REMEDIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (RAC) MEETING ON THURSDAY MARCH 10 AT 3 PM.

That's right this public meeting is being held at 3 pm. in Woolwich Council Chambers on Church St. in Elmira. Who do you suppose other than retirees, government bureaucrats, politicans and polluters will be able to attend this meeting during normal working hours? Why precisely nobody and thank God none of the unwashed masses otherwise known as the public. This is the exact same stunt Pat & Susan pulled for years with CPAC. There were meetings that I actually lost a half days wages in order to attend because Pat/Susan and their buddies plus Chemtura and the M.O.E. didn't want public turnout and sure as hell didn't want to inconvenience their schedules to allow others to attend.

There were fireworks at the last RAC meeting on December 3, 2015 as Dr. Dick Jackson, Chair of TAG, took both Chemtura and the Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) to task. The irony was spectacular as posted here in the Advocate on December 4 & 5, 2015. Sandy Shantz decided that a kinder, gentler facade was necessary. She certainly didn't want Chemtura or the M.O.E. "interrogated" no matter how outrageous their actions or words. I expressed my disappointment at the time that the only remaining local media, the Woolwich Observer, failed to attend and record this meeting. They have been attending Sandy Shantz's court dates in Kitchener for which I commend them but I do hope they will step up and attend more Chemtura/RAC/TAG meetings held right here in Elmira, a quarter mile from their offices.

Among items on the March 10/16 Agenda are the reappearance in Elmira of Dr. Ronald Brecher. Those of us with long memories are unlikely to forget his input during the early days of the Elmira water crisis. He will be discussing the Risk Assessment process which in my opinion has always been a "scientific", mathematical method by persons with an interest in the outcome justifying continued dosing of nearby residents with toxic chemicals.

This Risk Assessment of course is typically how the M.O.E. continue to delay actually taking action. While they have "generic" criteria and standards the minute those are grossly exceeded as they are in the Canagagigue Creek then stop the presses, a new study is required. The last time it was a "site specific risk assessment" to advise us that the criteria for Dioxins/Furans could be relaxed somewhat as the only receptors on the Chemtura site were shrews and trespassers. Such crap then and such crap now.

The East Side Soil & Groundwater Investigation report will also be discussed. This should be highly entertaining as Chemtura/GHD and the M.O.E. all do their best to minimize, deflect and distract. CPAC and TAG have both already reviewed and discussed this report and its' ramifications. Now the guilty parties will attempt to delay, distract, deflect and stall. As contemptible as that is realize the M.O.E. are doing it using our tax dollars.

Lastly will be TAG's Recommendations to RAC. This of course is why Councillor Bauman and Sandy Shantz set this process up as they did. In the off chance that TAG with new, inexperienced volunteers actually were able to do their duty as so far appears that they are doing, RAC could stifle and indeed shut them down. Citizen volunteers have zero authority and quite frankly minimal input as long as informed media are not present to report the goings on. RAC are filled with politicians and government bureaucrats and they are the buffer protecting both Chemtura and the M.O.E. from outraged citizens. Thus it has always been here in Elmira and other contaminated communities across Ontario.