LOCAL POLITICS AND WOOLWICH'S ENVIRONMENT

Woolwich Bio-En, three proposed gravel pits and Chemtura's ongoing mess were all environmental issues going into the last municipal election. There was a housecleaning with only the councillor from St. Jacobs (Bauman) getting back in. Today almost all those issues are settled with the notorious exception of Chemtura. In fact today two of the three proposed gravel pits were turned down and the one with the go ahead outside Winterbourne (Jigs Hollow Pit) appears to be on hold due to a higher than expected water table. Woolwich Bio-En are up and running and all appearances to date are that they wish to cooperate and communicate appropriately with the community. Only the future will tell whether forecasted issues of odours and traffic will be overcome.

On a very simplified basis one could give credit to Woolwich Council for their success in opposing both Capitol Paving's proposed pit in West Montrose as well as the Hunder Pit proposed outside Conestogo. Similarily one could criticize Council for both the Jigs Hollow Pit and Woolwich Bio-En presence. I emphasize that this is a bit of a superficial rating both positive and negative. There is a new issue which although it has been presented to Council by myself; only two Councillors were directly involved in discussions including the submission by me of three pages of questions for the Region of Waterloo. That would be Councillors Bonnie Bryant and Mark Bauman. This issue deals with the misrepresentation of both facts and safety around the drinking water for over a decade in West Montrose. The evidence is very strong that the Region have long minimized and improperly allowed chemicals from the disinfection of bacteria contaminated water to remain in West Montrose's water. They are currently overhauling the system but the exposures most probably have caused health issues in that community. It is the lack of transparency and full disclosure to the residents through various means including the Annual Drinking Water Reports that is reprehensible. To date Councillors Bryant and Bauman at the minimum appear to be running interference for the Region by not releasing to me and Advocate readers the completed responses to my three pages of questions which Councillor Bauman had requested I submit to the Township.

Currently we have former Councillor Sandy Shantz, current Councillor Bonnie Bryant and current Mayor Todd Cowan all running for the Mayor's position this coming October. All three have strong positives and all three have feet of clay. Mayor Cowan overall has been a positive influence in bringing Chemtura Chemical to heel. I use that term to heel because for many years Chemtura and their council supporters have sucessfully run interference in attempts to get source removal of toxins (especially DNAPLS) from the site undertaken. Strangely enough on at least one occasion all three have voted to keep me off of CPAC. This includes last August when the only CPAC member opposed to my membership was councillor Mark Bauman and he parlayed the stupidity and pettiness of councillor Julie Ann Herteis to get Council to vote 3-2 against my membership. CPAC voted 4-1 in favour and the same Bauman who voted against me at CPAC induced/bribed two councillors to join him namely Herteis and Bryant. Keep in mind that CPAC are a committee of Council and were all appointed by Council including me in early 2011. Sandy Shantz did a similar thing back in 2008 and she had zero honest and legitimate reasons for so doing. While she has attempted to explain her decision as being best for me, that is self serving bull. She apparently decided that Susan Bryant, then Mayor Bill Strauss and his then buddy Pat McLean needed to be supported regardless. The bottom line question is this: What is the real reason that municipal councillors and their friends don't want me having a voice and a vote on CPAC? Keep in mind that this current CPAC overwhelmingly recognize my contributions and support and want me on. Keep in mind that there is absolutely no single Woolwich resident with my technical and historical knowledge and experience with that site as I have. None even close. I am the sole local citizen with the ability to oppose Chemtura and the M.O.E. from having their dishonest way with the facts and the truth. That said I recognize and absolutely require the assistance and support of the current CPAC. They need me and yes I need them. It is a team effort and they have kept me involved and active for the public benefit despite the disgusting efforts of Woolwich Council past and present. For me this is a difficult choice between Cowan, Bryant and Shantz. As I said all three have strong positives and all three have feet of clay.