ELMIRA INDEPENDENT COVERAGE OF CPAC MEETING

Last Friday's Elmira Independent carried this story "In-situ remediation project moves forward". Currently after two allegedly unsucessful locations to pilot test chemical oxidation, Chemtura believe they have found one. It is on Industrial Drive south of Oriole Parkway. There is a well named CH38 on the Sanyo Canada property that has had extremely high NDMA readings for more than two decades and it is this area and southwards near pumping well W3 that may be treated with ISCO. ISCO or In-situ chemical oxidation does exactly what its' title implies. It oxidizes other chemicals. In the case of carbon based (organic) chemicals such as chlorobenzene (C6H5Cl) it reduces the contaminant (chlorobenzene) by joining oxygen (O2) with the carbon to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and as well adds oxygen to hydrogen (H) to make water (H2O). Allegedly it can break down NDMA (CH3)2 NNO or C2H6N2O similarily. While I am a little skeptical about this I will investigate further before expressing too strong of an opinion.

There was a second article in the Independent titled "MOE plans DDT study". It is fair to say that the initial studies in 1996 should have been followed up in a timely and scientifically valid method and were not. This is part of the reason that I am suspicious of what is belatedly happening now. It is interesting that as the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) gain traction on the cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers; the M.O.E. appear to be changing channels and direction. Over the decades the M.O.E. have done this before when Chemtura (Uniroyal) were under pressure.