanxess are much too nice to have to suffer like that.

Is there any hope with the current deferential pack of putzes (i.e. TRAC) for reform? Also just to be clear before passing sentence putzes can be wonderful folks. They can be husbands, wives, parents, kids who would never walk by someone obviously in need of help. They can be humanitarians. Good Lord they could even be environmentalists at least outside the TRAC purvue. No a putz in this situation is simply somebody who goes along to get along. They don't want to rock the boat. They don't want to bother anybody, hurt their feelings or make the atmosphere tense at all. Putzes are what mayor Sandy, Lanxess and the MECP want and it's what they've got. Final answer is there is no hope with this pack of putzes. 

So clean house. Not just of TRAC but somebody (FEDS ???)  has to come in, remove all the current players (Lanxess, GHD, MECP, Woolwich Twn., Region of Waterloo) and start from scratch. Not one single lying current piece of shit shall be part of the new administration to clean up the former Uniroyal Chemical, Elmira Aquifers and the downstream Canagagigue Creek. 

POLITICS IS CONSTANT DISRESPECT BETWEEN RETURNING DRIBBLES OF STOLEN TAX MONEY TO CITIZENS & ALSO GIVING IT TO SUPPORTERS

 

Rule 1:  Always state that your first priority is the public interest

Rule 2: Attend as many public community events as possible again pretending to care

Rule 3: Never break your cover. Always retreat to community service, public interest, being caring and compassionate even when you are reducing welfare, kicking people out of their homes, cutting funding for disabled children etc. Never admit to anything negative

Rule 4:Surround yourself with sycophants, supporters, political junkies. Never appear alone or isolated in your position

Rule 5: Your job is to protect the excessively rich and influential. Providing cover and insulation especially when their actions are solely self-serving is fine as long as your hand is out to receive some of their ill gotten gains they have hornswaggled.

Rule 6: Do not defend or back down. It shows weakness. A party like the Conservatives and Liberals requires solidarity up and down the line whether in the legislature or the federal Parliament. 

Rule 7: Always blur the true cost of things. Afterall if you are playing fast and loose with the public's money it's best to overstate expenses and understate revenues. How much were the cost of emergency sirens along the Guadaloupe River in Texas overstated and how much were the county or state finances minimized?  I mean really the good old boys down there don't want there hunting, fishing and drinking rights infringed upon and all good Conservatives know that legitimate costs are the thin edge of the wedge.

Rule 7:  Always have substitutes waiting in the wings. Eventually the public figure out who the biggest liars and worst politicians are hence you may have to ignominiously throw out the old and bring in the new.  Both Liberals and Conservatives have done it over and over again and it works. 

Only amoral, polished liars and sociopaths have any hope of serious advancement.  Yes good people will be tolerated only until they catch on to what the game is. 

WHAT A COUNTRY: WE CAN"T EVEN GUARANTEE ALL OUR CITIZENS CLEAN DRINKING WATER

 

Perhaps the title above should have had the word "honestly" included immediately before "Guarantee". Afterall our governments have always been long on promises and short on followup. Or as wise people have said "Talk is cheap but delivering is expensive". 

Do you think that we have clean drinking water here in Waterloo Region? Give your head a shake. Those dumbasses didn't even begin to test and publish their results for NDMA until twenty years or more AFTER  NDMA shut down the wellfields in Elmira. Glyphosate (Roundup) has a Method Detection Limit (MDL) of 25 parts per billion (ppb). The vast majority of other chemicals have MDLs below 1 ppb. None of the chemicals in our water are likely to be at zero. They are simply/hopefully below the health criteria listed on the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS). That is below their individual health standards. There is no attempt to actually measure the cumulative effect of dozens or more low level industrial chemicals and solvents simultaneously in our water supply. Again keep clearly in mind that there are thousands of different chemicals in our air, soils, ground and surface water. A miniscule number of them are picked for sampling and the results published in the Region's Annual (Water) Report each spring. These reports with hard work can be found on the Region's website.

