Thursday, November 30, 2017
CHEMTURA (LANXESS) OCTOBER 2017 PROGRESS REPORT
The treatment systems have had a couple of changes and additions to them in regards to the new wells that have come on line. There is a new "Trojan Ultraviolet (UV) Treatment System" for well W9 as well as new "Wigen Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) Equipment" for new wells W6A/B as well as for old wells W5A/B and W4. At the moment the miniscule new volumes from W6A/B and W9 don't require this new treatment but allegedly when their pumping rates increase they will.
The target pumping rates for on-site wells PW4 and PW5 have actually decreased over time. Many years ago Jeff Merriman of Chemtura/Crompton advised us that on-site pumping wells would increase their pumping rates to 6 litres per second. He did this to help sell the bogus Optimization Plan. This did not happen formally although on occasion those pumping rates were very close. Now I notice that as of page 2 as well as figure A.2 that the target pumping rates for PW4 and PW5 were reduced to 4.7 litres per second last year. This makes little or no sense unless of course your goal is to continue to externalize your costs by shifting your 100% share of on-site costs to the 50% only share for pumping off-site groundwater costs. Smooth! The taxpayers are paying the other 50% share.
Table A.5 indicates treatment system shutdowns. There are several "communications errors" responsible for numerous hours of shutdowns. Why?
Table C.2 concerns the surface water in Canagagigue Creek. Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) concentrations in the creek are ridiculous both upstream and downstream. The upstream may very well be due to leakage from the Bolender Park landfill although I am confident that the Ontario M.O.E. have studiously avoided any effective monitoring for Uniroyal signature chemicals that were dumped in the Bolender Park landfill back in the 1960s.
Table D.1 advises us that Light Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPLS) are still at thicknesses greater than one foot, floating on top of the water table. Again Jeff has advised us in the past that Chemtura can not find a way to excavate or pump it out. I do not believe that in this day and age that very shallow LNAPL can not be removed if the will to do so exists.
Lastly Table E.1 tells us that Chlorobenzene and NDMA are still at ridiculously high concentrations way above drinking water standards off the Chemtura/Lanxess site. Some of these wells are a few hundred metres away from the site. If all the NDMA and Chlorobenzene came from Uniroyal and if they had stopped off-site migration back in the early 90s as was ordered and claimed, I believe those concentrations would be much lower by now. This is to the further shame of the so called "responsible" parties.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
WHY WAS VARNICOLOR CHEMICAL EVER REMEDIATED?
At the time for us neophytes it was an obvious appropriate action. The site was grossly polluted in both the groundwater and the soils. Why wouldn't you clean up the site? Well just travel down the road a few hundred metres to the Uniroyal Chemical (now Lanxess) site. That site to this day has grossly contaminated soils and groundwater yet it's been an ongoing battle for thirty years to get them to clean up DNAPLS (free phase & residual), LNAPLS, Dioxins, DDT and various solvents, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. The excuse/reason is that Uniroyal allegedly is contained. The Ontario M.O.E. claim that the site is hydraulically contained. It is not. They preemptively wrote an Amended Control Order in June 2001 allowing some groundwater contamination to leave the site, allegedly to enhance or "optimize" the hydraulic clean up of the off-site aquifers. It was total and complete bullshit and "Optimization" was never formally accepted by CPAC. Privately of course behind CPAC's back, perhaps Pat Mclean and Susan exercised their influence with the Ministry of Environment and sold out CPAC and Woolwich residents and gave the M.O.E. their consent. If so look where we are today. The 2028 clean up is now acknowledged by all parties, honest and dishonest, to be highly unlikely to occur. So much for giving Uniroyal and CRA everything they ask for. Arseholes!
