MONDAY MAY 4, 10:00 am. IN WOOLWICH COUNCIL CHAMBERS - AUDIT COMMITTEE - SCOTT HAHN

An audit committee comprimised of past and current regional politicians will be looking into the facts surrounding Woolwich Councillor Scott Hahn's lack of proper election expense reporting. There will be a public meeting this Monday morning at 10:00 am. in Woolwich Council Chambers. The issue appears to be Scott's brochures and election signs which he did not state any expenses for. Scott has since advised that the election signs were donated which is fine however he has not stated by whom they were donated. Similarily the brochures are an expensive question mark. When the smoke clears it absolutely could turn out to be no more than inattention and a failure to attend to the details.

On the other hand if for some reason Scott is embarassed to admit who was donating to his campaign and he intentionally tried to hide his donations, then he could be in serious trouble. This for me is the interesting question. Are the donations he received from friends or family and essentially no big deal or is it a big deal as to who donated to him? These are the questions that this audit committee absolutely must answer. Any attempt to give Scott no more than a slap on the wrist while not telling the public who donated to his campaign will reek of a coverup.

What if any are the environmental implications in all of this? At this point in time I do not know. Potentially worst case scenario Scott might have to step down as Ward One Councillor. If that occurred a proven friend of the environment, Dr. Dan Holt, is the next in line via last October's election. Scott's performance has been mixed on Council and his obvious support of Mayor Shantz in all things is worrisome.

Again until the audit committee have done their work it is idle speculation as to whether an enemy of the environment may have donated to Scott's campaign. That is what the big deal is all about. Idle speculation will occur until this audit committee do their important work and put idle speculation to rest.

STEWARDSHIP OF CANAGAGIGUE CREEK, ELMIRA PROJECT

Congratulations to CPAC and Graham Chevreau who headed up the application process to obtain funds from the Region of Waterloo's Community Environmental Fund. Graham Chevreau did the legwork in making a proposal for a project to sample soils and sediments around the Stroh Drain area, on Chemtura's east side. The purpose of the funds is to allow CPAC to hire a consultant to do this work. One concern I have of course is the Mayor's close relationship with Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The two latter groups want nothing more than to defang public consultation. This includes so called "expert" meetings and technical meetings which intentionally exclude completely qualified and knowledgable citizens. This is the exact same nonsense that went on with CEAC being left out of technical meetings back in the late 80s. See where that got the public with the wells shut down in 1989. Similarily in the early 90s Uniroyal and the M.O.E. wanted the same thing but citizens through APTE said absolutely not. Bring your technical experts to public meetings and let the public listen and have their say.

There will also be an attempt to co-opt CPAC's consultant. As MTE are already working directly on behalf of Woolwich Township with the Breslau splashpad this is a problem. CPAC and the last Council worked together hand in hand. This Council has allowed Mayor Shantz free rein to smear CPAC in her attempt to please Chemtura and the M.O.E.. Now Chemtura want MTE to attend "technical" meetings. MTE can not and should not wear two hats. Either they represent Woolwich Township (Council) or they are under the direction of the current, honest CPAC. This is similar to Councillor Bauman attending the private, secret discussions of April 9/15. He attended as a representative of Council not representing CPAC. That said he has told CPAC that he spoke up on their behalf while they were being smeared by other attendees. Unfortunately exactly zero of his remarks appear to have been included in the biased "meeting notes" as Mayor Shantz calls them.

CHEMTURA PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE THIS THURSDAY 6 PM. IN WOOLWICH COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Apparently Woolwich Councillors will be attending this Thursday's public CPAC meeting in order to have a one on one public discussion with CPAC members. I think it is safe to suggest that this is not only a good idea but one that should have happened about two or three months ago. Better late than never however. Of course if Chemtura or the Ministry of Environment show up unexpectedly after hiding since last October, that will make the discussion more difficult simply from a time standpoint. Lest we forget The M.O.E. also did not attend the September CPAC meeting with very little notice as in a few hours.

Similar to last week's Council meeting I expect that CPAC will focus on the facts not on the behaviour of parties with either agendas or axes to grind or both. CPAC as indicated in my postings of the last four years, written the day after their public meetings, have always taken the high road. It is entertaining watching truth challenged parties attempts to scapegoat CPAC for the sins of others. Whether it be Chemtura's or the M.O.E.'s disrespect and obfuscation or even my strong ctiticism of guilty parties, CPAC have not participated. Yours truly has only been a CPAC member for a couple of months since April 2008. I haven't even been a member of their sub-committee SWAT since I resigned in early February of this year.

I even have high hopes that we might have more media than just the Elmira Independent at this Thursday's meeting. Hope to see you there.

REGION OF WATERLOO ANNUAL DRINKING WATER REPORTS - GLYPHOSATE

On Saturday April 18/15 I posted here that Woolwich Council had stepped up for West Montrose. This was in relation to the wholly inadequate Annual Reports allegedly describing this community's contaminated raw water. A whole spectrum of issues concerning these Reports were raised by myself at the Woolwich Council meeting held on the Tuesday prior to April 18. One issue I did not raise were inadequate Method Detection Limits (MDL). A multitude of sins can be hidden when authorities use MDLs that are high enough to nearly guarantee non-detects of various chemicals. For example a MDL of .4 part per billion for toluene will absolutely detect a concentration of 3 parts per billion (ppb) in groundwater. However if the lab involved is advised that a MDL of 5 ppb is satisfactory then the very same groundwater sample will report toluene as Non-Detect (ND).

The list of industrial/agricultural chemicals that are tested for have varying MDLs from .01 ppb up to 1.0 and 1.3 ppb. There has been however one particular herbicide with an incredibly high MDL for many years. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup a nearly ubiquitous herbicide used in agriculture as well as around the home. It has been of concern to me as I basically felt that the purpose for such an incredibly high MDL was simply to mask its' ubiquitous presence in groundwater.