Meanwhile the very same Region plus Woolwich Township and the Ontario Ministry of Environment knowingly permit second and third hand cleanups and less in and around the former Uniroyal Chemical site in Elmira. They know how much toxins continue to flow non stop down the Canagagigue Creek to Kitchener-Waterloo every day and how through the IUS (Integrated Urban System)  they are at best partially (but expensively) treated, sampled and distributed throughout the Region of Waterloo. A few years hence from now water managers and others will be asking themselves how on earth they weren't testing for chemical A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L etc. 

Of course it will require a crisis such as those in Cambridge, Elmira and Walkerton. Oh and of course the Region's cryptosporidium crisis in the early 1990s in which seniors died from getting infected by the microscopic parasite that the Region of waterloo had not been testing or treating for beforehand. 

SCHOOL BOARDS WORK FOR THE PROVINCE & ARE (OVERLY) WELL PAID IN ORDER TO ENSURE LOYALTY & OBEDIENCE

 

No rats allowed. No whistleblowers allowed. Preferably not too many folks at the top whose ethics and honesty will impede their ability to always be good yes men and women. This is the corporate model so why would we expect any different ? School Boards report to the Ministry of Education who are only to happy to not rock the boat as much as possible. 

Occasionally just like municipalities, a Board will get a little out of control. They will perhaps criticize underfunding or other provincial mandates and jurisdictions. The Ministry of Education will slap wrists at the Board level or perhaps threaten to send in a superviser to take charge at the Board until they see the light and come around. 

All parties have been enjoying the tax payer funded gravy train for a very long time. Respect, prestige, status, money and power, what's not to like. Well yeah dealing with those damn students and parents can be a pain in the as*.  

 Slush funds for politicians pet projects always require topping up.  Spare billions for some alleged "emergency" hopefully keeps the rats working diligently away. It's also always a bonus when as many of the rats can remain induced to work in less than ideal conditions, non unionized and as low wages as possible.  White collar unions nowadays  need to be provincial and federal workers as much as possible who clearly understand the superiority of working inside the system with greater wages, benefits and pensions. It helps keep them both loyal and quiet.

The Ministry of the Environment is similar to the Ministry of Education albeit with a much tinier budget. Laziness and incompetence can be tolerated whereas any inclination of stubborness or independence is looked upon with disfavour. There isn't nearly enough room at the top so standards must be met. Making deals with business and industry and not with the public is the way to go. Businesses are especially appreciative when the Ministry of Environment agrees that millions of dollars of remediation work can be transferred on to the taxpayers' backs. 

The system is broken but it also takes broken people to run it at all levels. 

WHY WOULD I BELIEVE ANY CRAP ABOUT STOPPING OFF-SITE PUMPING FROM HADLEY?

 

The only credibility she's got is that she hasn't been lying about the former Uniroyal site for as many years/decades as some of her colleagues. I believe the five minute  has lied since she's been attending and speaking (too much) at TRAC meetings although it is possible that some of it at least may be misinformation given to her verbally by her colleagues. 

Now based upon deception, lies and slick psuedo science she and her fellow travellors have sold to naive and or willing intelligent folks on TRAC all kinds of crap regarding "asymptotic" behaviour on graphs, DNAPL nonsense and even flip flops on chlorobenzene being a single source versus multiple sources here in Elmira. 

Hadley now has sold the wonderfully self-serving idea of fully stopping multiple off-site pumping wells. Every day they are stopped Lanxess does not pay hydro to pump the wells or hydro to run their treatment systems or activated carbon, ultraviolet tubes replacement etc. etc. Allegedly according to a lying company with three  predecessors corporations who may or may not have been worse than them, the purpose of this exercise is for Lanxess/GHD to be able to measure contaminant concentrations when the aquifer is at rest. In other words when the concentrations are not being influenced by pumping wells.

Is Hadley's request reasonable? Maybe but precious little to zero documentation, research or technical backup has been given to the public (much less TRAC?) . Based upon the history of the site and the last four owners I wouldn't donate so much as a nickel betting in favour of anything they say.  

Clean House of these parasitic, self-serving swine. Let them feed off some other community for a while 

A STEELWORKS IN CORBY SCOTLAND PLAY THE SAME FILTHY GAME AS UNIROYAL/LANXESS

 

The movie/ Documentary is on Netflix and it's title is "Toxic Town" One of the bottom lines for me was that Scottish working class men and women put our local workforce to shame. The other standout was how barefaced and unashamedly managers and owners of the steel works lied and denied almost everything. Finally yes there were torn loyalties to the company and to some of their own families.

