CHEMTURA FEBRUARY 2013 PROGRESS REPORT

This monthly report has a couple of surprises this month. The front page has a "noteworthy items" section which advises that the Canagagigue Creek "...contained a detectable concentration of toluene (34 ug/l)...". This is a huge understatement as a detectable concentration normally refers to a concentration just above the detection limit which is in the area of .2 ug/l. Secondly while advising us of this toluene concentration in the surface water of the "Gig" they mysteriously ignored an even higher concentration that is in the middle of a Table in the middle of the report. This would be Table C.1 and is Acetone at approximately 86 ug/l. The very next table (Table C.2) is the one that routinely shows downstream arithmetic means higher than upstream ones for usually NDMA, NMOR, Toluene and or Ethylbenzene. This month, rather strangely at first blush, we do not have Toluene with a higher downstream arithmetic mean than upstream. This is unusual and doubly so as we have such a high concentration found upstream in Table C.1 . NDMA and NMOR are as usual higher downstream than up and this particular question was put to Chemtura at the last public CPAC meeting. They have indicated that they will repond to it at this Thursday evenings (6 pm.) public CPAC meeting held in the Woolwich Council Chambers.

There are some conclusions which could be reached from this data. Firstly slugs of contaminants move through groundwater on their own timetable. Secondly once a month testing is by no means conclusive. It is literally hit and miss. Thirdly the dilution factor in surface water is immense. Years ago when surface water testing routinely was showing six to ten chemicals in the "Gig", the quantity of contaminants in the groundwater discharging to the "Gig" had to be huge in order to be caught regularily by testing and after dilution in the creek.

The pump and treat system has for a number of months been performing way above its' historical averages. During February the on-site pumping at PW4 and PW5 was excellent. Keep in mind that the word excellent rarely appears in any of my postings dealing with Chemtura. The off-site pumping for wells that have been very problematic over the years namely W5A, W5B, W3 and W4 met or exceeded their targeted pumping rates. This also rates at least an "attaboy". Old reliable namely well E7 at the extreme south end of Elmira has spoiled this month's picture. It has pumped at a massive 26.5 litres per second for years and done so with excellent reliability. This month it fell to 20.8 l/sec. Hopefully this problem has been rectified and "old reliable" can get back up to speed.

While hydraulic containment is not the answer on its' own for restoring Elmira's groundwater; nevertheless it is a component and it would behoove Chemtura to continue their efforts to maintain their pumping rates on all their wells.