FAILURE WITH EXCUSES IS STILL FAILURE

Chemtura Canada's Progress Report for April 2013 came out last week. We were treated to the never ending litany of reasons/excuses as to why they once again are unable to maintain their off-site pumping rates of groundwater to the target levels they had previously set as being required to restore the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards. Keep clearly in mind that these pumping rates are the old ones. The new proposed rates are three times higher and I am confident that their new excuses at least will be three times better.

Here we go: well rehabilitation, pump replacement, activated carbon replacement and Ammonia Treatment System (ATS) operational issues. Oh and let's not forget power outages as well affecting groundwater pumping. In regards to ATS operational issues, modesty almost makes me fail to mention that yours truly appealed their Certificate of Approval for their Ammonia System back in 2007.

As far as the so called quality of the effluent that their containment & treatment system discharges to the Canagagigue Creek; while they achieved the Limits required they failed to meet their Objectives for chlorobenzene, toluene and nitrosomorpholine (NMOR). Biota and all lifeforms in the creek should be shaking in their boots in regards to a proposed tripling of quantities of partially cleaned groundwater being discharged to the creek.

To put things in perspective April's off-site groundwater pumping was the worst in the past year. Overall the off-site pumping had been improving since later 2012 which after all their pumping failures isn't saying all that much.