ALTERNATIVE FACTS

We have a new Chemtura Work Plan for Canagagigue Creek. It is unnecessary and essentially useless because whatever the results from either sediment or soil testing they will not affect the already predetermined "cleanup" of the creek. That plan has been discussed, debated and negotiated behind closed doors with only Chemtura, GHD and the Ontario Ministry of Environment present. Everything else is for appearances. It is whitewash or in this case greenwash. Chemtura and the Ontario M.O.E. sincerely do want to hear from the "stakeholders". Of course they do so that down the road they can yet again say we consulted, we compromised and here is the result.

The M.O.E. have been testing sediments and soils in the Canagagigue Creek between 2012 and 2015. They have also tested forage fish and so called game fish in the creek for tissue accumulation of toxic chemicals. Their testing has not been scientifically rigorous. Why should it be? They have no intention of properly cleaning up the creek to meet any of the provincial or national criteria or guidelines in any case. That having already been decided why would they do a good job or spend any more than is necessary to say we looked, we tested, we found this.

In the early 2000's a few contaminated creekbanks and low lying areas along the Canagagigue were either removed or stabilized with rip rap, rocks etc.. Undoubtedly the soils in these areas had been eroding into the creek and enriching it with Chemtura's usual DDT, Dioxins and other chemicals which preferentially adhere to soils. These areas were all of course on the west side of the creek because don't you know the east side of the creek doesn't really exist. It's a figment of everybody's imagination. The inconvenient fact that massive quantities of 2,4-d, 2,4,5-t, Dioxins, DDT, DDE, DDD, solvents, NDMA other pesticides etc. were all pumped across the creek into the east side pits has been carefully ignored and their transportaion and resting place covered up.

While they're back. Half of Uniroyal's historic waste legacy and indiscriminate dumping was hidden from sight because the east side didn't directly dump its' toxic contents into the Canagagigue Creek. No those contents have been field filtered. They've been filtered by corn fields and soybean fields. They've been filtered by grass, trees, shrubs all along the way. Yes they've slowly made their way both downwards into our drinking water aquifers but they've also followed swales, ditches, furrows and the Stroh Drain all back to the creek albeit further downstream mostly out of sight, into Mennonite country.

Those toxins have adversely affected, wildlife in and around the creek. They've adversely affected human beings living along the creek. All of that is exactly of zero concern to those responsible then or now. It is of no concern to our authorities and politicians currently. What concerns them is the here and now. Chemtura Canada (now Lanxess) are a big player in Woolwich Township and further. They are playing nice (sort of) right now including providing jobs and paying taxes. Laws and rules on the books are for the little people, certainly not for the wealthy and powerful. All the facts, proof and laws in the world are of no real consequence to the elite. They are in charge and everything can be massaged, manipulated, covered up and explained away. Afterall who is powerful enough to really challenge them? The public? The media? Simply ignore them and wait them out. It's been working for decades.