HOW FAR (LOW) ARE WOOLWICH COUNCIL WILLING TO GO?

We have a total of six Woolwich citizens who attended and witnessed a disturbing incident over four years ago. It was an apparent collaboration between a longtime local environmental activist and the polluter's right hand man, Conestoga Rovers & Assoc.(CRA). At the time the activist, Susan Bryant, was not a member of CPAC and was not representing the public. She may have been representing private citizens who were members of the group APTE. At that time there was no apparent conflict of interest. If she wished to be put directly on Chemtura's payroll as a public relations consultant that would have been her business in 2012-2013.

The problem arises when she was a sitting member of CPAC certainly from 2000 - 2010 as well as currently sitting on TAG representing Woolwich citizens including myself. As per the words of CRA employees, stated publicly, Susan contributed her time and efforts to an E:Dat program or electronic access data tool. My guess is that her "contribution" was most likely in line with her professional credentials as an editor. This collaboration with the long time, extremely difficult to deal with and client driven consulting/engineering firm, was kept quiet from voting CPAC members including myself and others at the time.

The "witness statements" of the five others besides myself include five previously appointed by Council to CPAC and one SWAT member. One of these former CPAC members was also appointed to TAG (Technical Advisory Group) over a year and a half ago by our current Council. Woolwich Council have had ample time to investigate this information as I sent them details regarding both Susan and Pat Mclean over two years ago. They made virtually zero effort to interview or communicate with any of these six witnesses. Mayor Shantz has sent out an e-mail this morning hours AFTER receiving these five witness statements stating that "...Susan Bryant was not involved with the development of EDat...". As she sent this at 6:39 am. to myself and the rest of Woolwich Council maybe she did this on her own without consulting the rest of Council or anyone else.

To date I have received exactly zero response concerning my allegation of conflict of interest by Pat Mclean and her membership on the chemical industry's National Advisory Panel. Again as long as she isn't allegedly representing the interests of Woolwich citizens including myself, she can join absolutely anything she wants. Chemtura Canada are members of this chemical industry group known as the Chemical Industry Assoc'n. of Canada (CIAC) formerly known as the CCPA or Canadian Chemical Producers Assoc'n.. Ironically I have an award from APTE (early 90s) poking fun at the CCPA and their supposed public communications regarding chlorinated solvents.

At the bare minimum Susan and Pat are both in a conflict of interest position regarding CPAC/TAG/RAC. For those of us including both past and present APTE members, this behaviour is inappropriate and perhaps a downright betrayal of all the local citizens who stood together twenty-seven years ago against both Uniroyal Chemical and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. This battle continues and Dr. Richard Jackson (former TAG Chair) has clearly spelled out the inadequacies and failures of the M.O.E., Chemtura and CRA. Working on their behalf or their allies and supporters behalf is not acceptable while allegedly representing us the citizens of Elmira and Woolwich Township.

Woolwich Council appoint and remove committee of council members at will. Why are they still backing two members under these circumstances? Does it have anything to do with Chemtura's support for them as well? The longer this goes on the more a smell begins to percolate. This is a smell that this Council can do without.