A FEW NAMES OF (DIS)HONOURABLE MENTION REGARDING THE ELMIRA WATER CRISIS

 Jeff Merriman,  Dwighte Este, Steve Martindale, Wilf Ruland, Steve Quigley,  Allan Deal, plus a whole bunch of General Managers of Uniroyal Chemical such as David Ash and successor companies. Now here's the rub; the fact is that I really would be hard pressed to confront any of them and initiate the verbal beatdown that most of them deserve. That said O.K. if they started up with their old bullcrap and lies for whatever reason yes I would respond strongly and harshly. Otherwise no and that may be simply a function of age. I'm now 77 years old and frankly just because I have a better understanding and knowledge of the corporate mindset behind blatant lying and deception perhaps I also have a better understanding of the people involved. They are not all unredeemable pieces of excrement. Probably some of them might actually be good family men. Others I am told have done serious and significant volunteer work. For them their personal lives are entirely separate from their business/corporate lives. Most especially if they are employees whose every public word had better be pro company or else; they have little choice if they wish to keep putting a roof over their family's heads and or pay for their university educations.

All that said there are a few that I have nothing but contempt for based upon their unrepentant and damaging lies to the public interest and to the people of Elmira, not to mention the environment. The vast majority of lying has been to further the interests and the assets of corporate polluters whether or not direct health harm resulted to nearby residents. There are also some for whom I might actually have some liking and respect for. That would include Steve Martindale of the Ontario Min. of Environment (M.O.E.). Yes it is possible that that is based more upon his personality and general friendliness versus anything he may have done in the public interest. Wilf Ruland is one whom I have trouble fathoming. He inserted himself into an internal CPAC squabble initiated by Susan B. and Pat McLean towards me that I did not even see coming back in 2007. He spoke to CPAC while I was still a formal member, behind my back, and gave CPAC an ultimatum namely him or me. Now I thought that I had zero argument or disagreement with Wilf at that time but clearly Susan and Pat had put him up to that ultimatum that I didn't even know about. That readers is how much damage a couple of sneaky, manipulative back stabbers can do to any group of people. Dwighte Este (Uniroyal) always behaved in a professional manner but clearly he was never prepared to speak either out of turn or honestly if it hindered his employer's interests. My biggest surprise was when he showed up at Susan Bryant's house to help fix her lawnmower. Yes you heard that right. She had phoned him first and then me when he couldn't make it right away, maybe around 2003 (??). Take that any way you want but it shocked me.

Steve Quigley and Allan Deal both of Conestoga Rovers (CRA) were unrepentant client driven #*+%heads in my opinion. I know that sounds harsh but you never sat across the table from them for a period of decades. Steve was the brains of the two hence he was in charge of CRA's pro corporate, anti environment efforts for the first many years with Allan Deal disappearing for years, licking his wounds perhaps. Allan Deal is back and misdirecting and misleading TRAC on a number of fronts including Varnicolor Chemical's alleged lack of chlorobenzene contribution to the Elmira Aquifers. While categorically denying Varnicolor's chlorobenzene contributions several years after Dr. Neil Thompson (U. of Waterloo) stated unequivocally that approximately 1,900 kg. of chlorobenzene was deposited into Elmira's Aquifers in excess of Uniroyal's contributions; Mr. Deal offered zero comment on who has done so.  Then less than a year later Jesse Wright of Arcadis on behalf of Lanxess Canada showed up and casually announced the news and showed a map of four or five unnamed business locations along First St. who had handled chlorobenzene, extraordinarily close to Varnicolor's former Union & First St. toxic waste site. 

Once again can you really blame me for being blunt and rude at times in describing the behaviour of these corporate butts? 

SEVERIN ARGENTON: LAUDED IN DEATH BY FORMER WOOLWICH CAO BILL KOWALCHUK

 

If it's a mark of character based upon one's enemies, opponents or just general ill wishers then I guess I must be a character. I can name a few well known twits who stupidly have thrown stones my way, disparaged me and or lied about me. That would include Bill Strauss, Todd Cowan, Sandy Shantz, Severin Argenton, Mark Bauman, several M.O.E. officers and other assorted figures of ill repute. Ill repute not based upon electoral results - hey Donald Trump has been elected twice- three times if you believe him- but based upon my measuring stick. 

When Severin died and before Bill followed suit he (Mr. Kowalchuk) had a letter published most likely in either the Woolwich Observer or the Elmira Independent extolling the virtues of Mr. Argenton. While I am hard pressed to suggest that Bill lied I was at the time somewhat surprised by his courage in doing what he did considering Mr. Argenton's rather immense fall from grace. In hindsight and based upon the facts and decisions of various individuals and authorities I feel completely safe in suggesting that Mr. Argenton, former owner of Varnicolor Chemical, was one of the truly great liars of Woolwich Township. Now the fact is that after Bill Kowalchuk's own fall from grace as Woolwich CAO, he was hired by Severin both to increase his company's market but also to serve if you will as the company's liaison with government agencies attempting to dispose of toxic goods. Perhaps astute readers might read between the lines and see just a tiny glimpse of where my attitudes towards corruption in  government come from.

