MORE *RESPONSIBLE CARE SCAMMING UPCOMING

You have to hand it to Chemtura Canada in Elmira, they are shameless. The last time around for their verification under *Responsible Care, they stacked the deck in their favour ahead of time and they still couldn't legitimately achieve it. This program which is under the auspices of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) is supposed to be about the ethics of *Responsible Care. For some companies it probably is but for Chemtura it's nothing more than public relations to offset their horrid attempts to control and manipulate public consultation in Elmira, Ontario. Last time out they lost the vote from their verification team but managed to talk the CIAC into a do over. They got their votes with one dissenting vote that time, namely Dr. Dan Holt, CPAC Chair. Elmira's own Pat McLean, a former Councillor, showed her loyalty to Chemtura by voting for them while mouthing platitudes about their future promises and commitments. As expected by honest, independent critics who aren't getting expense paid trips around North America as she is via the CIAC; Chemtura's promises have been the usual hot air.

The next *Responsible Care verification comes up this spring, possibly in February or March. Already Chemtura are playing games by not advising CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) as to who the verification team members will be, even refusing to say whether CPAC will have major representation or not; unlike last time when they had but one vote. Several years back Chemtura scammed the CIAC by getting the Chemtura West Hill plant in Scarborough combined with the Elmira plant for verification. The purpose was to bring verifiers on the team that were handpicked by the company in West Hill. It certainly isn't as if the West Hill plant hasn't seriously offended their neighbours as well but their "public consultation" is more typical of the chemical industry by its' membership being determined by the company.

To the CIAC I say this. You are jeopardizing your credibility and the credibility of *Responsible Care by including rogue companies such as Chemtura Canada under the *Responsible Care umbrella. Further recent developments in Elmira will continue to undermine the remaining shreds of Chemtura's credibility. As previously posted here they have covered up and lied to the public, CPAC and Woolwich Township for more than two decades about their contaminated ground and surface water discharges off their property and onto their eastern neighbour's farm.