WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE IGNORED BY OUR MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS

They ignore them because politically it's safer. No bad news gets incumbents re-elected. At the moment there will be a minimum of two changes on the makeup of the new woolwich Council. Julie Ann Herteis is not running and either Bonnie Bryant or Todd Cowan will be off Council. The other two include Mark Bauman who is uncontested and Allan Poffenroth who has five challengers for two positions. Right now the last thing any of them want to get into is a serious argument with the Region of Waterloo over water quality in the West Montrose wells as well as in Heidelburg and Maryhill.

Heidelburg needs an independent of the Region serious examination as to whether the former Strauss service station is "enriching" the drinking water. The fact that it has enriched the groundwater is undisputed; what isn't known is how far and how deep it has gone.

Maryhill has some bacteria problems and either further treatment or a relocation of the wells may be necessary.

West Montrose has sufferred with both high bacteria including E.Coli in the raw water as well as chemical by-products of disinfection for many years. These by-products are toxic and may include NDMA as a by-product of chloramine and nitrogen courtesy of septic systems.

Councillors Bauman and Bryant are aware of these problems and have not pursued them since being informed and since receiving a grossly inadequate response from the Region of Waterloo. To my disappointment I have also not heard back from Ward 2 candidate Lynne Hare on the matter.