Severin was a keen promoter of himself and his company as being environmental stewards of the first order. He also was not averse to throwing shade (hmm) upon anyone who criticized him or suggested that his operations were anything short of legal, pristine and environmentally sound. A local contractor he had hired for a small digging job ("Digger" Dave Holmes ) ran afoul of Mr. Argenton when Mr. Holmes stood up in a public meeting and suggested that the Varnicolor Chemical site on Union St. was badly contaminated with solvents. Mr. Holmes was on site when a hole he was digging began filling up not with groundwater but with odorous and discoloured solvents floating on the water table. He was told to refill the hole and take off. He did so but I believe also advised the Ontario Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) of what he had seen and smelled. I was working at Varnicolor Chemical at the time and was also advised as to the discovery. Mr. Argenton's public response to Mr. Holmes words at the public meeting was that Mr. Holmes "...was full of shi*".  

I could go on and on including his initial public bragging that the only charges laid by the M.O.E. against him were paper charges and not pollution charges. This was incredibly stupid of him and refocused my and others opposition to both him and the M.O.E.'s mishandling of the case. Lo and behold after the M.O.E.'s initial coverup on his behalf and later reluctance to lay serious charges they finally did. Severin was convicted and went to jail for a few months but still got a huge break. He was never convicted or sentenced for actually contributing to the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers  as we now know that he did along with Uniroyal Chemical, Nutrite and still other miscreants.      

BEATTY, GMs OF UNIROYAL, CROMPTON, CHEMTURA, LANXESS(?), ARGENTON, GORGEOUS GEORGE KARLOS, HIGHLIGHT THE PARADE OF LIARS WE'VE BEEN SUBJECTED TO

 

This list was quickly off the top of my head. I suspect that with some quiet time and fullsome thought I could increase it dramatically. Hmm now an idea has just come to me. Maybe a once a week special here whereby I do a "Spotlight on Liars" column. You know I could expand it to include more than just polluters, bureaucrats, consultants and Ministry of Environment (M.O.E./MECP) senior staff and employees. Some dandy names from the past come to mind already just by suggesting the M.O.E. such as Ireland, Robinson, Papenhuzen, Trebilcock, Wong. Oops I've slipped off topic. I was going to suggest political figures as well. Oh man this is just way too easy. How about Strauss, Shantz, Cadeau, Seiling, Cowan, Bauman there are just so many! Hmm in one case I almost feel sorry for Mr. Cowan. True he could be the butt of the old joke "How do you know if so and so is lying?" The answer: "His lips are moving.". Why do I feel sorry for him? Because most of the liars I am calling out are for environmental lies related to the Elmira Water Crisis. Mr. Cowan mostly lied about everything with the focus on his innate and inherent superiority. To the best of my knowledge he did not lie to save Uniroyal/Chemtura money or to protect reputations of people lying to minimize the local contamination and reduce Uniroyal and successors financial liability.   

Today's focus is on Gorgeous George Karlos of the M.O.E.. In all the modesty I can muster I must admit that I added the "Gorgeous" to the front of his name. In one sense I have to admire his boldness and brashness. Most of the liars above lied about things such as the far off 2028 remediation deadline or about who is responsible for which contamination whether ammonia, benzene, toluene, PCBs, xylenes, styrene, chlorinated solvents etc. all pollutants with multiple sources. Not Gorgeous George. No Siree! He looked CPAC in the eye back in early 2014 and loudly proclaimed that in response to a question from the floor he had walked Uniroyal/Chemtura's south-east property line and nearby areas looking for a peculiar surface feature that showed up on a recent Conestoga Rovers (CRA) map. Many of us had seen that feature and wondered about it but the first person who asked was a citizen sitting in the gallery, not a CPAC member. 

Now keep in mind this was the CPAC with Dr. Dan Holt as Chair, Vivienne, Sebastian, Ron, Graham as CPAC members and Richard, Henry and I as a sub-committee of CPAC, known as SWAT (Soil, Water, Air, Team). Geez did that name (SWAT) ever piss off Chemtura! It was the first that I realized that often the biggest liars are the most thin skinned of individuals. Later public consultation after Sandy Shantz became Mayor refused to allow questions from the audience even going through the Chair. Our CPAC did and this was but one case where it paid off. The surface feature looked like a smooth curve starting on the Uniroyal property to the west and running over to the next door (east) Stroh property where it bent 90 degrees to the south . 

