CHEMTURA/M.O.E. WILLING TO COVERUP DIOXINS & AGENT ORANGE

There are two types of coverup. One is referred to as "capping" and simply means putting some sort of barrier over top of wastes and contaminated soil. The other is your more typical coverup, whereby through deceptive means one trys to hide a scandal. In this case on Chemtura's Elmira site, both are involved. Yesterday's Elmira Independent carried this story "Committee opposes partial excavation of waste pits". It is referring to GP1 and GP2 on the south-east corner of Chemtura. They are former gravel pits where liquid wastes from the east side pits were allowed and even encouraged to overflow and gravity drain towards them and then settle into the ground. These liquid wastes included solvents, pesticides, Dioxins and literally all Uniroyal wastes.

The Ministry of the Environment claim that there is no evidence that Agent Orange (Dioxin), DDT and more is leaving Chemtura's site from this area. As long as the M.O.E. continue to wear mittens, blindfolds and ear muffs they can continue along that track. The reality is that area is all part of the Upper Aquifer as well as being floodplain for the Canagagigue Creek. Leakage, groundwater and surface water flow have been going on forever and indeed are counted on by Chemtura and co-conspirators to reduce their on-site quantities of toxic wastes.

During a trenching operation buried drums were discovered years ago in Chemtura's south-west corner and removed last summer. Composite soil samples were taken in order to characterize the level of contamination. Besides dark soil there were also tarry globs found. These tarry globs as admitted by Conestoga Rovers could have been from the days of Uniroyal cleaning out their two on-site tar pits (TPW1, TPW2) and depositing them in the town dump now owned by Chemtura and called M2. Based on past history dealing with both DNAPLS (dense non-aqueous phase liquids) and Dioxins, these tarry globs should have been tested and chemically identified. They were not which is bad enough but it gets worse when Councillor and CPAC member, Mark Bauman, suggests that it wasn't necessary. Really? Does the five minute man have knowlege, past or present, that the rest of us don't? Hardly. Mark is sending out strong signals to Chemtura and the M.O.E. that he is reasonable and flexible. In other words he is politiking first instead of putting Woolwich citizens first. Smarten up Mark or you will continue to read about it here and you won't like it.

The next CPAC meeting is March 28/13 at 6 pm. in the Woolwich Council Chambers.