Will there be identifiable human health clusters involving diseases such as cancers and others? Will there be identifiable wildlife health clusters? Will our government oversight agencies shut down the use of crops, milk and beef from cattle in and around the downstream Canagagigue Creek? Heaven forbid but will scientific testing improve to the point whereby these Uniroyal specific toxins are found down the Grand River through Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge? Will it be possible some day to look back and say that so many cancers inflicted upon our citizens specifically came from Uniroyal Chemical in Elmira?
Mankind's history of scientific "breakthroughs" is riddled with after effects. Thalidomide, DDT, Dioxin, Parathion, PCBs, road salt, fluoride, TCE, oil based paints, anhydrous ammonia, mustard gas, napalm, 2,4-D, teflon (PFAS, PFOS) chlorine the list goes on and on. These are just a short list from memory of various bad actors that have killed and severely injured human beings. Yes several of them when used properly, correctly and professionally have enhanced life on this planet. However even common, mundane everyday solvents have been misused, abused and caused severe harm such as toluene, benzene, xylenes etc.
To put it bluntly, for profit corporations have zero business being in charge of old much less new chemical discoveries and technologies. For those persons in positions of authority such as politicians, a serious reassessment of conflicts of interest are in order. Chemical companies as well as everyday manufacturers are trained to take short cuts. Manufacturers tell their staff to cut costs . That may mean cheaper suppliers of raw materials including chemicals. It may mean short cuts in manufacturing processes to save money today and to hell with putting more CO2, SO2, greenhouse gases or what have you up their chimneys. Right now the air we breathe is crap as is the chemically treated water that we drink from our taps. Foods may have pesticides and preservatives in them that help producers sell more but which are not healthy.
I don't believe that anyone at Woolwich Township or the Ontario Ministry of Environment actually understand the Precautionary Principle much less adhere to it. They have allowed the corporations making money off that site free rein to do what they want even after decades of alleged environmental cleanup. That "cleanup" has always been the minimum and continues to be so, unabated. That "cleanup" is a failure by all objective standards. That will continue until half the town of Elmira don't wake up some morning.
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