CHEMTURA ARE GIRDING THEIR LOINS AND PREPARING THEIR EXCUSES

CPAC's November meeting is this coming Monday evening (Nov. 24/14) at 6 pm.. Chemtura and their partners in pollution have some serious explaining to do which however may prove very difficult. As has been stated many times the presence of a groundwater interceptor trench or any other subsurface works on the east side of their site is not a requirement or prerequisite for the data now available regarding leakage and overflow of liquid toxic wastes off their eastern property line. Peter Gray's (MTE) report is a stand alone document as is the Stroh Drain information discovered this past May. Both make it very clear that Chemtura's liquid wastes have flowed inappropriately onto their neighbour's property and from there via the Stroh Drain into the downstream Canagagigue Creek.

The evidence continues to mount as was presented last evening to CPAC & SWAT at their Working Session prior to next Monday's public meeting. I found one of many pieces of the puzzle in Conestoga Rovers & Assoc. Annual Monitoring Report No. 28 (2009) on pages 136 and 137. "Flexible, black plastic 2-inch diameter pipes oriented north-west to south-east were encountered approximately .5 to 1 m bgs (below ground surface) in test pits TP15-09, TP13-09,TP17-09 and TP18-09. CRA noted the presence of some water and soil in some of the pipes and some grey or black staining near some of the pipes. Chemtura does not have any record of these pipes or what their purpose was. There were never any chemical manufacturing activities on the east side of the site. The pipes may have conveyed liquid wastes or controlled drainage in areas where historic waste disposal occurred."

CRA's last sentence is a bombshell. Keep in mind these test pits encircle monitoring well OW42 which is just barely inside (ie. upgradient or east) the readily apparent line, scar or trench. There should not have been any conveyance of liquid wastes or controlling of drainage via pipes beside RPE-5. If there was it has not been explained clearly to CPAC and it desperately needs to be done. The impression already is that there has been inappropriate flow of toxic liquid wastes onto the Stroh property. Were these pipes assisting that inappropriate flow or were they somehow trying to mitigate that off-site flow?

Further issues abound. These pipes are located directly between a possible groundwater interceptor trench and a toxic waste pit which handled pesticides including DDT as well as Agent Orange waste streams. Both black and grey stained gravelly fill were also found in the area as well as the black and grey staining found near the pipes mentioned in the preceding paragraph. What exactly does it take to get the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to act? Are the contaminants just mentioned as well as DNAPLS which went through the bottom of these pits still leaking and draining off-site? The public need a champion to protect both the environment and the health of neighbours. The M.O.E. have abrogated that role a long time ago.