EARLIEST ELMIRA DRINKING WATER IS NOW 2050

Wow! Thirty years we were told to clean up the Elmira aquifers. This was what we were told around 1990 or 91. Silly us we initially thought that meant thirty years from when they were shut down in 1989. Well the date kept getting pushed back while CRA/Chemtura/MOE kept saying a thirty year restoration. Since 1998 and the start of off-site pumping (off Uniroyal site) the thirty year date has been acknowledged far and wide as 2028. Apparently not quite so. First off CPAC and Woolwich Township have made it plain to our local world class polluter and their fellow travellors that their cleanup plan sucks. The guilty parties responded fifteen days ago with a new enhanced cleanup plan.

Unfortunately Eric Hodgins of the Region of Waterloo had advised CPAC at a public meeting last summer that the Region had absolutely zero plans or provisions ahead of time to include the Elmira wellfields as part of their long term water supply. He further elaborated that they wouldn't even begin to consider them potentially as viable until after the Elmira Aquifers not only reached drinking water standards but maintained them for a significant time period. Well!

Eric's words were carefully chosen and Councillor Mark Bauman had a somewhat different interpretation of them than other CPAC members did. Clarification was requested of Eric by Dr. Dan Holt, CPAC Chair. Funny how things work out sometimes. Eric clarified in writing and the result mirrors my prediction of eleven days ago, here in the Advocate. I had suggested that the next excuses coming from Chemtura and buds was that oh gosh the waters fine but the Region refuses to jump in. Sure enough Eric in writing to all of CPAC has made it clear that the earliest possible date for Elmira residents to be drinking Elmira water again is 2050. That's the earliest date if everything else is on time and there are no further screwups.

In what universe is shutting down Elmira wells in 1989 and MAYBE firing them up in 2050; a thirty year restoration? Citizens of Elmira you've been lied to for the past twenty-three years by three levels of government namely municipal, regional and provincial. Especially at the municipal level most of them are gone but there are some still active at the regional and provincial levels. Remember them. Forgive if you want but never forget how we've all been treated contemptuously by three levels of government in conjunction with our local polluter and hangers on.