So apparently clean up of a contaminated site only is mandatory if the contaminants have or are migrating off-site. We were told by the M.O.E. that Varnicolor's contamination had neither travelled deep into the municipal aquifer or laterally off-site onto neighbour's properties. We were knowingly lied to by the M.O.E.. We now know otherwise. Varnicolor were only remediated precisely because their contamination had spread far and wide. Laterally it spread to their neighbours Motiveair, Elmira Theatre Company and possibly Calla Studios. Both soil excavations and an extended groundwater collection system were installed in Motiveair's backyard on the other side of the fence from the Varnicolor site. This I described in more detail in my December 1 and 2, 2014 posts here in the Elmira Advocate. We learned about deeper groundwater contamination into the Municipal Upper Aquifer in May 2016. I posted about this here in the Advocate on May 20, 2016 after seeing the risk assessment done by Peritus Environmental. The K-W Record (Paige Desmond) also published a story about this public meeting on the same date. Following this was a public meeting in Council Chambers to discuss the new owners plans and hopes to develop part of their property for commercial storage buildings. To date Elmira Pump have stated that they are still waiting for the final draft of the Risk Assessment from their hydrogeological consultants.
The takeaway from all this is quite straightforward. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment believe that they have permission from above (Ontario government) to lie, deceive and disrespect Ontario citizens at will. At the same time the disgusting hypocrites demand "respect" from the very same citizens that they hold in such contempt.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
IT'S ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled "Expired water permits remain in effect". After reading the article and all the excuses as to why the Ontario government are both making a big deal out of allegedly having new requirements, new demands and more research while at the same time telling the industry to take their time and keep on pumping water out of the ground; it seems obvious to me. It's all a political show. This is the Ontario Liberals doing little or nothing while trying to please both sides of the issue. They are misleading the public and pretending that they are actually protecting our groundwater while at the same time clearly letting the bottled water industry know that Ontario are open for business.
I have seen decades of psuedo scientific reports from client driven consultants that allegedly determine the proper environmental course of action. I've seen raw data that clearly points in one direction while the company's consultants come to subjective and client-serving conclusions that always seem to protect their client's pocketbooks. Hence greater research done by company paid consultants is a joke.
Not only are we the public not being given all the facts but even those we have can not be fact checked. The reality is that bottled water should be at best a tiny industry with the vast bulk of drinking water coming from tap water. Yes tap water has issues including chlorine taste and odour as well as, in my opinion, testing for far too few industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals. Home tap water can be filtered however with a Brita filter to remove chlorine taste and hopefully more.
All of us use groundwater mostly in Waterloo Region and that groundwater comes from wells. Other communities may use a much greater percentage of surface water (rivers/lakes etc.) but remember that that surface water is recharged from groundwater. Therefore letting the few essentially take the publics' resources essentially for peanuts and for their own profit is unconscionable.
Monday, November 27, 2017
HORTICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, PLASTIMET & NOW CROWE
Last Wednesday I posted here about the fire last week in Hespeler (Cambridge) at the old Crowe foundry. Similar to Horticultural Technologies in Kitchener (approx. 1988) and Plastimet in Hamilton, plastics were involved. Those two fires produced huge volumes of toxic smoke and I know with the Kitchener fire that a number of firefighters later developed various cancers and passed on. I suspect something similar happened with the Plastimet fire. Overall injuries and death are much greater for firefighters than for police officers as a comparison.
Then of course there was also the Hagersville tire fire way back around 1989. That was burning tires and the fire went on for days before it was brought under control. I was advised last week by a very knowledgable person that the recent Crowe fire produced the second largest amount of smoke and plumes that he had ever seen. Only Hagersville produced more in his opinion.
Plastics are basically petroleum derivatives. This means that they are chains of hydrocarbons or Hydrogen and Carbon. When plastics burn they produce dozens of very toxic compounds all capable of producing death in confined areas or cancer and other diseases over time. Basically having factories with large quantities of toxic compounds in them, in urban areas, is ridiculous. All the prevention and safety in the world can be useless either in a moment of carelessness or bad luck.
Here in Elmira we had our mini chemical valley on the east side of town. That is the downwind side of town most of the time. That was not by accident just as Uniroyal Chemical locating on both sides of the Canagagigue Creek was not an accident. All it will take here or in other urban areas is bad luck, bad management and or the wind blowing the wrong way. Our local politicians will then be moaning about acts of God when in fact it was acts of men including bad planning decisions in the first place. When all is said and done human health and life fall far short of money and power here as elsewhere. Our powerful and wealthy have always proclaimed the sanctity of their fellow human beings, all the way to the bank.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
THREE GROUPS RECEIVE THE ACADEMIC REPORT
Firstly the title of the published academic report I've been discussing here the last two days is "Social justice and environmental equity: Distributing environmental quality". It was researched and written by three academics from the University of Waterloo namely Dr. Keith Warriner, Dr. Alice Nabalamba and a PhD. student Kathleen McSprurren.
