LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE WALKERTON INQUIRY
It is my understanding that Stan Koebel the former General Manager of the Walkerton P.U.C. no longer lives in Walkerton. I do believe however that his brother Frank, a former foreman with the P.U.C., still resides in Walkerton. I truly don't know how to interpret this. While only part way through Part One of the Inquiry Report, I am appalled at the behaviour and conduct of both men. That Frank hasn't been tarred and feathered and run out of town and his brother Stan not shot on sight is a testament to either Canadian forebearance or complacency. The more I read, the more I become aware that the May 2000 disaster in Walkerton could have happened on a dozen occasions anytime in the previous decade. The human error, ignorance, apathy and overall lack of transparency and lack of accountability was truly monumental. The fact that both the Health Unit ordered a boil water advisory days before they had the formal lab data and that a couple of Walkerton institutions (nursing homes) instituted the same precautions a couple of days before the Health Units advisory is a damning indictment of their lack of confidence in the Walkerton P.U.C.'s reassurances. The fact that a current P.U.C. employee was anonomously phoning the M.O.E. Spills Action Center also days earlier to advise them of a failing water result is also a damning indictment of the Walkerton P.U.C.. The fact that Stan Koebel refused to pass on early May failing lab results to the Health Unit AND the Ontario M.O.E. also failed to advise the Health Unit of failing lab results in April 2000 is beyond comprehension. The people of Walkerton through their loss and suffering may very well have raised the alarm of incompetent water safety and treatment right across Canada. My concern is that this whole culture of complacency and apathy can and will return after sufficient time has passed. If and when the local water in Elmira is restored and back in use will we have any knowledge or control over the safety and protection of it, a second time around?
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appalled at the behaviour and conduct of both men. That Frank hasn't been tarred and feathered and run out of town and his brother Stan not shot on sight is a testament to either Canadian forebearance or
ReplyDeleteSir I am appalled that after last weekends events in Arizona that you would even suggest that someone should have been shot on site. This shows a total lack of human decency and is very unbecoming of someone who is an "Advocate".
Fair enough, although in my defence the good people in Arizona were innocent of wrongdoing whereas Stan Koebel bears both moral and legal responsibility for the deaths of both seniors and children. Also I didn't suggest that Stan should be shot on sight; I said I was surprised that it didn't happen.
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