THE INVESTIGATION IS EXPANDING

Yesterday one of the excellent CPAC members used the expression "Someone let the cat out of the bag". This was in reference to the October 7, 1991 sweetheart deal between Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario M.O.E.. Envision this scenario. A thief is caught after stealing a government owned truck. The policeman and the thief decide that in exchange for not turning him in, the thief will give the policeman $10,000. They write up a contract to do so. That contract is your sweetheart deal. The public who owned the truck lose it and the thief and policeman are both ahead.

Many faces and voices from the past have been approached for their knowledge and recollection of this deal between the Ministry of the Environment and Uniroyal. These include journalists and newspaper editors from twenty years ago. They include lawyers who represented parties at the Environmental Appeal Board hearings. They include former members of a local environmental group namely APTE. Also included are better known and more widely diversified environmental activists with an interest in Uniroyal/Chemtura affairs. What is the common thread? None of them had any knowledge of the details of this Settlement Agreement or sweetheart deal. They like the general public knew a private agreement had been reached but they had never seen a copy of it. Indeed further investigation is slowly exposing the knowledge that the six parties to the Environmental Appeal Board all received complete copies. Besides the M.O.E. and Uniroyal that was the Region of Waterloo, Woolwich Township, Nutrite, and APTE Environment. Not APTE's lawyer by the way but one individual.

That one individual allegedly did not share this document with either the membership nor even with the rest of the co-ordinaters. The information of a complete Release/Indemnity for Uniroyal regarding DNAPLS for example, explains a lot of what to date has been inexplicable behaviour.