This winter the public were advised that Glyposate has been recently designated as a probable carcinogen. This scientific determination will have a ripple effect both through the industry as well as through regulators. Monsanto will undoubtedly attempt to attack this designation and defend their very profitable business. The Region of Waterloo have even more explaining to do with their Annual Reports having a MDL of 25 ppb. for a probable carcinogen in our drinking water.

FEAR & LOATHING IN CHEMTURALAND

Hatchet job, smear campaign, bitchfest. These are some of the words describing Sandy Shantz's "Township of Woolwich Environmental Planning Discussion Meeting" of April 9, 2015 - 2:00 pm. Dodie Hummel Boardroom Township Administration Building 24 Church St W, Elmira. Other names for this meeting were Sandy's teaparty and or the "pretend" stakeholders meeting.

It's difficult to be certain but it seems likely that the powers that be at the Township would have at least gotten an opinion if they could be sucessfully sued for 1) writing filth 2) distributing filth . I wonder if their very careful distribution of this letter somewhat minimizes their legal liability. The other four Township Councillors finally received a copy days after it went to CPAC. As of this past Tuesday at Council they had not received it. Very strange. Similarily I still wonder if they distributed it not only to their allys at the meeting but also to everybody else. To the best of my knowledge nobody has sent it to the media. On the face of it this is strange unless Mayor Shantz has been advised that that would indeed open the door to legal liability. One can pretend that malicious, bitchy, false personal attacks are allegedly simply collecting information about a committee of Council but if distributed to persons other than those participants, perhaps it then becomes a legal matter.

Both Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment are terrified of real, honest public participation and consultation. Hence based upon the various proposals included in this five page "meeting notes" it becomes obvious as to what their game plan is. This game plan will be implemented via Mayor Shantz and Councillor Bauman carefully manipulating the other four Councillors via sweetalking these changes as to being beneficial while at the same time smearing CPAC & SWAT. I wonder exactly at what point Councillor Bauman will stick the knife into Sandy. His Mayoral chances in the next election depend upon Sandy's apparent self destruction. He needs to get her way out on a limb, depending on his support, before he cuts the limb off. Is CPAC the issue or will it be the next one?

Public CPAC meetings will be reduced to three or four per year. The Agenda will be controlled by Chemtura not CPAC. There will be private, by invitation only, "technical" meetings likely held at Chemtura. This is why the April 9/15 "meeting notes" ridiculously suggest that this CPAC are not technically competent or do not have access to that competence. In fact Chemtura want nothing more than toadies, incompetents and co-opted members of the public at these private meetings while two to four consultants run the show. Any psuedo expert representing either the Township or CPAC will be outnumbered, outgunned and carefully picked first for his deference, respect and very quiet civility in the face of bullshit.

Public transparency and accountability are desperately required. Mayor Shantz in conjunction with Chemtura and their corrupt regulator (M.O.E.) are removing both.

DOCTOR DAN HOLT KICKS BUTT (S)

Yesterday it was the Elmira Independent story titled "Critical report endorsed by Woolwich". Today it is the Woolwich Observer front page story titled "Keep focus on contaminants, says CPAC chair". Gail Martin's story in the Independent focuses on the most recent report from MTE Consulting which states "...that the results of the proposed (Conestoga Rovers) shallow soil sampling program will not accomplish the goal of the proposed work program ". Woolwich Council chose to endorse MTE's latest report which of course refers to the recently discovered and researched east side off-site flow of contaminants from Chemtura into the Canagagigue Creek via the Stroh Drain.

Steve Kannon's article in the Observer focuses exactly where it should. That is also where Dr. Dan Holt wishes to focus and that is on the facts of the ongoing off-site discharge of contaminants. This CPAC position is of course absolutely contrary to the fairy tale of containment that both Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment have been spinning for years.
Quoting Dr. Dan Holt "With this preponderance of evidence mounting, it is the firm belief of CPAC that the Chemtura site is an uncontained hazardous waste site."

Yours truly was also quoted from my Delegation to Council as I stated "New revelations regarding east-side leakage into the neighbour's propertry and then southwards into the Canagagigue Creek and the Grand River continue to unfold. These include ongoing fish consumption advisories for Dioxin contamination, found only in the Canagagigue and the Grand River below the mouth of the Canagagigue. Nowhere else in waterloo region are there Dioxin advisories".

Lastly I will quote Steve Kannon's views as to the behaviour of Mayor Shantz. It is my opinion that Steve is both understating and attempting to be non inflammatory with his comments. In other words I'm accusing Steve of being "nice" to Sandy. He stated that "He (me) obviously rubs Mayor Sandy Shantz the wrong way as she repeatedly interrupted the start of his presentation to insist Marshall remain "respectful" and attempted to rebut some of the points he raised."

NANCY DAVY, JOE FARWELL & JANE MITCHELL (G.R.C.A.) - DID THEY APPROVE THE APRIL 9/15 "Meeting Notes" ?

Mayor Sandy Shantz with considerable assistance from integrity challenged individuals orchestrated a meeting for the purpose of smearing Woolwich Township's appointed CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) committee. The "hatchet" job truly was awesome although the heroes involved forgot to include their names along with their truth challenged comments. Originally Sandy inaccurately advised CPAC as well as the public that this was a meeting of "stakeholders". Myself and others succesfully pricked that balloon by pointing out that they've been missing in action for years if not decades. Some "stakeholders".

The question I have is to what extent have various participants agreed to this "hatchet" job done on Township letterhead. Did three representatives of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) expressly approve these "meeting notes"? Nancy Davy, Joe Farwell and Jane Mitchell are reasonably well known names in the community. Are they even aware that their names are on the front of this slanderous and scurrilous document or did two Woolwich Township employees write this up and only submit it to the Mayor for approval?