Eveyone agreed that steelmaking is a dirty but necessary business.  After that however the company would not concede even the most obvious facts.  They smugly chose at every opportunity to ignore the mounting health damages and to arrogantly believe that they had the right of life and death over their fellow citizens and employees if that was required to benefit the company. Children were born disabled, deformed and some never made it through infancy.  

Some of the chemicals and heavy metals involved are similar to Uniroyal Chemical such as dioxins and PAHs but there were also cadmium and chromium. The dust was spread all over the town despite senior management knowingly full well how toxic it was. 

This  Lanxess is why you and your filthy ilk can not earn back the trust of knowledgeable citizens around the world.

WILL THE LANXESS FOLK RUN FOR THE HILLS WHEN THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FACADE COMES TUMBLING DOWN?

 

Fair enough they've got deep pockets and egos so it's unlikely they'll run for their corporate mamas at the first hints of trouble.  However as their foundations begin to quake I wonder how serious their exit strategies are. I'm referring to Hadley and Luis although there are lots of others less directly involved in the environmental scam. Allan Deal isn't there for GHD all the time but his lack of understanding of DNAPLS is actually painful. The GHD folk have come and gone but they are just as slippery as their predecessors. Same with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks. I still view the MECP as the Ministry of Expanded Corporate Pollution. It is maximum talk and speech per single molecule of  contaminant removed from the natural environment. You know in an honest organization there would be bonus and promotions not for the smoothest, sleaziest talkers but for those who actually stop pollution. Now we've got Lubna Hussain and Jason Rice. Dear God.

I am currently involved in searching for an environmental partner. A partner with motives considerably different than the Lanxess folk, the GHD folk and the MECP folk. One problem of course is total loss of respect and credibility of the MECP. Yes back in 1990 there were howls for a Public Inquiry into the Ontario Ministry of Environment. Under Jim Bradley (Liberal) they were actually laying charges and getting convictions. It needs to happen again.

Science can do a lot if it is properly funded. Laws however are constantly being written with no intent to ever enforce them. This too is why the Justice system has fallen into disrepute. Here in Elmira the polluters produce their own science at will. 

ARE "HOT SPOTS" TRULY HOT SPOTS IN THE CREEK OR ARE THEY SIMPLY VERY ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SAMPLED MORE FREQUENTLY?

 

They are more accessible locations to get into the Creek as roads and bridges cross the Creek at these spots. The roads involved are the New Jerusalem Rd., Northfield Dr. and Jigs Hollow Dr. just outside West Montrose. Clearly the consultants working for Lanxess  require vehicles to transport their sampling equipment and more literally to and into the Creek. Now I have long known that CRA and GHD on behalf of Lanxess have no qualms about leaving their thumbs on the scale when they are allegedly taking professional samples of Floodplain Soils, Creekbank Soils and Sediments in the bottom of the Creek. This is why samples should only be taken by truly independent professionals . The opportunities to fudge samples  are simply to easy to get away with.

Now I think that statistically the more samples one takes the greater the spread of results will be. If you only take three samples then it isn't likely that you will hit a home run with an extremely high result. But if you take 50 to 100 samples all from one area then the odds of getting a higher result are greatly increased. 

Other areas of the Creek where only one or two samples are taken are less likely to have a really high number. For example Sediment samples with a criteria for dioxins of .85 pg/g in some of the busiest sample areas mentioned have had results of 300 and 400 pg/g as well as over 1000 pg/g. Funny that Luis and Hadley don't mention those numbers isn't it?

Other sampling scams include using shovels instead of core samplers to get much lower sediment readings for DDT and dioxins. Also phony and inflated Method Detection Limits are an old trick they have used.If the M.D.L. is higher than the criteria then you will obtain phony Non Detects from samples. I'm sure there are other scams possible as well.

The answer to the question in the headline is probably YES and YES !

