CHEMTURA WOULDN'T TRY AND FOOL US WOULD THEY?

The recently released East Side Soil and Groundwater Investigation report has focused on shallow (6 inches) soil samples along Chemtura's eastern property line. Seven test pits were dug to a depth of one metre (3 feet). The samples however taken from them were only .35 metre below ground surface or slightly over a foot deep. In other words when Chemtura (GHD) supposedly compare shallow samples to deep samples they are only comparing six inches deep to one foot in depth. That is no legitimate comparison at all.

Yes they certainly hit paydirt with some extraordinarily high readings of both DDT and Dioxins/Furans in their surficial (shallow) soil samples. What is interesting however is the depth they excavated a few years back in order to remediate GP1. GP1 & GP2 were their allegedly multi million dollar "volunteer" cleanup in the south-east corner of their site. Their initial proposal was to remove 300 mm or just under 1/3 of a metre of contaminated soil corresponding to the surficial sampling they had done. Unfortunately, surprise surprise, they found badly contaminated soil underneath their high DDT and Dioxin readings. Out it came to a depth of two metres in an area approximately 50 metres long by 15-20 metres wide at the widest point. Then low and behold they had to go back and do a supplementary excavation because they found still high readings of DDT and Dioxins/Furans. The three supplementary areas were on the west, south and east sides of their initial two metre deep extra excavations. They might only have been an additional ten metres square each. The interesting thing again is their depth . The contaminated soil samples containing DDT and Dioxins were taken at a third of a metre, one and two metre depths for these three supplementary areas. Oddly though the apparent excavation of them was only .3, .5 and .6 metre in depth.

All of this is to point out the self serving mantra of Chemtura that their DDT and Dioxins are all within six inches of the surface. That is untrue. This report indicates Dioxins in groundwater at 2, 3, 5 and 6 metre depths in the Upper Aquifer as well as Dioxins found in wells screened at 10 and 12 metres below ground surface. All of these allegedly "hydrophobic" compounds are indeed transported downwards through soil and into groundwater courtesy of the hundreds of solvents discharged along with them throughout this site.

Chemtura and their consultants primary goal has always appeared to be about minimizing their costs of remediation. To that purpose they have been very sucessful at the expense of the environment and our health. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment have aided and abetted them in this goal from the beginning.