MAYOR COWAN TELLS K-W COUNCILS OFF RE: RAILWAY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Today's Waterloo Region Record are slowly honing their way into the meat of this issue. The story is "Kitchener asks railways to disclose hazards". Mayor Cowan is quoted as saying that both Kitchener and Waterloo Council need only call either Woolwich Township or perhaps Chemtura directly. Personally I wouldn't put much faith in Chemtura being forthcoming to either Waterloo or Kitchener. That said Mayor Cowan is clearly indicating that Elmira industries (presumably Sulco (CCC) and Chemtura) have been forthcoming with emergency responders in Woolwich Township.

The major point still being missed by everyone is more than which fire departments and which councils are in the know. Far more important are the people who live along those railway tracks carrying hazardous chemicals. They need to know whether or not they and their families are at risk. Reassurances that fire and emergency will know how to respond AFTER an accident is pretty hollow. If I lived anywhere near those train tracks and knew what they carry; neither my children nor future grandchildren would ever be sleeping overnite within spitting range of them. It's one thing if an informed decision to gamble one's life is made but it's an entirely different thing either to gamble someone else's life or not to know the facts upon which you are basing your gamble. These tracks are like Russian roulette and at some point the game will be lost with fatal consequences.