There are many other names embarassingly on the front page of this document. For example Inge Rinne of Woolwich Healthy Communities is named as a participant. I'm confident that she would have said nothing about CPAC as she has literally never attended a meeting in twenty-four years. Also while I have never met her formally I have seen her speak at Council and been quite suitably impressed. Is she aware that her good name is attached to this putrid document? Has she even received a copy of the Township's April 9/15 "meeting notes"?

Some decent people I believe were manipulated to attend this meeting not knowing its' true purpose. Their names and credibility are being used by Chemtura/M.O.E. and Mayor Shantz to bolster their smear campaign upon a dedicated group of Woolwich volunteers. Sandy you have no shame and no morals.

OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AT LAST NIGHT'S WOOLWICH COUNCIL MEETING

Well to a certain extent Dr. Dan Holt is correct in that everything depends upon one's perspective. Environmentalists and other honest people thought last night was wonderful. Liars, deceivers and manipulaters may have viewed the evening as a disaster. So looking at it that way does it somehow mitigate the immorality of putting blatant falsehoods into a report (or meeting notes as Sandy prefers)?

No disrespect intended for the Delegates from Breslau who had some excellent points to make regarding their splash pad as well as asking Council to waive significant rental fees that they feel have been thrust upon them improperly and or inappropriately. I am going to focus on my Delegation as well as Dr. Dan Holt's Delegation which followed mine.

A point was made by me last evening regarding manipulation of people's behaviour. Mayor Shantz who is a pro got handled and came up looking very bad in front of the CTV cameras and the two local papers. When one knows ahead of time that folks are lying in wait for you, ready with guns blazing, one can prepare mentally ahead of time, as I did. Mayor Shantz however is used to being the manipulator, not the other way around. Yours truly has been "handled" and manipulated many times over the last 2 1/2 decades. Even an amateur has to eventually catch on that this is how dishonest people get their way. They intentionally provoke through a hundred different ways. Interrupting, lying, deflecting, letting others be upfront criticizing while you're in the shadows etc.; professional politicians generally are expert at finding ways to minimize others who aren't on the same page as they are.

I spoke very briefly to the April 9/15 Report/Minutes/meeting notes. Most of my Delegation dealt with east side off-site flow of Chemtura's contaminants including Dioxins and DDT. Similarily but in a much more detailed fashion Dr. Dan spoke to the previous Resolutions passsed by Woolwich Council as well as the MTE Consultants Report. Appropriately neither Chemtura nor the Ministry of Environment came off looking very good.

Dr. Dan I believe laid to rest the four year long campaign by Pat & Susan to undermine his reputation and leadership abilities. Their campaign even included one of them manipulating Bob Burtt through inaccurate information to include criticism from the M.O.E. in his book that came out last fall, regarding the current CPAC. Their hand and words certainly come through loud and clear in the April 9/15 "meeting notes". Dr. Dan by simply doing exactly what he has done for the last 4 1/2 years will have convinced honest Woolwich Councillors that there has been a smear campaign underway including the most recent "Hatchet" job. Most CPAC members and SWAT were in attendance last evening and that too speaks volumes to the dedication and work ethic of these Woolwich volunteers.

GOSSIPING GIRLS OF WOOLWICH GONE WILD

We found out last evening at the public CPAC Working Session that the Report/Minutes of the April 9/15 private, by invitation only meeting were written by Lisa Schaefer and Devin Petteplace, both Woolwich Township employees. While the outstanding hypocrisy of Mayor Shantz permits backroom hatchet jobs of identifiable individuals (including myself); apparently my comments either in person or here with my name on each and every posting are unacceptable to her. Good for the goose good for the gander, Sandy.

Councillor Mark Bauman piously pleaded that he had stood up for CPAC at that pretend stakeholders meeting. Sure doesn't look like it one bit when you read the five page report blaming CPAC for everything short of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby. Of course if Dr. Dan had gone alone as was intended by Sandy he would have been massacred to his face by the cowards en masse personally attacking him. Not one name is attributed to one single false allegation in the report. Lisa allegedly on her own decided not to include the names of who made each and every pathetic lie. Those cowards including Dwight, Susan, Pat, Sandy, Mark and who knows maybe even Lisa and Devin participated in the free-for-all.

It would be difficult to believe that the three GRCA reps who have never attended CPAC meetings added to the lying. It would be difficult to believe that Inge Rinne representing Woolwich Healthy Communities added to the lying. That said it is peculiar that she was added to this list of non stakeholders in the first place. Did Helder Botelho, new to Chemtura, who has never attended a single CPAC meeting mouth off? All three M.O.E. reps have never attended a single CPAC meeting yet why do I suspect that didn't hold back Milli New from giving her two cents worth?

This dishonest, untruthful and cowardly Report written on Woolwich Township letterhead shames all of Woolwich Township because it directly attacks volunteers working on behalf of the Township. It is a black mark on all the good and honest employees of the Township. It taints the whole Council by having Councillor Bauman's name and the Mayor's name on the first page.

DELEGATION TO COUNCIL TOMORROW NIGHT

Late yesterday I received a copy of the Report/Minutes of the phoney "stakeholders" meeting held a week ago last Thursday (April 9/15). This morning at 9:25 am. I booked to be a Delegate for tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at Council to discuss this five page report. I attempted to book through Julie Forth and then via Val Hummel but both were unavailable (away?). Hence Kathy at Woolwich Township has assurred me that she will get me onto the Delegates list and that she will call me back to so confirm. I did point out to her that it was impossible for me to book any earlier as I only received the Report late yesterday from Dr. Dan Holt, CPAC Chair. As I was specifically mentioned by name in this Report Dr. Dan felt it appropriate to send me a copy and I feel it very appropriate for me to respond tomorrow evening.

