ALLEGEDLY NO PUBLIC HEALTH RISK IN GUELPH FROM BURIED DRUMS

Well I've now gotten into the measurements of air contaminants from the area of the test pits and buried drums on Wellington St. in Guelph. The text of the report advises us that there are no exceedances of M.O.E. health standards by these various solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons and using their classification, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. So does this indicate no health risks to the public? Absolutely not for a number of reasons.

They do admit in the text that benzene is the highest concentration present in relation to M.O.E. health standards. Two benzene samples are at 74 and 79 percent of the AAQC or ambient air quality criterion. Benzene is a known cause of leukemia but rest assurred its' concentrations are below the magic number of 2.3 ug/m3. Notice I said that benzene was the highest concentration relative to the health standards. There are lots more chemicals present at higher concentrations than benzene but their health standards are significantly higher than benzene is.

Exactly how many other manmade toxic chemicals are present in the air surrounding this contaminated site? I've counted thirty-four to date. While as stated many are at higher concentrations than benzene none are closer to the health standard than benzene is. The problem is this: Can someone tell me the health standard for benzene at 79% of its' individual standard combined with say toluene at 2% or even benzene and iso-propyl alcohol at 1%? The answer is no. Then combine benzene at 79% of its' health standard with thirty-two other toxic chemicals and you have exactly zero knowledge as to the health effects.

These above test results were taken at monitoring sites near the test pit excavations. Air samples were also taken from the top of some buried drums as well as on the lip of the test pits. Some of those numbers were off the charts. Off the charts as of five, ten, twenty and twenty-five times higher than the applicable air standards. But rest assurred your health is safe because those numbers weren't the ones used to determine that your health is not at risk.

Keep in mind I've only spioken today about air emissions. No one can bury metal drums filled with toxic liquids in the ground for fifty to sixty years and tell me the contents haven't leaked. I've seen and smelled buried drums up here in Elmira at Varnicolor Chemical and other locations. They stink and they leak and they affect groundwater, soil, nearby creek sediments, the floodplain and the air. Dr. Gail Krantzberg (McMaster University) advised the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee that anything that Uniroyal Chemical ever discharged onto their site has moved whether by air, groundwater, surface water or even soil vapours.