CPAC MEETING LAST EVENING IN WOOLWICH COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Instead of six o'clock the public CPAC meeting started at 5:30 pm. in the Woolwich Council Chambers. This was a last minute decision in order for CPAC to discuss an invitation to join a vaguely described meeting between Chemtura, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and some but not all members of Woolwich Council. I'm assuming there would not have been a quorum of Councillors because that would have required the meeting to be public. If held otherwise as an in camera meeting, Council knows that I would have added that meeting to the list that the Ontario Ombudsman is currently investigating. Similarily if as appropriate all six voting CPAC members were invited that too would have required a public meeting otherwise the same thing.

All five present CPAC members (Mark Bauman is on holidays again) were in favour on principle that the appropriate forum for Chemtura, M.O.E. CPAC and the Township to meet would be at the public, monthly CPAC meetings. Afterall allegedly the meeting was to discuss things like the 2028 groundwater remediation deadline and or possible other Woolwich environmental issues although as earlier stated the written request to only Dr. Dan Holt was extremely vague. An unworthy thought just crossed my wee mind. Mayor Shantz has just recently ordered the CPAC Chair to no longer recognize either SWAT or members of the public from the floor during discussions. How awkward that would have been for Mayor Shantz to have insisted that CPAC go back to their sucessful process they've had for the last four years in order for her and her council colleagues to be able to speak during the discussions.

There were comments from Ron Campbell, Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach, Vivienne Delaney, Graham Chevreau and Richard Clausi. Sebastian mentioned the twenty-four year precedent of public CPAC meetings. Ron Campbell suggested that there was zero transparency to date as to why Chemtura/M.O.E. are not present at CPAC. Richard was the bluntest in stating that the proposed private, by invitation only meeting to discuss public matters allegedly, failed the smell test. Ron further related numerous failures by Chemtura and the M.O.E. to respond to important questions or requests for information and yet they are apparently and allegedly boycotting CPAC. Then they want a single CPAC representative only to attend some ill defined private meeting without a written agenda, list of participants and a rationale for why it must be done out of the public eye. As Richard stated this fails the smell test Sandy. A hell of a way to run a Township and you are just getting started. Hopefully your goal is not to further embarass an already embarassed Woolwich Township due to the behaviour of your predecessor.

During the formal 6 pm. CPAC meeting Sebastian suggested that Dwight Este's e-mail declining attendance last evening was highly contemptuous in its' tone. Others suggested that the M.O.E.'s again last minute cancellation was in full alignment with Chemtura's unprofessional behaviour. I would suggest that both parties are confident that Mayor Mom is in their corner. This has been the reality for most of the last twenty-five years with only a couple of exceptions. Both times Uniroyal/Chemtura have run for their mommies to escape appropriate condemnation for their behaviour. The last time was in 1999 due to the nightime air fumigations of the Duke St. residents.

It was decided that due to Chemtura's and the M.O.E.s continued non-attendance that CPAC would regretfully schedule the next public meeting for April 30 and skip the March meeting. That said it was suggested by Vivienne that members attempt to keep the March 26 date available in case the other two parties decide to return soon.

There were two major discussions regarding technical issues both on-site (GP-1) and downstream at Station 21 with its' extraordinay DDT sediment concentrations. I was involved in the first via questions from the floor after my Delegation and Graham led the second. I will elaborate on these discussions in tomorrow's post.