CPAC, SWAT & CITIZENS CHALLENGE CHEMTURA and MINISTRY

Well sometimes you just don't know ahead of time. Last night's CPAC meeting turned out to be a barnburner. Oh and just to let everyone know the next meeting isn't until Thursday August 29, 2013.

My Delegation to CPAC consisted of a series of quotes from a February 1996 Report done by a Mr. Jaagumagi and a Mr. Townsend of the Ontario M.O.E.. Their report was on the findings they discovered while testing the Canagagigue Creek for Dioxins and DDT. All the quotes I read made it clear that the probable contaminant transport method to the creek was by solvent contaminated groundwater.

The revised CPAC Terms of Reference were discussed briefly as they are still a work in progress. Sebastian as usual raised the issue of CPAC's lack of support for Chemtura's scraping, capping and landscaping of their south-east corner, namely GP1 & GP2.

Jaimie Connolly of the M.O.E. gave his take on CRA's Groundwater Flow and Transport Model which is the revised plans for cleaning up the Elmira Aquifers. Amazing isn't it, but even the M.O.E. are now categorically admitting/confirming that the old modelling plans for pump and treat were totally inadequate and could not succeed by 2028. Jaimie overall supports CRA's plans while having numerous criticisms surrounding the capabilities of their model.

Mike Spencer of the M.O.E. responded to my severe criticism from the last CPAC meeting directed at his downstream report allegedly comparing 2012 results with those of 1995/96. I would say that a number of his comments made sense and that a big part of the problem was his communications. In his point form comments he was too brief and general and despite what he clarified for us and explained further; his written words were misleading. Originally I thought that was intentional but after his second appearance and explanations I am much less so inclined to believe that. I give him credit for returning and clearing up a few issues.

Jeff Merriman and myself got into a discussion around Head Differentials between monitoring pairs in and beside the south-west corner of the creek. I had posted yesterday here in the Advocate about shallow aquifer containment being suspect due to very low differences between the creek elevation and the nearby groundwater elevations. With hydraulic containment the groundwater levels need to be kept below the surface water levels to avoid discharge to the creek. Jeff was adamant that he and Chemtura are keeping on top of these levels and monitoring them on a daily basis to maintain containment of the shallow aquifer (UA1).

A Doug Smith of Conestoga Rovers (CRA) presented the work and study being done on the south-east corner (GP1 & 2) to satisfy the requirements of the GRCA. These requirements have to do with flood control, vegetation cover and maintaining a psuedo natural environment. The discussion rapidly turned to the lack of excavation/removal of Dioxins and DDT and Ron Campbell, Dr. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach and myself led the charge. Steve Quigley of CRA and Jeff Merriman of Chemtura led the defence. Basically DDT and Dioxins are still leaving the site according to the recent M.O.E. information and Chemtura were challenged to tell us if not from GP1 & 2 then where on their site were they coming from. At one point I got Mr. Smith to contradict himself in regards to whether Dioxins were denser than water and thus sinkers. My point was that they had easily descended downwards through the aquifer to greater depths than CRA had tested and most likely from there are moving via contaminated groundwater into the creek.

The M.O.E.'s refusal to push Chemtura to fully clean up their Dioxins and DDT on their site is both disappointing and shocking. This is a huge indictment of their mandate to allegedly clean up grossly contaminated sites.