MORE ON NORTHSTAR / M.O.E. SETTLEMENT

Well quoting Tracy Hipel in the Cambridge Times yesterday " ...the settlement is at least something and better than nothing". Tracy attended the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) hearing in Cambridge Council Chembers on Monday as did a reporter from the Cambridge Times. This is why the Times story is superior to the Waterloo Region Record who didn't have a reporter present on Monday. The title of the Times story is "Northstar officials, MOE reach $4.75M remediation deal". Just like the Record I couldn't seeme to get a link to their story.

Mr. Hipel has a photocatalytic oxidation system hooked up to his furnace as well as a shed in his backyard that operates a soil vapour extraction unit which removes and decontaminates toxic vapours from around and under his basement. These vapours including Trichloroethylene, 1,1,1 Trichloroethane and more are courtesy of both Northstar Aerospace and a neighbour (now GE) located on Bishop St. in Cambridge.

The Times also advises us that the $5 million dollar settlement to the residents was not paid when it was due last fall because of Northstar's bankruptcy claim.

In regards to the cleanup costs the Ontario Ministry of the Environment did unsucessfully pursue Northstar through the courts to have them forced to pay for ongoing cleanup and remediation. When that failed the M.O.E. issued a Control Order on Northstar's Directors which they appealed to the ERT .

Quite frankly while I am still appalled at how horrible and extensive the contamination was before it was reported to the M.O.E. back in 2004 or 2005 I am surprisingly feeling at least a little respect for the M.O.E. for their pursuit of Northstar through the courts and the ERT. Yes the M.O.E. are supposed to inspect these facilities and bring them in line BEFORE either environmental and human health disasters strike. In this they failed abjectly. As far as the remediation afterwards the M.O.E. pushed while both municipal and regional politicians ran interference for the company via their usual public relations nonsense about minimal to no permanent environmental and human health damages. That attitude and behaviour was an insult to the environment and the Grand River due to toxic solvents discharged into them by Northstar and to the families of those who passed away prematurely due to the air they breathed in their homes being "enriched" with TCE, TCA, possibly chromium and more.