ELMIRA INDEPENDENT APPROPRIATELY HAMMERS CHEMTURA AGAIN

Yesterday's Elmira Independent came out with another story about the June 28/13 public CPAC meeting. The title of the story is "Former waste pits still a source of contention". Gail Martin, editor and reporter, states "The pits (GP1 & 2) are laced with DDT, dioxins and furans, all chemicals with significant health risks to the public.". This is the crux of failure of the Ontario M.O.E. to demand a proper removal versus a scraping (1') and capping of these two areas.

Gail unfortunately repeats Chemtura's blatantly nonsensical position that these pits are "contained" on the Chemtura property. If they were "contained" we still wouldn't be finding DDT and dioxins, in quantity, downstream in the Canagagigue Creek.

The following quote from Doug Smith of Conestoga Rovers is typical of their psuedo science " We don't want to be excavating below the water table, because we don't want to be churning up the soil and making a bigger mess than we have". What kind of drivel is this? Is the "mess" no more than wet soil and muddy sand and gravel, which is essentially irrelevant, or is he actually being honest and suggesting that the "bigger mess" would be mobilizing the deeper DDT and Dioxins?

A big issue is the depth to which both groundwater and soil samples were taken. Conestoga Rovers (CRA) on behalf of Chemtura have very carefully refused to take any intermediate or deep samples, especially soil, as this would give a much better idea of the depth to which the dioxins and DDT have migrated. Yours truly was extensively quoted by Gail Martin as follows "Marshall noted that the density of dioxins and furans are greater than water, which could permit the chemicals to migrate below the water table.". This migration could be either as dissolved dioxins/DDT in solvent laden groundwater or even as a free phase mixture, namely as a DNAPL (dense non aqueous phase liquid). I was further quoted as follows "I would suggest that if you don't test below the water table, you'll never find anything below the water table". Further "You don't know what is four feet down, eight feet down, but I'll tell you what is down there, UA1, UA2 and UA3, (upper aquifers 1,2,3) discharging to Canagagigue Creek.".

Steve Quigley of CRA stepped in to relieve the pressure on Doug Smith by stating that dioxins and furans are hydrophobic and don't readily migrate in groundwater. This old saw may apply on some sites but not on this one as I stated "Dioxins and DDT are mobilized by solvents", and "this site is just filled with solvents.".

All in all Gail has accurately reported the pressure that CPAC are putting on Chemtura and the M.O.E.. Chemtura and CRA are responding with junk science, bull...., arrogance and stubborness . They do not have a scientifically valid leg to stand on.