This Report may very well have been written by either Chemtura or the Ontario Ministry of the Environment despite being upon Woolwich Township letterhead. The words, phrases and overall denial of proven facts, combined with the embracing of myths and falsehoods is straight out of their playbook.

WOOLWICH COUNCIL STEPS UP FOR WEST MONTROSE

Yes it took thirteen months and two different Councils but nevertheless this Council has publicly and loudly stepped up and advised both the Region of Waterloo and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, that they can and should do better. Today's Woolwich Observer carrys this article titled "Drinking water standards, reporting clarity, of concern to Woolwich Council".

Firstly a wider range of pollutants needs to be tested for such as NDMA, haloacetic acids, cyanogen chloride, di & tri chloramines, giardia, cryptosporidium, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes. Secondly all Ontario Drinking Water Standards should be included so readers can quickly tell how serious a detection may or may not be. Thirdly the extensive and confusing use of undefined acronyms and shortforms needs to end. In other words include the full term plus explanation for any acronyms used.

The push for these changes came from longtime issues with the raw water in West Montrose. Their raw water has the highest counts of coliforms and E.Coli in Waterloo Region. The extensive use of chlorine and chloramines has produced significant health related issues with products of disinfection. The Region have been bringing in tankers of water from other sources in Waterloo Region to both increase quantity and to dilute the West Montrose treated water and its' accompanying problems. These volumes need to be seriously looked at and understood by the Township in order to know how relevant the Region's Annual Report is because it deals with the four wells and the treatment system and only indirectly if at all with the incoming imported water.

MAYOR SHANTZ CONTINUES RUNNING INTERFERENCE FOR CHEMTURA

Yesterday's Elmira Independent carrys this story titled "Mayor reports progress on CPAC impasse". The real title should be "Local Politicians In Bed With Chemtura". Mayor Shantz's comments are simply Chemtura's/M.O.E.s words being parroted for public consumption via the recently elected and popular new Mayor. The reality is that our Mayor is simply a toady for big business. She has virtually ignored all advice, facts and documentation proving Chemtura and the Ontario M.O.E. are partners in pollution simply going through the motions of a proper cleanup in order to mollify the public. She is ignoring the appointed CPAC (by the last Council) including numerous environmental experts on both CPAC and their sub-committee SWAT.

She is an ignorant, biased individual and Chemtura and the M.O.E. love her. As does the gratuity enhanced individuals purporting to be citizen reps at the secret discussions last week. The one woefully unqualified and incompetent individual represents the National Advisory Panel of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada and the other is an often honoured individual by local poltiicians including the GRCA and Region of Waterloo. Talk about long being co-opted. It's a disgrace and this Township will be forever shamed by relying on this pair as alleged citizen reps.

Dr. Dan Holt did an excellent job in his interview by Gail Martin. This one on one is exactly the opposite of what awaited him if he had gone on his own to this stacked meeting. Chemtura and the M.O.E. and their acolytes including Mayor Shantz, Pat & Susan were laying in wait to ambush Dr. Dan. Shame on them. CPAC did not attend this meeting for a number of reasons but one includes the very purpose and Agenda of the meeting. It was to discuss unecessary changes based upon the biases of the gulity parties including politicians, Chemtura and the M.O.E..

DR. HENRY REGIER & GRAHAM CHEVREAU CONTINUE THE CPAC/SWAT TECHNICAL DOMINANCE

Graham Chevreau started the ball rolling by confirming that there are fish consumption advisories below Chemtura, on the Canagagigue Creek, related to Dioxin levels in particular fish species. It is peculiar that DDT has not also been pointed out as the DDT levels the last few years appear to have risen more dramatically than the Dioxin levels. Strange. Dr. Regier meanwhile has quoted various aspects of the 2015-2016 Guide to Eating Ontario Fish which point out issues with Category 4 (Dioxins) below Chemtura on the "Gig". Dr. Regier also points out page 22 and its' discussion of Microcystins (in Blue-Green Algae) and how that toxin can accumulate within fish.

What also really caught my eye was the information in the "Grand River Watershed Management Plan 2014". If one Googles this you will find a number of different options. Go with the one that indicates a 194 page report. Section 3.3.3.1 is titled "Human consumption of Fish". The sixth paragraph states "...high concentrations of dioxins/furans restrict consumption of fish in Canagagigue Creek and portions of the central Grand River, where riverbed sediments carry the legacy of past contamination by a local source." That one and only local source is Chemtura Canada.

DDT and Dioxins/Furans have been leaving the Uniroyal/Chemtura site since the late 1940s. Efforts have been made to reduce this discharge with excavation of parts of the west side creekbank in the mid 2000s. CPAC and the public were misled about the extent of mobile DDT & Dioxins/Furans on the east side of the creek. This current CPAC (2010-2015) with assistance from MTE Consultants have discovered a huge totally ignored problem on Chemtura's east side property line. Their contaminants including DDT and Dioxins have been carried and diverted via both ground and surface water discharge onto the neighbour's property, through the Stroh Drain and into the Canagagigue Creek further downstream from where the normal on-site monitoring would pick it up. This has been ongoing since approximately 1985.

The current efforts by Woolwich Mayor Shantz are simply to assist both Chemtura and the Ontario M.O.E. in their ongoing coverup of their failures to contain this site. Mayor Shantz is attempting with assistance from Councillor Bauman to dilute CPAC with new members who are either woefully uninterested, ignorant or already co-opted by Chemtura. Today's Elmira Independent carrys two front page stories relevant to this attempt to replace an environmental solution with a political solution.

