HIDING THE PCB, DIOXIN & DDT FOREST WITH THE TREES

What exactly are the M.O.E. doing? Back around 2012 George Karlos (former M.O.E.) advised CPAC that the Ministry would be doing sediment sampling in the Canagagigue Creek in order to "reassure" the local citizens. Boy did he screw up big time on that one. The results especially DDT were horrific. Now we have the M.O.E.'s latest report and it's more of the same only longer, more detailed, more parameters and more sample locations. We have PCBs, Dioxins/Furans, DDT and its' metabolytes, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and other pesticides that I've never seen or heard of before; all in the Canagagigue Creek.

Also what I did not know is that allegedly we are going to get a full biomonitoring assessment of the creek perhaps in February 2017. At first blush looking at the text I received yesterday, no thanks to the ***** at the M.O.E. and Chemtura, I thought that there might be some additional fish tissue analyses and or bioaccumulation data. So far this morning I haven't seen any such new data. There is a rehash of the 2012-2014 data plus some new 2014 and 2015 data. The new data I found interesting. While it is still inadequate to remotely, accurately determine risks to biota in and around the creek; nevertheless it certainly paints a very ugly picture. The extent of Uniroyal Chemical contamination in creek sediments and the floodplain both in concentrations and in sheer numbers of toxic contaminants takes my breathe away.

This report does factor in Total Organic Carbon (TOC). Dr. Jackson had explained to us months ago that TOC is the glue that binds hydrophobic (water fearing) compounds to soil particles. The percentage of TOC determines to a certain extent the availability of Dioxins/Furans/DDT and other hydrophobic compounds to both the benthic community living in and on the creek sediments as well as to fish and other life forms in the creek. This report calculates the site specific Severe Effect Level (SEL) of specific contaminates based upon the % of TOC in the sediments and soils. I had feared that the game was rigged and the M.O.E. would simply via calculations determine that all these toxins present in the creek sediments were magically, effectively neutralized by the Total Organic Carbon. Not so at all.

My skepticism is based upon nearly three decades of dealing with these professional liars. Therefore I have to assume that their magic bullet will come in this proposed February 2017 biomonitoring report. If not then they are leaving their final nonsense to their proposed HHRA (human health risk assessment) although that seems awfully risky if their biomonitoring report can't spin minimal risk to aquatic organisms and local wildlife near the creek.

The title also suggests that I expect that all the guilty parties (Mark, Sandy, M.O.E., Chemtura, GHD) will do their best to continue to exclude CPAC and myself from being a major part of the process. With each and every report, stretched over months and years, it makes citizen understanding and technical ability to criticize more complicated and difficult. Possibly they are hoping that TAG without Dr. Dick Jackson will be way over their heads along with the vast majority of Woolwich/Elmira residents and simply have to trust in the M.O.E. and Chemtura "experts". What a huge blunder that would be.