RATIONALIZATION, OPTIMIZATION & OTHER BASTARDIZATIONS OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Back in the early 2000s Uniroyal/Crompton brought "Optimization" to CPAC. Optimization was a poorly defined, extremely vague concept. It seemed to be some hypothetical pumping regieme to allow Uniroyal a less expensive method to meet their Control Order obligations regarding full on-site hydraulic containment. In hindsight it was simply more private, backroom negotiations and deal making between Uniroyal and the Ministry of the Environment that was a fait accompli but required some kind of token approval from UPAC. Therefore we at UPAC discussed and debated this vague proposal for a few years not knowing that the professional liars involved had already made the deal. Those professional liars included Uniroyal and the M.O.E. as well it appears a couple of citizens masquerading as representing the public interest. Even if the public interest as expressed via UPAC had ended up in the same place; in fact the inherent subterfuge and manipulation brings the entire handling of the matter into disrepute.

As was usual UPAC were given the mushroom treatment ie. kept in the dark, covered in s... and basically misinformed. Significant knowledge, including the after the fact attempt to justify the already completed June 21, 2000 Amending Order, was kept from UPAC. In its essence on-site containment of the Municipal Upper Aquifer was being undermined by the far greater off-site pumping regieme which started in 1998. Therefore rather than spend more money and pump and treat more groundwater on-site CRA got the bright idea of letting containment on-site slip and this groundwater could then be picked up by other pumping wells off-site such as W5A and W5B. Of course the rotten parties as usual weren't prepared to clearly explain what they were really after and when the matter dropped most of us at CPAC thought O.K. they've backed off on this peculiar, poorly explained plan. Not at all in fact. They just concluded it privately while pretending they had CPAC's O.K.

The next bizarre plan coming forward appears to be the Town of Elmira adding either Settlement or Countryside lands from along Elmira's east side. This of course is likely contaminated land along the western side of the Stroh property and definitely along the Canagagigue Creek itself. A brief response I've recently received from the Township's planning department is clear as mud. "At that future time when the lands are developed, they would be subject to the standards at that time.". I presume this is in answer to my question as to whether the annexing these lands would result in less stringent cleanup criteria than they currently have. If that statement from the planning department is in response to my stated question then I believe the simple answer is yes. Oh and the name of this exercise is "Rationalization".

So is this simply more of the same bureaucratic, manipulative bullshit I've grown to love here in Woolwich? Or on the contrary do the powers to be actually have an intelligent reason for what they are doing that they'd rather not share with the unwashed masses? Amazing how inherently dull people with the benefit of money, power and private information are so routinely able to get their way, whether in the public interest or not. This folks is the fine, disgusting art of politics.