WOOLWICH COUNCIL TAKES ACTION ON WEST MONTROSE WATER & REGION'S ANNUAL (WATER) REPORTS

Engineering Report E23-2015 was tabled immediately before my Delegation to Council last evening concerning the West Montrose water supply. Dan Kennaley of Woolwich Staff indicated that he was recommending that the Ministry of Environment be approached with requests for additional information regarding why five different chemicals (disinfection by-products) were not being reported in the West Montrose Annual Reports.

My Delegation to Council followed and essentially I agreed with Mr. Kennaley's approach although I wished to significantly expand upon the requests for information as well requesting both the Region of Waterloo and the M.O.E. for upgrades to the Annual Reports. These upgrades would include things like Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS) being included for each parameter (bacteriological & chemical), further industrial chemical parameters included and a definition of all acronyms and shortforms currently being used in the reports.

The final item I requested from Woolwich council was that they obtain specific data as to how much water was being trucked into West Montrose on an ongoing basis. Currently without that information it is impossible to know how serious the various exceedances of disinfection by-products are when the well water is being diluted by an unknown quantity of imported water.

Councillors Bauman and Merlihan each made Motions that were passed requiring Woolwich Township's Engineering Department to approach both the Region and the Ontario M.O.E. both for more information/explanations plus for additions to the Annual Reports. I don't believe my request for updated info on incoming tanker trucks of water was handled by a Motion. Perhaps, however that can be handled informally as it certainly is hugely relevant to the seriousness of the drawbacks in West Montrose's raw water supply.

WILLIAM ST. WELLS - CITY OF WATERLOO

The Annual Reports for the various Region of Waterloo wellfields are out and as disappointing as ever. This disappointment arises from both their results directly as well as the evasiveness inherent within them. This evening at Woolwich Council in Elmira I will be speaking to both West Montrose water issues as well as making recommendations to improve these Annual reporst produced by the Region of Waterloo albeit via the template provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Firstly many of the results for the 2014 William St. wells, remarkably are from 2012 with a few from 2013. Isn't that just so forthcoming? Sodium is at an astonishingly high and unhealthy 223 mg/litre. Oops that's the 2013 result given. Who knows what last years result is.

There is an entire page listing chloramines at greater than 50% of the standard prescribed ie. the maximum allegedly permitted. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are a complete mystery as their results are not documented here. Again that is a gross failure of this report.

Glyphosate is still at a Method Detection Limit of 25 parts per billion (ppb) which is the highest MDL listed. This is a special concern since this spring the EPA have classified Glyphosate as possible carcinogens. They are the active ingredient in Roundup and are becoming ubiquitous in our groundwater.

Last but not least we still have lots of hits of Trichloroethylen (TCE) in the William St. wells. This has been so for decades and is shameful. TCE is the only industrial chemical which has results published for 2014 and they vary from .7 to 1.6 ppb. These results are below Ontario's drinking water standard of 5 ppb. currently. As Ontario catches up to other jurisdictions this standard hopefully should be reduced. TCE is the killer involved in numerous jurisdictions in both Canada and the U.S. including right here in the Bishop St. community in Cambridge, Ontario.

BACKROOM CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF CPAC CONTINUES

That is and has been the Agenda of Councillor Bauman and Mayor Shantz from the beginning of their term of office. Clearly Chemtura just like farmers are a sacred cow for rural politicians. Farmers are appropriately seen as producers of food and products necessary for the community's wellbeing. Unfortunately there are huge issues with manure management and water pollution. The water pollution is caused by cattle grazing in floodplains of local creeks and rivers and also walking through them or drinking directly from them. The problem is their manure that ends up in the creeks and rivers carrying cryptosporidium and other pleasant things along with it.

Not only our rural politicians but also our Regional ones will go no further than voluntary programs trying to curb these negative issues arising from farming. Chemtura Canada and other large corporate employers are treated similarily. Politicians do not want to bite the hand that feeds them no matter what. Chemtura, Safety-Kleen and so many others spend large sums of money locally. Their employees do so as well. Chemtura pay taxes into the local jurisdiction helping pay for necessary infrastructure. If they are smart they also donate money to community causes and or even into local political campaigns.

Hence for Mayor Shantz and Councillor Bauman it was a no brainer . CPAC who are made up of honest citizens doing their duty have been a huge problem for Chemtura and the Ministry of the Environment. Sandy and Mark therefore jumped to attention when Chemtura demanded assistance in pulling CPAC's teeth. Mayor Sandy and Councillor Mark decided that a campaign to discredit CPAC was required. Last weeks private meeting and secret discussions were all about that. While telling CPAC that their goal is only to bring Chemtura and the M.O.E. back to the table; the reality is that Sandy and Mark are bribing them to come back. From reduced meetings and removal of at least two citizen volunteers viewed as the most difficult; Chemtura and the M.O.E. will receive what they want. That is a new CPAC led by proven lackeys loyal to the power structure. I am one of the "difficult" citizens and the other one will soon be revealed.

WOOLWICH COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - WEST MONTROSE WATER

This Tuesday evening at 6 pm. I will be a Delegate to Woolwich Council in Elmira. I am responding to an Engineering and Planning report prepared by Dan Kennaley, a senior Woolwich Staff person. The report looks at the drinking water situation in West Montrose, Ontario, a part of Woolwich township. West Montrose has been plagued with the admittedly highest detections of both Total Coliforms and E.Coli in all of the Region of Waterloo. As a result the necessary disinfection procedures have further resulted in high detections of both Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Chloramines sometimes in excess of the Ontario Drinking Water Standards.

Mr. Kennaley's report gives the background information, comments, conclusion and recommendations. The Recommendation is for Woolwich Township to request an additional explanation from the Ministry of the Environment (MOECC) as to why five specific chemicals are not required to be tested for. Only slightly nitpicking I would suggest that a more specific request would be to ask why these five chemicals are not required to have their reults posted in the Annual (drinking water) Reports. I would expect that they are tested for and simply not reported.