George Karlos of the M.O.E. categorically stated he had walked this entire area and that there absolutely was no pathway or anything else that could possibly indicate any kind of path or travel route or conduit for contaminants to leave the Uniroyal site, cross over to the Stroh property and disperse or migrate from there. Gorgeous George lied like a dog!  In May 2014 I had been requested to scout out filming locations for a Documentary by I believe the C.B.C. .  I phoned Ron Stroh the current owner of the Stroh property and farm and asked for permission both for me and the C.B.C. to access his property and do some filming. He gave me that permission with a couple of conditions.  

My visit to the site was absolutely shocking. Keep in mind by this point I had been studying reports, text and maps of the entire area for about twenty-four years (1989-2014)! What I found was a large, frikken running waterway within five to ten metres of the Uniroyal/Chemtura property line running parallel with it for at least 125 metres due south on the Stroh property where it then bent to the east briefly before turning due south again and running southwards towards the Canagagigue Creek. Holy crap but later examination showed that it jogged around the Martin family's private in ground swimming pond and indeed did discharge into the Canagagigue Creek. 

Gorgeous George to the best of my knowledge has never set foot or shown his lying face in Elmira since. Good riddance to bad, lying rubbish.

"DISCLOSURE DAY"

 

Starring Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. My wife and I watched this movie a week ago. It was all Hollywood yet it was different. The basic plot was the old Area 51, possibly in Arizona, U.S.A. Allegedly Americans had been lied to by their political leaders for decades about extraterrestrials. Quite frankly I think that we are all mature enough to know that both our as well as U.S. governments have been lying to their citizens about lots of things for decades if not centuries. Extraterrestrials? Eh maybe or maybe not. That is neither my cup of tea nor my area of expertise.

Groundwater and the Elmira Water Crisis are. Yesterday's Blog here was titled "The Truth Is The First Step In Addressing Elmira's Aquifers & Creek". Then at the very end of yesterday's Blog posting I stated that the only way for citizens to receive the truth about the likelihood or not of any successful local remediation was by the removal of the guilty parties. All of them as listed yesterday. That means we citizens standing up and telling the MECP, Lanxess, Woolwich Twn., RMOW, TRAC and the media to take a hike. Telling them bluntly in no uncertain terms to back off and to **ck off. Occasionally strong language is necessary to convince the particularly obtuse among us. Aside from the sheer joy of citizens reestablishing who is boss and who is employee you can't tell me that you've never wanted to put our various governments and politicians on the defensive for a change. There is strength in numbers and whether it takes another catastrophe or disaster to initiate change or simply people being fed up, it will happen. 

Approximately in 2018 Lanxess confirmed what we on CPAC in May/June 2012 had told Chemtura, Conestoga Rovers and Woolwich Township. We told them that there was no way that they were going to have the Elmira Aquifers cleaned up by 2028.  Six months later Chemtura (formerly Uniroyal) publicly admitted that without major pumping upgrades to the extent of TRIPLING the pumping and treating of our groundwater that failure was inevitable. Of course they didn't even come close to increasing pumping by that amount yet it took another change of corporate ownership plus six more years for that TRUTH to come out. 

Those six parties had lied to us the public for about twenty-five years with knowingly false promises of aquifer restoration. They sold this crap by lying and minimizing the extent of the contamination laterally, vertically and by the presence of DNAPLS, Dioxins, DDT, PAHs and more. 2028 as a legitimate cleanup date was immediately impossible without full and truthful disclosure of all relevant cleanup factors to the public. That did not happen and here we are.  Do these twits deserve a second chance based upon their new promises, their new truths and all their old lies and deceptions. I think not!

THE TRUTH IS THE FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING ELMIRA'S AQUIFERS & CREEK

 

Firstly do we address both at once or one at a time? Right now we have a sort of unanimous understanding of the facts. Unfortunately the unanimity comes from the guiltiest parties (MECP, Lanxess), the less guilty parties (Woolwich Twn., RMOW), and the least guilty parties (TRAC, media). Unanimity however certainly does not equate truth anymore than a majority does. Remember Hitler actually won an election to initially gain power in Germany. The yoyo to the south of us, Mr. Trump, has been elected twice, three times if you believe his drivel. 

Based upon the knowledge and facts that I have and the current control and direction of those listed above I would say that the chances of either Elmira's drinking waters being restored to drinking water standards or the downstream Canagagigue Creek having the bulk of DDT, dioxins, mercury and PCBs removed is likely nil. The parties above all believe in blatantly lying to the public as they have for the last 37 years. Despite it now being public knowledge that Uniroyal, Crompton, Chemtura, M.O.E., MECP have been lying about restoring Elmira's drinking water aquifers by 2028, where is the outrage? Why are local residents and citizens not attending public TRAC meetings and screaming at all those lying bustards? 

