SURVIVING ALL ATTEMPTS AT MARGINALIZING, MINIMIZING, CRITICIZING BY AUTHORITY FIGURES

For twenty-four years I've been spending my time and quite frankly my money in the service of the environment and the citizens of Woolwich Township. I have also been involved in researching and studying numerous other contaminated sites throughout Waterloo Region. I have always stayed scrupulously to the truth and to facts that I could back up. For my troubles I have been threatened by our regional chair, publicly badmouthed twice by Woolwich Councillor Mark Bauman and kicked off of CPAC by the council of the day in 2008 and 2011. The Ontario M.O.E. routinely lie and attempt to undermine my credibility in their support of Chemtura Canada here in Elmira. So here is how I survive the disrespect, obfuscating, deception and outright lies of various "authority" figures. Every now and then I hit back hard. Following is an e-mail I sent this morning to David Brenneman CAO of Woolwich Township. David is on the receiving end of both his sins as well as those of Woolwich Council. This e-mail was sent to CPAC, SWAT, three council members and the Editors of our two local papers. While Chemtura have come right out and admitted they don't respond to data and concerns I've presented publicly because I'm not a CPAC member; I really do not see me tolerating Woolwich staff and council's similar behaviour much longer. Woolwich senior staff and council are complete hypocrites. They preach Codes of Conduct, respect and courtesy but their behaviour is the exact opposite. Councillors Bauman, Herteis and Mayor Cowan routinely treat Woolwich citizens with disrespect and discourtesy. That is the background for this morning's upcoming e-mail.


Dave Brenneman: I am still waiting, waiting, waiting,waiting,waiting. I know you're a busy fellow but don't you think a response to a request from a taxpaying citizen should be achievable in under a year? Last summer (2012) I e-mailed you a string of reports by name, date and author which referenced an investigation undertaken by Woolwich Township to discover the source of chlorobenzene flowing in the Howard St. storm drain in the mid 1980's. This location was directly between Borg Textiles on the south side of Howard Ave. and Varnicolor Chemical on the north side. The significance of all data referring to chlorobenzene use, handling and mishandling is of great importance to the restoration of the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards. I did have the temerity after only a few short months namely last November or December to ask you for an update on this matter. You were not particularily pleased with my request hence I decided to give you more time on the matter. Eight or nine months later and I have yet to receive an update, call, e-mail, acknowledgement etc.. Heck maybe you just plain forgot. Could you find time in your busy schedule to perhaps give me a response oh lets say by Labour Day (this year) ?

Sincerely impressed
Alan Marshall P.S. please make that response in writing. If you've lost or misplaced the data I sent you which literally took me many, many hours to unearth and discover, that is no problem. My time and effort is of little consequence compared to that of yours. Therefore as I have always done at my time and expense I will continue to work for free as in volunteer work on behalf of the citizens of Woolwich. This has been a pleasure for me due to the appreciation I've received from staff and most especially Woolwich Council over the years. All sarcasm aside I have been treated with courtesy and respect by the current CPAC members (less Mark B.) and hence I also hold them in great respect and esteem.