ANCIENT/NEW ELMIRA GROUNDWATER HISTORY

As some may know I have an extensive library pertaining to local pollution matters. I was perusing it yesterday and came across some old data which I beleive is only known by a very few people locally. Along with my written delegation tonight that I will present to the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) I will also be handing out copies of this posting. Two CPAC members, namely Ron Campbell and David Marks will be especially interested in the following as Ron is keen on "other sources" and David is a hydrogeologist.

The Elmira south wellfield (E7, E9) was shut down due to NDMA (& lots more) in November 1989. A public meeting was held in Elmira both to inform the public and to hear from them. At the time I was working at Varnicolor Chemical at 62 Union St. in Elmira. A local citizen stood up at that public meeting and described his experiences five months earlier while working as an independent contractor on the Varnicolor site. He wrote a formal Affidavit dated December 6, 1989. I quote from it: "At the 3 1/2 to 4 foot level, chemicals seeped out of the pit run gravel faster than I could dig it." "I returned to Varnicolor and continued digging when Keren (sp.) Kelley arrived. He spoke to me. The chemical was very evident. It looked like water, a clear colour with dust in it from the ground and it had a strong chemical smell to it. It smelled like a solvent. This liquid was filling the pit faster than I could dig it. The Chief commented on how bad or serious this looked." "The sandy haired fellow showed up and made an exclamation of surprise when he saw the liquid in the pit. He quickly disappeared, and returned 5 minutes later and told me three important people were showing up and that I was to fill in the pit so that nothing showed." "A few days later I reported the incident to ...(blacked out with magic marker) of the Citizens Environment Advisory Committee. He said he'd follow it up with the authorities." "I have since learned from Dave ireland of the MOE, that tests were done on Varnicolor's land and that some solvents were detected, but there didn't seem to be a problem.".

After the public meeting in Elmira was over, Severin Argenton owner of Varnicolor was quoted in the local paper saying "That man was full of s..." in reference to the contractor who stood up and spoke publicly. Woolwich Township were advised, CEAC was advised, the Fire Chief was advised and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) were all advised. In the early spring a five man team appointed by then (& now) Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley was dispatched to Elmira to look for the source of the NDMA (& lots more) contamination in the south wellfield. They spent at least a vigorous five minutes examining Varnicolor Chemical. They did NOT interview the employees! Varnicolor and all the rest save Uniroyal were eliminated as suspects by the M.O.E..

Unknown to me and the public was the fact that Varnicolor Chemical were known groundwater polluters from at least three years earlier. Canviro Consultants (CH2MHILL) had written a groundwater study of the site in September 1986 as a requirement that Varnicolor had to fulfill in order to receive a permit from the M.O.E. under Regulation 309. Quoting from page 17 of this report "The appearance of elevated concentrations of several compounds in the deepest piezometer (M2-1) completed in the lower sandy unit is a source of concern as it suggests that contamination of groundwater has occurred in this zone.". "...it should be noted that shallower piezometers had better water quality. These hypothesis can only be verified by further sampling of these piezometers.". The shallow piezometers or monitoring wells were screened in a surficial aquifer and this deeper piezometer was screened in the continuous, throughout Elmira, Upper Aquifer. In an extraordinary coincidence and piece of bad luck, this deeper well (M2-1) was never tested again allegedly as it either caved in, was blocked or was destroyed at the surface. One other extraordinary coincidence which I have never understood is the inclusion in this Canviro hydrogeological report of a Certificate of Approval for a mobile PCB destruction facility granted to Sanexen International Inc. out of Burlington, Ontario. Apparently this mobile PCB facility can only be operated on a site which also has a Certificate of Approval as a hazardous waste disposal site. Sanexen received their C. of A. one week after Varnicolor Chemical received theirs.