TONITE AT 6 PM. IN WOOLWICH COUNCIL CHAMBERS!

Yes it is the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC). We the public have independent experts, bought and paid for experts, amateurs informed and otherwise. My prediction is that CPAC will be having a greatly increased public profile and this is the opportunity for citizens to see the good , the bad and the ugly. I won't sugarcoat it. It can sometimes be confrontational. Generally everybody behave themselves but there is a vast difference in attitudes and beliefs as well as in access to technical documents. Our Mayor has levelled the playing field somewhat by mixing technical experts with what I will refer to as dedicated "professional" citizens. By using the term "professional" I am more referring to their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, rather than necessarily their careers. There has been criticism about the "loss" of citizen experience on this Committee but personally I reject it as being misinformed by some and self serving and partisan by others. The old group have been meeting privately with Chemtura as they did in the past. These entrenched private meetings/discussions/negotiations? are not and have never been in the public interest. Both Chemtura as well as government agencies far prefer private meetings under their control, rather than unscripted and potentially embarassing public meetings where facts and truth are exposed to all citizens. Kudos to the Elmira Independent for years of service in reporting these meetings and darn it Woolwich Observer, please do your share as well. That also goes for the K-W Record.