CHEMTURA DOGPADDLE IN THEIR OWN CESSPOOL

Hurray up and wait could well describe the "cleanup" plans at Chemtura Canada in Elmira, Ontario. In May 2014 I discovered a contaminant pathway from Chemtura's east side pits, across two of their neighbour's properties and then into the Canagagigue Creek. In fact when I first saw the flowing creek I was stunned. Later that day Vivienne Delaney and Dr. Dan Holt walked the entire length of it. Coming as it was just a year after George Karlos of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment solemnly advised CPAC, SWAT and the public that he had personally walked the same route from Chemtura's south-east side right over to the Martin pond and there was no possible pathway for contaminants; it was a stunning discovery. George made absolutely no mention of a creek, a Drain, a pipe or anything else. In fact all three were present and were obvious. These kind of blatant, in your face M.O.E. falsehoods, I had not seen since the Varnicolor Chemical days in Elmira.

The purpose of George's walk was specifically to determine if there was any possible route for Chemtura's east side toxins to get into the Martin swimming pond. This pond had been used for decades by children in the area and had quite the extensive system of diving boards along with it. Imagine my shock and horror when informed many weeks after a tour by Mark Bauman and Susanna Meteer that there was a pipe which allegedly allowed water to be taken from the Stroh Drain and diverted into the pond when its' water levels were low. Then imagine my horror last May when Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach and myself discovered that no "diversion" was actually needed. In its' normal flow and without requiring any intervention, water was gravity flowing directly from the Drain into the pipe and discharging at the other end directly into the pond.

That all our authorities from municipal councillors, regional and provincial Health Departments, Ministry of Environment and more could sucessfully look the other way over a period of decades is shocking. That they continue to do so is blatant negligence. Meanwhile Chemtura's East Side Investigation doddles along. Test pits, new monitoring wells, soil samples amd more were installed last August and early September. Samples have been taken and allegedly the report not yet finalised. Decades of their lying make me doubt everything they say. These test pits, monitoring wells and surficial soil samples were all designed not to find the worst results. Both the extremely shallow depth (6 inches) to the intentional skipping of the area where most of the surface liquids flowed off-site, combined with Chemtura/M.O.E. refusal to sample on the Stroh property despite the M.O.E.'s legal right to do so, are all part of the ongoing and neverending coverup. And yet we wait as they've managed to extend releasing the test results into 2016.