Mr. Kennaley also appears to be suggesting that the Region and M.O.E. have responded appropriately to my questions submitted a year ago. They have not done so. Further study and research has shown additional problems in the raw water as well as further data regarding tanker trucks bringing in water from outside of West Montrose. These issues need to be resolved and while Mr. Kennaley's recommendation is a step in the right direction, further steps are required.

CTV ATTENDS THE MAYOR'S SECRET CPAC DISCUSSIONS

Attends that is out on the street along with all the other honest and informed people. Inside the meeting I do not believe that there was a single honest, informed person present. Yes there were perhaps a couple of informed people and it is possible that there were a couple of honest patsies present although I do not know that categorically. There were however as stated not one single honest and informed person present. How could there be? Dwight and Mark were the only regular CPAC attendees. Susan has been not been a regular attendee. All three M.O.E. attendees have never attended a single CPAC meeting yet they were there to discuss the way forward. Unbelieveable bullshit Mayor Shantz. Chemtura are proud of you.

Dr. Dan Holt hit the nail on the head when he indicated that Chemtura and the M.O.E. have quit attending because CPAC have been asking them some hard questions. Afterall for those idjits who felt I was "interrogating" Jeff Merriman (Chemtura) last fall; exactly what do you propose? Shoule we beg them for answers? Should we be given a quota of five questions per monthly meeting? Exactly how do you propose CPAC do their job if not by asking questions? Dr. Dan also indicated that yesterday's meeting should have been public.

Mayor Shantz looked poorly. She mumbled something about if it (CPAC) isn't working in the current format then what will work? She is relying on the word of professional liars for her premise while ignoring honest citizen volunteers. Shame on her. She stated that the groups at CPAC are not getting along. Who the hell is so stupid and naive to think that Chemtura are ever going to "get along" with a group of citizens demanding they pay for and clean up their mess? Finally Mayor Shantz said something spectacularily weird. She falsely stated that the committee (CPAC) are not providing information to the company and Ministry (M.O.E.). Where the hell did that drivel come from? Oh yeah probably from Chemtura. And the Mayor believes it or is it simply convenient to believe it Sandy?

MAYOR SHANTZ : PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE BUSINESS SHOULD BE PUBLIC !

Allegedly Mayor Shantz has advised both the Region of Waterloo and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) that CPAC are not attending today's 2 pm. meeting in the Dodie Hummel Room next to Council Chambers. Meetings with improper purposes, hidden or false Agendas should never be attended. Meetings where the subject of the entire meeting refuses to attend should be viewed with utmost suspicion. Meetings dealing with changing or reorganizing a committee which represents the public and whose mandate includes public education should not be by invitaion only and behind closed doors. Clearly Mayor Shantz, you, Councillor Bauman, Chemtura and the Ministry of the Environment have skullduggery in mind. You are planning to continue lying your asses off regarding CPAC and you know that five of them plus the public would rip you new ones once your lies started. It is so much easier to gild the lily, obfuscate and treat the truth disrespectfully when 95% of the informed people present are as dishonest as yourselves.

It must be disappointing for you to see the media at long last getting involved. The Elmira Independent, the Waterloo Region Record and now CTV News. Be sure to watch this evening's news (channel 12 possibly) starting at 6 pm.. Citizens have long known the extent of corruption intrinsic with our politicians. This includes federal (the Senate), provincial (gas plant, Ornge Ambulance, e-health) and municipal (Joe Fontana, Todd Cowan-allegedly). These are simply recent examples. The public, unlike politicians, do not value liars. There is no such thing as a "good" liar. The public also know intuitively that it is so much easier to lie in private. It is also so much easier to pass along a lie for others consumption when the large majority of those present in a meeting are in on the lie. This has been the basis for two decades of pretend consultation at CPAC. Hand picked membership by Woolwich Council with a few naive but honest individuals to give the appearance of honesty.

Woolwich Councils have historically been Uniroyal/Chemtura's greatest ally with the Ontario M.O.E. a strong second. There is a reason so little has been accomplished over the last quarter of a century and it is the combined corruption of these two groups who are mandated to protect the public interest. The old Woolwich Councillors know this. The new ones, look out you too can be co-opted unintentionally, and it's twice as hard to turn things around once you've gone down that road.

CPAC "BOYCOTTS / OPPOSES" SECRET MEETING

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys the following story titled "Woolwich citizen committee opposes secret meeting". The on-line Record version is titled "Chemtura committee boycotts secret meeting on its future". Regardless of the verb boycotts or opposes; the message is clear. This meeting being promoted by new Mayor Sandy Shantz is a sham. Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment met privately with Mayor Shantz and Councillor Bauman either late last year or as admitted, early this year (January), in order to set up a process to weaken and water down the best CPAC there ever has been. This is a CPAC without members being bribed or given gratuities by either the M.O.E., Conestoga Rovers, Chemtura or the Region of Waterloo. These bribes could even include environmental honours from local authorities not to mention expense paid trips and more.

All credible deniability has been removed from Mayor Shantz and this Council regarding these various gratuites; by myself in writing. She and they know all about the National Advisory Panel of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada sending an unqualified individual all over North America on junkets. They know all about working on behalf of Conestoga Rovers and the Region of Waterloo. To be inviting this pair to a meeting to discuss the very CPAC that they personally attacked without justification four years ago is disgusting. To be criticizing me for attacking this pair of former collegues is the height of hypocrisy. Mayor Shantz knows they led the charge seven and a half years ago to remove me from CPAC. She knows that one of them was the lead source to a scurrilous recent self published book attacking me personally.

