BAIT & SWITCH TACTICS AT UNIROYAL/LANXESS HAVE ALWAYS WORKED

 

Last June's TRAC meeting had an interesting point in the Minutes (page 7) advising that DDT and Dioxins were likely still eroding from the creekbanks on the Lanxess site and moving downstream where they replenished creekbank soils, floodplain soils and sediments in the bottom of the Canagagigue Creek.  This would seem obvious when after many decades of spring floods plus others that the DDT and dioxins hadn't all been washed downstream as Uniroyal undoubtedly had hoped would occur after on-site dumping ended around 1970.  Hmm did Lanxess or any predecessors ever previously admit to still being the source of new downstream contamination? This suggestion of course also swings attention away from any contributions of DDT and Dioxins from the Stroh and Martin farms previously contaminated by Uniroyal Chemical. 

Is the sudden and decades belated interest in better groundwater cleanup technologies also a convenient bait and switch? By focusing now on alleged new technologies such as ISCO, thermal, encapsulation or whatever are we also conveniently forgetting the fact that Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess have never consistently achieved the Target pumping rates that their own consultants recommend? This goes for both on site and off site (Elmira Aquifers) pumping. 

Similarly the Ontario Min. of Environment are waving a new Control Order around as if it will be the saviour of all that ails the Elmira Aquifers. A 2028 MECP Control Order will be exactly as effective as the last Control Orders from 1984, 1991, 2000 etc. which were regularly amended to Uniroyal Chemical's advantage. So much for the earlier Orders demanding Full Hydraulic Containment in ALL Aquifers on site as well as Removal of DNAPLS as a Contaminant Source. 

Nothing but more hot air and useless words. The cleanup has failed and will continue to fail until the company  legally responsible (Lanxess) for the cleanup is removed from being in charge of said cleanup. While we are cleaning house the MECP also needs to be thrown out of Elmira never to darken our doorways again with their pro polluter bias at the expense of human health and the environment.