FORMER VARNICOLOR SITE TO BE REDEVELOPED

Twenty-five years later there are plans to redevelop the old Varnicolor Chemical site, formerly situated at 62 Union St. in Elmira, Ontario. For many years the site has been occupied by Elmira Pump, owned by Jim Germann. Mr. Germann has been active among other things on the Sulco CAP (Citizens Advisory Panel). It is my understanding from friends on the CAP that Sulco have unlike their neighbour Chemtura, long ago fully embraced the principles of *Responsible Care espoused by the CIAC (Chemical Industry Association of Canada).

I still have the colour photographs of the massive soil excavation and removal that occurred at Varnicolor Chemical back in the early 90s. Golder & Associates did an inadequate albeit fairly thorough Hydrogeological Report on the Union St. site. It was inadequate as the corrupt Ontario Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.) pulled a bait and switch on the local citizens. The original Control Order ordered a full aerial and vertical examination of the site. The aerial ie. shallow examination took place whereas the vertical ie. deep one never did. In hindsight this was because the M.O.E. knew that Varnicolor had contributed to the destruction of the drinking water aquifers known as the Municipal Aquifers. They had Uniroyal Chemical on the hook to pay for that and did not want to muddy the waters. Even the Environmental Appeal Board hearing into Uniroyal did not accept the M.O.E.'s claims that Varnicolor chemical were a minor polluter. Drinking water standards are very low as in parts per billion and once groundwater concentrations exceed the standard the water is unsafe to drink whether at 6 parts per billion (ppb) for example for benzene or 60 ppb.

Golder's suggested that it would take a decade of hydraulic containment (pump & treat) to restore the Varnicolor site to drinking water standards. It appears as if they were wrong. The pump and treat system was installed after the soil excavations and removal. Both DNAPLS and LNAPLS were a problem on the site. The LNAPLS or Light Non Aqueous Phase Liquids included Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes and Ethylbenzene and were floating on top of the water table. On at least one occasion they were exposed to sight when small excavations took place while the site was still operating. The DNAPLS or Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids were a bigger problem as they sink below the water table. They included chlorinated solvents including trichloroethylene or TCE. TCE is the chemical that caused deaths and massive illnesses via vapour intrusion into basements in the Bishop St. community in Cambridge and wasn't discovered until 2004.

For many years both I and CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) have been trying to get groundwater monitoring reports, Annual Reports and other technical information from the Ontario M.O.E. regarding this site unsucessfully. They have flat out obfuscated, stalled and refused. Keep clearly in mind this grossly contaminated site would never have been discovered and remediated without my efforts combined with Richard Clausi, Susan Rupert and Ted Oldfield. The M.O.E. did what they do best which was lie and coverup for local industry.

The public who have and continue to suffer from the corruption and secrecy of the M.O.E. have a right to this information. Is it possible after twenty-five years that this site has been reasonably well remediated? Yes it is possible at least in regards to shallow remediation. Do I trust the word of the Ontario M.O.E. on the matter? Absolutely not! Do I trust the word of Peritus Environmental who have been involved for many years on behalf of the current owner? I do not know them but am willing to give them my trust after I personally have read their reports and examined their data. Not before.

Development for industrial or commercial purposes may well be acceptable. Residentail ie. 24 hour occupation is something else again and requires considerably more stringent cleanup. To date absolutely zero information has been made public. That does not promote confidence.