Dr. Dan Holt, CPAC Chair stated that "...there isn't anything wrong with the committee, rather it was working too well.". Furthermore "The reason they (Chemtura/M.O.E.) quit coming is we've been asking them some pretty hard questions." This Mayor is in bed with Chemtura Canada and their corrupt regulator, the M.O.E.. Off-site discharge of Dioxins and DDT has been discovered and confirmed by a professional hydrogeologist. Chemtura and the M.O.E. have been grossly negligent and this new Mayor and Council are riding to their rescue. That's what this secret meeting is all about.

DISGUSTING PROVINCIAL LIBERAL GOVERNMENT & AGENT ORANGE COMPENSATION

CBC News on-line yesterday carried this story "Agent Orange compensation: victim claims payout "not human"". The story started a few years back with the appointment of an "Independent Fact-Finding Panel on Herbicide 2,4,5-T". As expected by some it's just another government whitewash. This panel was staffed by numerous experts however waiting until 2012 or so to get started really comprimised the situation. The vast majority of the employees from the 50s-80s are either dead or dying. Those exposed the most should have received support and financial compensation thirty years ago. That this spraying went on during and after the war in Vietnam made the health risks obvious, was disgraceful.

As promised/threatened the provincial government advised victims of spraying by Ontario Hydro, Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Natural Resources to seek redress through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) formerly WCB (Workman's Compensation). As I'm sure the government expected if not ordered, the 500 claims of exposure are now being "settled". Prostate and skin cancer victims Ronald Deshane of Renfrew and Daniel Crawford of Sudbury have received $1500 and $1577 respectively. Aside from pain and suffering and loss of quality of life, this wouldn't even cover direct costs of medication and transportation to and from hospitals and doctor's offices. Shame on our provincial government. They promoted the use of unsafe herbicides and then sat on it until most of the victims were gone. Now they are giving the survivors peanuts.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

Mayor Shantz's "stakeholders" meeting/teaparty is scheduled for 2-4 pm. this Thursday April 9, 2015 at the Woolwich Township building. It is a private, by invitation only, meeting. The most knowledgable and dedicated stakeholders including myself will not be present. Don't count on it taking place. If the Mayor has been as honest and forthcoming with the GRCA and the Region of Waterloo about the purpose and or background of the meeting as she has been with CPAC & SWAT; then they might just get offended when they learn the truth. Hard to say. They might also not be pleased to be tarnished with the same brush that Woolwich Township and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment seem so keen on being painted with. This includes investigations by the Ombudsman and the Environmental Commissioner. It is also possible that if Mayor Shantz attempts to change the Application process for CPAC membership, after the fact, that more investigations will ensue. Not only is the Application process closed four months ago but any attempt to add new members such as the GRCA and the Region can only be as non voting members due to the CPAC Terms of Reference updated and endorsed by Woolwich Council on Octber 29, 2013. Does the Region and GRCA understand that their membership will be resisted on two issues namely a months late Application and secondly by CPAC's Terms of Reference denying them a vote?

A week from tomorrow I will be a Delegate to Woolwich Council speaking about the West Montrose water supply. While I did extensive research over a year ago into matters concerning bacterial contamination and treatment, nevertheless new information has arisen this year. For example what should have been obvious to me last year is that Coliforms, E.Coli, THMs, Chloramines and NDMA are not the only issues. Add to them viruses such as the ubiquitous Giardia as well as the protozoa Cryptosporidium. The last item is that which cost a half a dozen seniors their lives back in the mid 90s here in Waterloo Region. Possibly Giardia is as much or more the reason that the Region have been chlorinating the daylights out of West Montrose water. What is known as the CT or contact time appears to be far higher in West Montrose than anywhere else in the Region. This is the concentration of chlorine in mg/litre multiplied by the number of minutes it is in contact with the raw water. Similar to the Mannheim Treatment System drawing in Grand River water; there is a specialized, individual treatment method for Cryptosporidium. At Mannheim they use ozonation and at West Montrose it is cartridge filters of extremely small size measured in microns (ie. 20, 5, 1 ) which physically remove the Cryptospridium cysts from the raw water. I have also been obtaining greater information regarding incoming tankers of water from the Kitchener-Waterloo water systems that contrary to the Region of Waterloo's written statements to me, are in fact at least partially for the purpose of improving water quality. This is practically a no brainer when you look at all the issues with West Montrose's raw water.

MAYOR SHANTZ SPEAKS CRAP

Following is an e-mail sent to CPAC and half the known universe last Thursday.




Hello Dr. Dan and CPAC

Just to bring you up to
date on a meeting I had with Nancy Matthews and then with
Mili New and Tracy Bowman (who is replacing Steve Martindale
who is retiring).


Mili and Terry are looking
forward to meeting with all the parties on April 9 and share
my hope for a CPAC with participation from a broader
community base which could potentially include any or all
groups who are attending. We didn’t
get into a lot of technical detail, but talked in
generalities about timing of reports and tests and the
importance of sharing data in a timely fashion. We
also talked specifically about the concerns around the east
side and the depth of the testing as an
example of where we need to work together better to ensure
the testing is adequate to us as well as MOECC and
Chemtura.


I appreciate the work CPAC
is doing and hope that we can provide a format so that your
focus can be more on the environment, good information and
direction and less on process and issues around
cooperation.


I look forward to your
input on April 9 as we address roadblocks to working
together; roadblocks to reaching our goals; and solutions
moving forward. The agencies and committees who are
being represented, along with Chemtura, are anxious
to move forward and to help craft a better model.


Thanks
Sandy


My objections are as follows:

1st & 2nd paragraphs "...looking forward to meeting with all the parties...". Not going to happen. CPAC won't be there.
"...hope for a CPAC with participation from a broader community base which could potentially include any or all groups who are attending.". CPAC's October 29, 2013 Council approved and endorsed Terms of Reference spell out membership eligibility, Application process etc..

