GREY SKIES ON CONESTOGA ROVERS' HORIZON?

CBC News has an on-line article describing the transfer of toxic wastes originally from Love Canal, New York State; being sent to Corunna (near Sarnia) for disposal. Apparently the toxic wastes had "temporarily" been stored in a small landfill a few kilometres from the infamous residential site built on top of a dumping ground for Hooker Chemical. Even decades after being excavated the wastes will require incineration at 1300 degrees (C or F ?) prior to being reburied in Canada.

Lest we feel that Canada just can't keep up to the big boys in toxic waste, rest assurred that Uniroyal/Chemtura Elmira, Ontario have also sent equally noxious, cancer inducing and toxic wastes for disposal to Corunna as well. Apparently the clay in that area is particularily thick which prevents the wastes from readily passing through and contaminating groundwater and further soils. The fumes coming from their incineration process I am less confident about.

Conestoga Rovers & Assoc. made their name originally at the Love Canal. Their money saving ideas for polluters are partly predicated upon hydraulic containment which was originally considered to be strictly a short term solution for stopping the spread of chemical contamination in groundwater. It saves money for polluters as they allegedly aren't required to excavate grossly contaminated soil, merely keep it on their own property versus spreading to the neighbours. Currently there are complaints from residents in or near the Love Canal that the toxins are spreading and negatively affecting them.

Similarily in Elmira, Ontario the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee have received a report from an independent consultant (MTE Consultants) suggesting that there has been both groundwater and surface water flowing across the eastern property border onto the neighbour's farm. Other issues include a recently discovered manmade Drain carrying contaminated water directly into the Canagagigue Creek. It is even possible that a currently unexplained line, scar, trench visible via satellite is a secret groundwater collection trench disposing contaminated water off site onto the same neighbour's property.

The common denominater is of course Conestoga Rovers. They have been involved with the Uniroyal/Chemtura site since the 1980's and became the principal consultants in 1992 after Morrison-Beatty were "consolidated", according to Dr. David Ash of Uniroyal at the time.