Currently these parties are pointing TRAC in the direction of some alleged enhanced bioremediation of chlorobenzene. This should buy them at least another three or four years while they come up with their next red herring. If magic bullets won't work then perhaps lazer beams bounced off of satellites using special technology is next. I hear tell that if Trump annexes Canada as the 51st state he will immediately clean our Creek and groundwater the following weekend. You heard it here first!

Tell us the truth! If 10 billion dollars and ten years is required then spit it out. If the cost is too high then tell us if natural attenuation may take another 150 years. Of course who are informed citizens going to believe? Certainly absolutely zero of the swine who have been lying to us have any credibility left. How about religious leaders, scientists, famous environmentalists; who will be both most informed and most honest? This is what becomes of our elected leaders lying to us for so long on so many matters. I expect that the truth will only come to us after all the guilty parties are removed from the remediation equation.  

    

IN FACT THIS ELECTION NAME RECOGNITION OF INCUMBENTS WENT AGAINST THEM

 In today's K-W Record reporter Luisa D'Amato suggests that incumbents have a serious advantage, that being name recognition. Generally speaking both I and history agree with her.  Luisa suggests that the reason why every Mayor but one in Waterloo Region got the boot was that voters are unhappy. I agree with that as well but I wish to expand upon it. I do not have a very high opinion of our citizens political awareness. Generally speaking I find them uninformed both generally as to who and how government interacts with each other political body to deliver various services. Specifically I also find that citizens really have no idea who their own councillors are much less who their neighbours councillors are. For example I expect that at best 1% of Waterloo Region citizens and residents could name all sixteen (including the Chair) regional councillors prior to Monday's election. Now while I have a reason to have memorized all sixteen of those names please, please do not ask me to name councillors names for example of the Townships (Wilmot, Wellesley, North Dumfries) other than my own (Woolwich). That said I do indeed know the names of all the Mayors of each Township and city (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge) because all the mayors are also regional councillors. Since approximately last December and the start of the Waterloo Region Water Crisis I have been sending all sixteen councillors (including Chair K. Redman) my Blog posts from this Blog (Elmira Advocate) five or six times per week and have thus memorized all the names and e-mail addresses. I understand how easy it would be to do group e-mailing but where's the fun or mental exercise in that?

Getting back to unhappy voters and name recognition I suggest that what has occurred is that unhappy voters did recognize their own mayor's name and that person became the scapegoat for all the ills making voters unhappy. Maybe they blame the one at the top (i.e. mayor) and only vote against them and consciously or not spare most of the rest of the municipal councillors. Conversely they might not even recognize the names of the other councillors on the ballot and revert back to unconsciously voting for the name that rings a bell (hence name recognition). 

Removing most of the incumbent mayors from regional council is a good thing but what a damning indictment that voters did not clean out many of the others who are responsible along with the Chair (Redman) for the disasters in Wilmot (770 acre removed as farmland, well interference due to increased regional pumping) and the overall Water Crisis in the Region that despite falsehoods and inaccuracies has not even begun to find new water sources to replace all the contaminated wells both by industry (TCE, benzene, NDMA etc.) and by agriculture (nitrates).  

VOTERS DID WELL REMOVING MAYORS BUT NOT SO HOT IN REMOVING REGIONAL COUNCILLORS

 

Now despite the title above in fact the removal of the mayors of Waterloo, Cambridge, Wilmot, Wellesley will replace four regional councillors as well with the newly elected mayors. Also both the mayors of Woolwich and North Dumfries did not run again hence there are two new regional councillors there as well. Finally if we take the risk of assuming that Regional Chair Karen Redman is toast then seven out of 16 regionl councillors are gone which is good albeit nowhere good enough. 

That insipid, incompetent if not corrupt council needed a whole scale flushing. True I expect that some of the newer regional councillors over the last four years carried less weight and influence than the more experienced ones. Firstly there was and is the Region of Waterloo Water Shortage. Despite the K-W Record hopping on board the bandwagon and agreeing that emergency and interim actions have solved a crisis that has been building for decades; it is not remotely resolved. Secondly there is the 770 acre land acquisition removing productive farmland that we need. Thirdly we just found out this morning that our regional council has managed to seriously upset our major transit partners GrandLinq to the point of a major lawsuit. How utterly convenient for the incumbent twits oops I mean councillors that the Record delayed publishing this story until the day AFTER the election!  

I have serious concerns about the independence and integrity behind the Record these days. Has that paper mostly become a mouthpiece for the status quo or has it always been so? I still see occasional good things from the Record but I also see way too much of the opposite.