COURTS ARE RIDICULOUS, EXPERTS ARE ACCOUNTABLE

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story on the bottom of the front page "Court convicts experts for failing to warn citizens of Italian quake". While I have often been appalled at decisions made by Canadian and American courts this decision at least reassures me that human stupidity knows no jurisdictional boundaries. I think to call it patently ridiculous is even an understatement.

Fast forward to Canada. Here we have a situation with much greater predictability. We are not discussing geological phenomena emanating from the bowels of the earth. Here in Elmira we are dealing with sand and gravel aquifers that occupy the top 100 feet of the ground's surface. We have been dealing with releases of toxic chemicals into the earth, their transport via natural groundwater flow and their resultant appearance in the citizens drinking water. After decades of concern, bad tasting water and expert study the citizens of Elmira were constantly reassurred that their water was fine to drink right up to the day that the south wellfield was shut down. That people were being poisoned for years is inescapable. That people have died from cancers caused by carcinogenic chemicals in their drinking water, NDMA being but one, can not be denied.

No one from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment was held responsible. No one from the M.O.E. went to jail. No engineers or hydrogeologists from Uniroyal/Chemtura's consultants were ever charged, convicted or sent to jail. Why not? The current situation and abuse of citizens continues. Hired experts by the polluter are producing junk science. Elmira citizens are at the mercy and integrity of experts being paid for and ordered by Chemtura Canada Inc. We have zero protection from again being exposed to toxic chemicals if and when they allegedly reopen our wells in 2028. Polluters and their Consultants are totally unaccountable to anyone. The M.O.E. aren't even good enough to be called a joke. CPAC, the committee of Woolwich Council are good people without financial resources. They are out muscled, out financed, out gunned and it's always been that way. Our media with the exception of the Elmira Independent have let their readers, the citizens of Elmira and Waterloo Region down. Coverage is practically non existent.

And all of this is exactly the way our politicians like it. They love pretend public consultation. They love pretend accountability. They love Elmira where the majority of citizens won't say "shit" when their mouths are full of it.