AGENT ORANGE, DIOXINS AND THE ELMIRA COVERUP

Last Thursday's Elmira Independent carrys the following front page story "This is quite literally a cover up". The sub title is "Partial removal of contaminated soil on Chemtura property provokes CPAC chair". CPAC (Chemtura Public Adv. Comm.) Chairman Dan Holt has been interviewed and quoted extensively for this article written before last Thursday nights public CPAC meeting. Dan made it very clear that "...it is disingenuous on the part of Chemtura to claim that the decision is based on community feedback." Further Dan added "It's just not right to say this is as a result of listening to the community".

Going back to Thursday nights public CPAC meeting there were a number of other issues discussed which I didn't include in yesterday's posting here in the Advocate. Of great interest was a question by CPAC member, Ron Campbell, asking if the Region of Waterloo were factoring in the restoration of the Elmira Aquifers by 2028, to their Lake Erie pipeline plans. The answer to this question was a very quick no, I believe by both Conestoga Rovers and the Ministry of the Environment. Well now! That could certainly be interpreted as one more party lacking faith in Chemtura/CRA/M.O.E.'s 'cleanup".

Amy Shaw of the Guelph office of the M.O.E. appeared at CPAC to give an update regarding the former Varnicolor Chemical; both the 62 Union St. site (now 84 Howard St.) and the Lot 91 site. I did find a couple of very strange procedural issues. Firstly the Varnicolor site is located all of a couple of hundred yards away from Chemtura (Uniroyal) yet Amy Shaw and the Guelph office responsible for this geographical area do not routinely appear at public CPAC meetings. Why on earth not? Secondly Amy at one point when being asked to provide lab results and data to CPAC about the 84 Howard Ave. site suggested that maybe this wasn't part of CPAC's mandate. Really? That's not her call. CPAC and Woolwich Township decide on CPAC's mandate, not the M.O.E. Also CPAC's duties include restoring the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards. The last time I looked that included Varnicolor and every other contaminated site within Elmira.

Amy advised us that five tonnes of soil were removed from the old Varnicolor site now known as Elmira Pump this past May or June. Five tonnes is very tiny and certainly not the 200 tonnes we were advised last fall. She also advised that there are three areas requiring further attention namely on the west and north sides and an area in the middle. Keep in mind this is after the top four feet plus of contaminated soil was removed from the site twenty years ago AND after twenty years of pumping and treating the groundwater. Almost makes you think that they went the cheap route twenty years ago, doesn't it? Amy also suggested that there would be further underground piping installed to promote groundwater collection and treatment. There can be no doubt with hindsight that this site was contaminated deeper and more thoroughly than the authorities (especially M.O.E.) wished to admit twenty plus years ago. This speaks to the sweetheart deal between Uniroyal and the M.O.E. as well as to Uniroyal's belated claim that they were the sole contributer to the destruction of the Elmira drinking water aquifers.

The last point also revolves around the political wheeling and dealing that has gone on. This includes the former Woolwich Council who were given the opportunity by me to learn the truth about further sub surface contamination behind Varnicolor, near the Elmira water tower on Howard Ave.. The Region of Waterloo's hydrogeologist was brought up to Elmira for a private meeting with Council and myself to discuss specifically
Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPL) found in well OW57-32R by Chemtura's consultants, CRA in 1998. Mr. Hodgins informed myself and Council that despite being given the location and technical references beforehand, he had not looked up CRA's data. This meeting was thus a waste of time and just for show. The then Mayor appeared quite happy with this turn of events. I was disgusted. For the last three years or more I have been bringing up this issue at CPAC and the M.O.E, Chemtura and CRA have all steadfastly refused to comment, confirm or deny this information in CRA's monthly Chemtura Progress Reports. This time CPAC Chair Dan Holt has obtained a public promise by Jeff Merriman of Chemtura that he will respond and give to CPAC, information on this matter at the next CPAC meeting on August 30, 2012.