Thursday, March 22, 2012
IS THIS BLATANT POLITICAL CORRUPTION?
We now know that the Region of Waterloo, Woolwich Township and the Province of Ontario all had full knowlege of the October 7, 1991 Settlement Agreement (sweetheart deal) between Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.). We also know that the very same M.O.E. approached Woolwich Township for the purpose of instituting public consultation for the purpose of involving local citizens in the alleged cleanup of the Uniroyal/Chemtura site. On an on-going basis for many years these three parties attended public UPAC later known as CPAC meetings. Never over the last twenty-one years have any of those three political bodies ever advised the local citizens that with the written exception of removal of two east side pits and a permanent pump and treat system; that Uniroyal Chemical had received an absolute immunity or indemnity from legal and financial liability for their contaminated Elmira site.
Both the M.O.E. and Uniroyal/Chemtura have been quoted in the Woolwich Observer as denying this. While certain longlived active politicians come to mind, such as Regional Chair Ken Seiling, most of the others involved from twenty years ago have either retired or passed on. This gives current municipal, regional and provincial politicians an out. If they want to come clean even at this late date and pretend that they did not know, are appalled and want to make things right , they can. If on the other hand they choose to circle the wagons, close ranks and fight this out then so be it. To date one municipal councillor namely Mark Bauman has categorically claimed that he had no knowledge of this sweetheart deal from twenty-one years ago. The rest of the new Woolwich Councillors are probably in the clear as long as they are smart enough not to support those who are actively trying to continue the coverup. Political careers are about to be made and broken, so I suggest that the guilty scurry for cover and the innocent remain that way and not get sucked in to being on the wrong side.
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Great work Alan.. Please keep it up for those who are too afraid to speak up. Someone needs to expose the dirty deals.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've recently been reinspired by a couple of CPAC members.
ReplyDeleteNew Councillor's in the clear? Hmm I hope not. This only says to me that the current crew in at Woolwich Township has no idea what they are doing and that the watchdog group called CPAC is a pile of junk since the Mayor took over control. If I have read correctly here in the Advocate, meetings have been cancelled, people have quit, people have been removed all under Todd Cowan's "promise" to look at the effectiveness of the Uniroyal clean-up. Come on!
ReplyDeleteWhile respecting your take on things let me offer a slightly different interpretation of events. What if a Woolwich bureaucrat or two, otherwise known as the Mayor's entourage, are using process and procedure in an attempt to hijack a very honest group of Woolwich citizens and volunteers, namely CPAC.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. Thanks. That does make sense! A "rat" in the kitchen per se? Amongst the 6 or so sunshine list at Woolwich making more that $106,000 is CAO Brenneman at $137,701 (Source: Todays Globe and Mail)That kind of money in a small town could corrupt anyone into poor decision making. Shame on the entire administration, starting with the Mayor! Let's get back to reality. Time for a shakeup.
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