"Steve Martindale who is retiring.". Really and the M.O.E. were so stupid they didn't send anybody to the last several meetings to get at least a little up to speed opportunity for the new person. Almost like they simply don't give a crap!


3rd paragraph My patience is really getting stretched here. Sandy states "...hope we can provide a format so that your focus can be more on the environment, good information and direction and less on process and issues around cooperation." That's it, I've snapped! Flock Off Sandy! Whose fault but yours is it that CPAC has had to focus on process this last five months. How dare you blame CPAC for your disgusting and stupid behaviour.

4th paragraph Maybe some will be present for your stated purpose. Most such as Chemtura and the M.O.E. are there "...to help craft..." a diluted, ineffective model.

All in all a pile of steaming hot bullshit of the most condescending, false and deceptive kind. Shameful.

HAPPY EASTER

COUNCILLOR MARK BAUMAN PUBLICLY CLARIFYS HIS POSITION REGARDING CPAC

Tuesday evening on Rogers Cable #20 "Talk Local" Mark Bauman did just that. He was interviewed by a Mary Cranston who did a very good job and had clearly done her homework ahead of time. Sans Editorial comment by me, here is what Mark had to say...oops first a reminder. If you want to see this show for yourself it is showing again this Saturday morning at 6 am. on Rogers Cable TV. Channel #20.

Mark referred to 1989/90 as a nightmare for Elmira residents. He was specifically asked by Ms. Cranston to clarify his CPAC is "dysfunctional" comments that were quoted in the Waterloo Region Record, which he did. Mark unequivocally stated that the only dysfunctional part is the Ministry of Environment and Chemtura's non-attendance at public CPAC meetings. He praised both the individual professional environmental experts on CPAC as well as specifically mentioning the credentials of others including a Registered Nurse, academic credentials etc..

Mark suggested that there were probably hundreds of chemicals in the Elmira groundwater including NDMA, Dioxins, Agent Orange etc.. He also mentioned that NDMA was carcinogenic. Mark advised Ms. Cranston and the audience that Woolwich Council were working with the M.O.E. to get them back to the CPAC table. Ms. Cranston asked Mark if he felt the 2028 groundwater cleanup deadline was likely. He stated that as per the current results, no it was not. Testing for additional methods of remediation (ISCO-In Situ Chemical Oxidation) were not giving optimistic results. Mark also stated that additional on-site contamination sources were being found which was bad news. Finally Mark emphasized that he felt an independent third party peer review was needed.

Mark is very correct regarding the third party peer review. My words not Mark's is that the current environmental regulatory system in this province is horribly flawed. Client driven technical reports by very well paid consultants are the rule not the exception.

WATERLOO REGION ANNUAL DRINKING WATER REPORTS - MIDDLETON WELLFIELD CAMBRIDGE

The Middleton wellfield is a perfect example of polluting industry passing their costs onto the taxpayers. In 2013 there was a sixteen million dollar upgrade to the Treatment system with the introduction of AOP (Advanced Oxidation Process). This was primarily to reduce the concentrations of TCE (trichloroethylene) in the water. Last year there was $200,000 spent on maintenance plus a new liner in well G15 which helps supply the Middleton Wellfield. Now liners have been used in other Cambridge wells for the purpose of isolating contaminated zones in Bedrock Aquifers and or allowing cleaner zones to supply the particular well. This could be the cause of the new liner in well G15 although I am not certain.

This year's Annual Report covering 2014 shows ongoing TCE concentrations. They vary between 1.2 and 1.9 parts per billion throughout the year. The water was tested weekly the first half of the year and then reduced to monthly for the last half. This is significantly reduced from the year before when it was consistently tested for TCE on a weekly basis throughout the year. During 2013 the concentrations varied from .7 ppb to 2.0 ppb except for one reading of 3.0 ppb. Regardless I am surprised that the AOP isn't reducing TCE concentraions lower than they are. Keep in mind the Canadian standard for TCE is 5.0 ppb. but some U.S. jurisdictions are between 2.0 and 3.0 ppb.

Sodium levels are very high at 141 mg/l. While there is no hard standard, anything over 20 mg/l is cause for concern if you have heart problems. Turbidity and chlorine levels are also both high. This year the chlorine levels seem to be just below the standard of 3.0 mg/litre whereas last year they were not. The Turbidity or murkiness/cloudiness numbers given are above the standard of 1.0 NTU. Regardless the Region never seem to show them as Adverse Incidents. I have asked them why a year ago without a satisfactory explanation.

Neither THMs (trihalomethanes) nor chloramine concentrations are indicated. The latter is not surprising as the Middleton System uses UV disinfection combined with sodium hypochlorite to kill bacteria rather than the usual sodium hypochlorite combined with ammonium sulphate which produces chloramines. Possibly the use of UV light also reduces the formation of THMs but it would be appropriate to give us some readings to confirm that.

Last but not least are the bacteria levels in the raw water. They are a concern. Last year 1,261 raw water samples produced 129 detections of Total Coliforms and 12 detections of E.Coli (Fecal). This year while detections of Total Coliforms were reduced to 25 and E.Coli (Fecal) to 6, that was based upon only 273 samples. I'm not sure what the region are doing unless they are trying to save money after their huge expenses by reducing testing. This is false economy. Interestingly while I am sure the Region will whine about the closeness of the Grand River producing high bacteria levels, they have advised me in writing that the West Montrose wells beside the Grand River are the only GUDI wells in the Region. GUDI stands for Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of surface water. Therefore perhaps like West Montrose there are nearby septic systems to the Middleton Wellfield. If not then the bacteria are coming from the river. It's one or the other or both.

I believe that this wellfield requires the most costly water treatment in the Region. This says a lot because their is strong competition in both Kitchener and Waterloo for that dishonour.