CHEMTURA SILENT WHILE M.O.E. TAKES A THUMPING

It was the first CPAC meeting since June and the CPAC members and SWAT took no prisoners from the Ministry of the Environment representatives. It seems to me that CPAC have long ago figured out that both Chemtura and the M.O.E. consider CPAC as nothing more than token public consultation. The partners in pollution would prefer for CPAC to be widely seen as simply present, acquiesent and quiet. Did not happen last night.

I started the ball rolling in my formal Delegation to CPAC. I briefly quoted Jaimie Connolly, M.O.E. hydrogeologist, from last June's CPAC Minutes. In no uncertain terms Jaimie advised Chemtura and his own employers that hydraulic containment was not adequate. Source removal or reduction of DNAPLS and "hot spots" was required. Then I discussed a court Decision from earlier this month in which a 25 year lawsuit filed against the City of Kitchener and Hogg Fuels was dismissed. The issue was coal tar that the City had relocated decades ago onto the former Hogg Fuel property which then migrated onto the CN Rail property. CN sued but as the Judge stated; CN wasn't so much interested in getting compensation from the City or Hogg as it was in avoiding having to clean up their property. The result was that all parties buffaloed and bafflegabbed the M.O.E. for 25 years while "studying" the contamination and liability. My last discussion involved Trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminated drinking wells over in Guelph. Contrary to the Ministry's recent position that yes there are drinking wells drawing water from contaminated aquifers but only upstream; I pointed out that the Carter, Membro and Emma Wells were all drawing contaminated water from downstream. They then used everything from pumping rates, steel liners and dilution from other wells to attempt to reduce the concentrations of contaminants.

Graham Chevreau of CPAC mentioned an upcoming SWAT report summarizing the history of the Chemtura site and cleanup. He also verbally took the M.O.E. to task about their failure to date to respond with formal groundwater cleanup criteria and to their failure to address remaining significant sources of Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLS) on their site. He was also unhappy with the M.O.E.'s responses to requests for off-site testing of soils just off Chemtura's eastern border. Graham's summation to the M.O.E. was as follows: "In summary and for the record, it is SWAT's opinion that the MOE's efforts at seriously investigating surficial soil and sediment on and around the Site are inadequate, and their management of the cleanup is ineffective. It is also SWAT's opinion that MOE's response to CPAC in general is dismissive, glacially slow, and is unacceptable."

There was silence in the room after Graham finished. Sebastian (CPAC) asked George Karlos (M.O.E.) for his response. George was clearly taken aback by Graham's blunt and forceful denunciation and could only mutter "No comment" and "I have nothing to say".

Much more on last night's meeting will be forthcoming shortly.