MORE LOCAL CITIZENS SLAM UNIROYAL/CROMPTON

March 1999 was a difficult time for Uniroyal and appropriately so. Both Gail Gardiner in the Elmira Independent and Bob Burtt in the K-W Record were quoting citizens including myself and Richard Clausi advising citizens that neither municipal, regional nor provincial authorities were ever going to shut Uniroyal down for their plethora of ongoing misdeeds towards Elmira citizens. Ongoing fumigations were continuing even in the winter months harming local residents health and peace of mind.

On March 19, 1999 Ken Reger wrote a Letter To The Editor (Elmira Independent) in which he stated "Uniroyal would do nothing if not forced to do it through sheer pressure from interested parties.". Furthermore he said "If I was charged with drunk driving, my license would be pulled immediately. When Uniroyal pollutes they keep on getting away with it instead of being shut down immediately.".

On March 26, 1999 in the Independent Dr. Henry Regier was quoted at a UPAC meeting asking Dr. Hanif kassan (Regional Health Dep't.) "Do you really think you have to prove adverse effects?". Further comments in the Independent regarding the special UPAC meeting of March 22/99 included " UPAC member Henry Regier asked if anyone knows why Uniroyal did not undertake any of these odour abatement measures earlier. "It's a good question" said Ed Gill (M.O.E.). "Ask the company added Murray Haight (M.O.E.)".

On April 1/99 in the K-W Record Susan Bryant was quoted as saying "Mr. Stirling's (Minster of Environment) response confirms that our attempts to get this government and the Environment Ministry to address the environmental problems in Elmira are best described as an exercise in walking around in circles.".

Finally on April 9, 1999 in the Elmira Independent we had comments from David Chadder of Rowan, Williams, Davies and Irwin out of Guelph. He had finally received the updated computer air model and had run the numbers through it. Surprise, surprise it turned out that the old model used by Conestoga Rovers & Associates on behalf of Uniroyal produced much lower estimates of contaminant concentrations off-site than the newer computer model. I'm sure that this was merely one more unfortunate and unintentional case of CRA making their client, Uniroyal, look less irresponsible than they were.

Then we get into Diacetyl odours and irresponsibility at Uniroyal in April 1999. Stay tuned.