FIVE MAN M.O.E. TEAM LOOKS FOR ELMIRA NDMA SOURCES

This occurred in early 1990. I only know two of the names of these five. Probably I would recognize the other three names and be similarily unimpressed. The two I know are Gord Robinson and Glen McDonald. Mr. McDonald examined Varnicolor's Lot 91 in the early 80's after investigative reporter Jock Ferguson, out of Toronto, printed a story about drums of Trichloroethylene leaking into a swamp, on Lot 91 in Elmira. Mr. McDonald was later fired by the M.O.E. (May 1990) and charged criminally with Breach of Trust in regards to a leaked "secret" raid on Varnicolor Chemical in Elmira. Gord Robinson's actions have been described in detail by me to both the M.O.E. and the media. In a nutshell, in the past, I have suggested that Mr. Robinson's ability to see and find pollution may be comprimised by his inability to find his own butt in a blinding snowstorm.

In the extremely shallow Surficial Aquifer at Varnicolor (62 Union St.), the highest NDMA groundwater reading was only .43 ppb. This reading although low is still way above the drinking water standard of .009 ppb (parts per billion). The only well drilled deeper into the still shallow Upper Aquifer (39 ft.), mysteriously has never been tested for NDMA. Perhaps more accurately I should say that no NDMA results have ever been made public. What was made public however was the finding of 14 ppb. NDMA in a surface sump on the Varnicolor site. Also found were soil readings 25 feet down of 3.1 and 3.3 ppb. of NDMA. Furthermore the original Control Order issued upon Varnicolor ordered deep groundweater testing beneath the site. This requirement which was negotiated and discussed with myself, Rich Clausi and Ted Oldfield was surrepticiously dropped when the Control Order was transferred over to the new owner, Phillip's Environmental.

The other point to keep in mind is the extreme mobility of NDMA in groundwater. Finding it deeper versus shallow merely indicates a time frame for the pollution. If it was the on site can coating operation which introduced Dimethylamine, a precurser to NDMA, into the subsurface then this would explain higher readings at depth. Basically the can coating operation had been finished for years by 1990. Clearly the way to clear up the mystery included deeper soil and groundwater readings at Varnicolor (and downgradient). Equally clear is the fact that this option was originally agreed to publicly by the M.O.E. and then privately and quietly, behind closed doors, abandoned.