FOR THE MECP & LANXESS IT'S ALL ABOUT A SMOOTH TRANSITION COURTESY OF CHERRY PICKING RESULTS

 

They desperately need to convince the skeptical public that their government is in control. What with Global Warming and ever increasing rates of cancer, citizens are losing confidence and faith in their governments. Promised cleanups simply are not happening in any reasonable length of time. Species are disappearing as are arable land and clean drinking water. 

Jason Rice of the MECP wants to incorporate the old Control Order into a new ECA (Environmental Compliance Agreement. Of course as we have all seen both Control Orders and ECAs are paper tigers. They will be written in such a way that even the most pathetic compliance will take decades to sort out. More decades of more excuses and failures which will be blamed on absolutely everything except government and industry corruption.

Bless Hadley for telling the truth on one matter. She admitted that if the new ECA relies on pump & treat technology only that it will take more decades to clean Elmira's groundwater.  You can curse her if you wish for her comments on the downstream Canagagigue Creek. Five minute wonder Hadley is offended by the term "hot spots" She feels that the term unfairly characterizes some higher concentration areas. I do not. It merely points out where more sampling has indicated more exceedances of health criteria. Perhaps Hadley and Lanxess would prefer the term "increased environmental damage due to Uniroyal Chemical contempt for both human beings and the environment".

So at TRAC meetings Hadley, Luis and other crap simply are counting on TRAC members not remembering  all the dioxin results in the Creek SEDIMENTS. Generally they seem to prefer quoting Soil results and especially soil results not much higher than the 7 pg/g which is according to Jason Rice (MECP) is the Background screening result for dioxins. 

Both the 2017 and 2020 Canagagigue Creek sediment results far exceed  the SEDIMENT criteria for dioxins of .85 pg/g. all over the place and often by huge factors for dioxins. Of course the dishonest don't point that out.  

They are counting on the TRAC members not rereading the technical results so that they can cherry pick the ones they like.

DOES TRAC HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF THEIR PAST POSITIONS & DETERMINATIONS? WHEN IN DOUBT ADJUST THE SCIENCE ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS

 

I believe that it was only six months ago or so that Allan Deal (GHD) reversed the position taken by Dr. Neil Thompson of the U. of Waterloo. Dr. Thompson was working on a Conceptual Site Model for the Lanxess property (formerly Uniroyal Chemical) here in Elmira. Dr. Thompson plainly indicated that there was excess chlorobenzene in the Elmira Aquifers relative to the quantities that Uniroyal Chemical had calculated. I believe that there was also a suggestion that some kind of isotope determination was undertaken which suggested that some of the chlorobenzene was not from Uniroyal Chemical. I am not sure of this last point because it was very poorly explained. Later evidence disputed this.

For me this was a major breakthrough as it at least partially explained some discrepancies involving chlorobenzene being discovered one hundred feet below ground surface very close to pumping well W4 near the Water Tower on Howard Ave. This chlorobenzene exhibited many characteristics of DNAPLs  yet Conestoga Rovers and Chemtura dogmatically and pig headedly refused to even consider it.

Later as mentioned Allan Deal and other mouthpieces for GHD/Chemtura bluntly reversed their positions claiming that available isotope analysis did not clarify whether it was chlorobenzene solely from Uniroyal or not.. When asked directly by myself from the gallery Mr. Deal categorically denied that there was more than one source of chlorobenzene in the Elmira Aquifers. Now Lanxess have again reversed themselves!

At the June 19/25 TRAC meeting Jesse Wright of Arcadis (on behalf of Lanxess) both stated and showed a map indicating multiple potential other sources of chlorobenzene just south and a little west of Lanxess. The map is very small but appears to have Varnicolor, Borg, Nutrite and one or two other companies contributing to the chlorobenzene contamination.

Firstly this explains why after 27 years of pump & treat there is still lots of chlorobenzene in our aquifers.  DNAPLS dissolve very slowly and are recalcitrant at best to pump & treat. Secondly I have to ask the following question: 

Today (July 2025) is almost thirty-six years since our water supply was shut down by Uniroyal Chemical and it's allegedly taken that long for our authorities to realize that Uniroyal never was the sole polluter. I don't believe that for a second. Yes they are stupid but more importantly they are dishonest and they participated in a coverup of major facts in order to make the polluter, the Ministry of Environment and themselves all look less stupid, incompetent and self-serving.