RAC MEETING COMBINES GOOD TECHNICAL INFO WITH BIZARRE M.O.E./CHEMTURA POSITIONS

Firstly the no shows and early departures. Remember this is supposed to be an important issue for Woolwich. Despite that RAC (Remediation Advisory Group) only meet four times per year namely September, December, March and June. No Pat McLean as part of the TAG contingent and no excuses given. No Grand River Conservation Authority. No excuses provided. Two M.O.E. present and the senior one buggers off sharp at five o'clock. The meeting ran till 6 pm.. Perhaps a hair appointment Teri? Maybe I should send Sandy Shantz an e-mail advising that her baby, RAC, is dysfunctional because members are already boycotting it.

I presented the CPAC Delegation on CPAC's behalf. Chair Mark Bauman called upon Dr. Dan Holt to make CPAC's presentation but Dr. Dan deferred it to myself. Mark and Sandy while looking like they'd eaten a sour pickle wisely kept their mouths shut. A major improvement. My Delegation restated much of Dr. Dick Jackson's criticisms of Chemtura and the Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) over the last ten months plus added two more significant ones. Of course not a single question or clarification was asked of me from Sandy's "stakeholders". Typical politics. Don't want to embarass the mayor as if that's important in the large scheme of things.

The M.O.E. gave their excuses again as to why they won't order cleanup of the creek. Apparently local residents only allegedly fish for shiners so why clean the creek? Also allegedly there are some type of cattle crossing culverts keeping the cattle from stirring up the sediments. Really? And if the cattle are thirsty then what?

Chemtura's eastern neighbour, Mr. Stroh has allegedly given them permission to test soil and groundwater on his property. After his corn crop at the north end is off. Watch that not occur until November and then Chemtura say the weather is too bad. Typical excuses and delays. There is lots of area south of his corn crop to test right now.

The M.O.E. (Jason Rice) are not planning to test for suspended sediment in the creek this year but may reconsider for next year. How sweet of them.

There is a private Qualified Persons (Q.P.) meeting on June 29. Q.P.s are simply a way for ignorant, ill informed politicians to make an excuse to exclude informed citizens and keep embarassing info under wraps. The hypocrisy is that Pat Mclean, she who doesn't know the difference between a DNAPL and a horse apple, is invited as an "observer". Such political crap and gamesmanship.

Dr. Jackson again has repeated his call for more monitoring wells along Chemtura's south-east border and they (Jeff Merriman) have responded that there are topographical issues and historical results as well making it unecessary. Pure bullshit Jeff.

Dr. Jackson got into NAPL (non aqueous phase liquid) on Chemtura's site as they are the principal sources of contamination still on the site. He asked Alan Deal of CRA (GHD) several questions which Mr. Deal deflected and avoided. Basically Chemtura's consultants (GHD) stated that their goal on-site is containment not removal. Jeff Merriman also repeated their mantra that gosh darned they tried so hard to get the LNAPL floating on top of the water table out but it was just too tough and tricky for them. I might believe even half of their B.S. but for all the lies they've told us since 1989.

Tomorrow's posting will cover the rest of yesterday's meeting including Dr. Jackson's use of his self-described F bomb as well as Alan Deal's (CRA/GHD) blatant admissions that Conestoga Rovers were flying blind for years regarding the Chemtura site (while confidently assurring everyone that they knew what they were doing).