Friday, June 8, 2012

M.O.E. DANCES WITH COMMUNITY'S SAFETY



This week's Elmira Independent is a plethora of riches regarding advising the community as to the remarkably bad state of affairs that exists within the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. One of several articles published is titled "Waste pits source of contention at CPAC". Steve Martindale of the M.O.E. is in the uneviable position of defending the indefensible. Dioxins especially 2,3,7,8 TCDD are considered the most toxic compound known to mankind and the health results are horrific, longlasting and often fatal. Regarding Steve "He pointed out that since the contaminated soil is found entirely on Chemtura's property , the M.O.E. has no jurisdiction over what Chemtura ultimately decides.". I can best describe that statement as bullshit heaped upon bullshit.

Many CPAC members as well as myself spoke against the fallacy and illogic put forth by the M.O.E.. Pat Mclean attending her first CPAC meeting since her electoral defeat in October 2010 echoed the citizens comments. Jeff Merriman was riding the no off-site effects train and claimed that past off-site Dioxins, albeit identical to what are currently on their site, came from areas now remediated. Chemtura's and the Ontario M.O.E.'s position are unfactual, unscientific, self serving and plainly contemptible.

Gail Martin has also written an excellent Editorial titled "Chemtura should excavate pits". Her last two sentences say it all: "Regardless of the answer, removing the contaminated soil to a secure waste facility would be a far better option than simply leaving it there in perpetuity. Given all that we know about Elmira's contaminated groundwater, and the historic practices that led to this contamination, we believe the argument could be made that Chemtura owes us this courtesy.".
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 8, 2012 at 10:02 AM

    Excavating this material will actually be worse for the community and will expose others to these compounds, if what you say is true about how bad those compounds is true. I say to Chemtura, don't waste your money listening to the environmental freaks and hippies of this world who's NIMBY stance would rather have all of our industry pack up and move to Asia (where, incidentally there are ZERO environmental controls). If we start taking advice from newspaper editorals and blogs such as this we are all going to sorely disappointed by the results.

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  2. AlanJune 8, 2012 at 10:16 AM

    Clearly your technical expertise far outshines mine. I have been involved in numerous site remediations either directly (as in being on-site working) or indirectly as an involved citizen and observer who's done his due diligence and read all the reports prior to the cleanup. The exact same compounds were sucessfully excavated a mere couple of hundred yards away at RPE 4& 5 in 1993. Elmira has seen source removal at numerous gas stations as well as at Varnicolor Chemical in the early 90's. The technolgy exists, it's usually the will and the money that are missing.

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  3. CoreyJune 8, 2012 at 5:25 PM

    I would agree with you, Alan, that it would the best interest for Chemtura to excavate.

    Good public relations with the community now is better than bad public relations later.

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  4. AnonymousJune 8, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    "Corey"- nice imaginary friend Al - just like the others you have eh? How about "Bev"? Ring another Bell? Hahshah! Point is you were kicked off of CPAC twice for not having common professional decency and knowledge to make informed decisions about these issues yet you persist. Why? A: Child like attention disorder.

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  5. AlanJune 9, 2012 at 8:15 AM

    It seems a tad hypocritical for an anonymous commenter to be suggesting that other commenters with the courage to use their real names aren't for real. Bev I have met and is a regular commenter on a Cambridge website. Corey I'm not so sure of but he may be involved with Elmira's BioFuel Citizens Committee. You could be anyone up to and including a disgruntled Chemtura employee or not. I was never kicked off CPAC for a lack of knowledge. In fact just the opposite the first time and the second time due to a thin skinned individual without any consultation with the other CPAC members.

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  6. CoreyJune 9, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    I do not have any affiliation with Alan Marshall, Chemtura or the Biofuel Citizens Committee, just a concerned Elmira citizen.

    Have my own blog and also, I had several letters to the editor published in the local papers.

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  7. AlanJune 9, 2012 at 5:42 PM

    Thanks for the info Corey. Always enjoy your comments.

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