The three groups who received this report plus a covering letter from me were all Woolwich council & two senior staff, secondly two employees of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and thirdly the media. In my opinion all three have serious duties and responsibilities in regards to submissions, data and relevant public interest reports they receive. Of the three I would suggest that the media's responsibilities are the least onerous. In other words while they should and do have greater latitude and flexibility in their determination as to what are or are not public interest stories; nevertheless certainly I would expect that life and death issues
would be a high priority for them.
Woolwich Council may actually be working feverishly in the background on the Bolender Park landfill situation. I am doubtful but ever hopeful. It is in their nature to never admit fault or negligence. This problem to date has been successfully delayed and delayed for many decades. Their problem however is that I and others have removed their plausible deniability. An explosion as recently as last winter would have been an easy deny for them. Their excuses such as, "oh look at all these reports our consultants have manufactured for us. If only we had known there was an imminent risk.", would have come fast and thick. Those excuses no longer will hold water.
The Ontario M.O.E. have been involved with the Bolender Park Landfill since 1984 at the very least. They gave it a Certificate of Approval back then. Surely to goodness all the Conestoga Rovers reports went to them over the decades. Would they not have expressed an interest in ensuring that the gas collection system was working and homes and residents were being protected? OMG is it possible that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment covered their eyes and ears and left this solely to Woolwich's discretion? Is this why I've received the cold shoulder, the blank stare and the glassy eyed look from both the Township and the M.O.E. when I include them in my correspondence? Are they that vulnerable and their negligence that blatant and damning?
The media, especially here right in Elmira, have been disappointing. We are down to one weekly newspaper and they essentially refuse to cover Chemtura/Lanxess issues. I do not believe that they have covered a single RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee) or TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting since their inception in September 2015. That is both ridiculous and a gross disservice to Woolwich residents. There have been major developments and astounding disclosures especially by Dr. Richard Jackson when he was Chair of TAG. Dr. Neil Thompson has also provided a very informative Conceptual Site Model which helps our understanding of the subsurface geology here in Elmira. With all due respect to the fine efforts in the past by the Observer, the Record and CKCO-TV; I believe that these public interest matters deserve greater attention by the media. Please help and perhaps by shining a light on problems now avoid larger problems turning into either crises or disasters down the road.
Friday, November 24, 2017
MORE DETAILS ON THE MUNICIPAL THREE C's (ie. Yesterday's Post)
"First unlike Michigan, and clearly reflecting Toronto's diversity, minority status does not increase likelihood of living near a pollution source. Rather, low income status, followed by residence in an urban community, are most associated with increased likelihood of living in proximity to contaminated properties, waste disposal, treatment and storage facilities and industrial facilities.".
The Ralgreen Crescent neighbourhood in Kitchener was built upon land which had been used as a landfill until about a decade earlier. "The development was approved by both the City of Kitchener and the provincial Ministry of the Environment, with full knowledge of the previous land use.".
Regarding the townhouse unit on Strasburg Road beside the Ottawa St. Landfill; the City of Kitchener issued building permits "...although within a few years it became obvious that these townhouses were actually built on the site. Due to a "bit of a mix-up" according to a Ministry of the Environment official (The Record, October 18, 1978), provincial regulations for development on landfills were by-passed by both the City and the builder. In this instance, the proximity of the waste was visually apparent to anyone involved.".
"A methane gas explosion occurring on Ralgreen in 1969 dramatically proclaimed the presence of the old landfill on which the homes were built.". "However rather than seeking a solution, or re-locating residents, the City's attention turned to the Strasburg Road area and the current city landfill site. Gas levels at Strasburg Road were monitored regularly for the next decade, while the Ralgreen homes were only checked sporadically by the Fire Department when an owner requested it. The City maintained a strict secrecy about the possibility of methane gas accumulation at Ralgreen stating public panic had to be avoided.".
"It is less than ironic that settlement of the Ralgreen case only occurred after a number of years of unproductive negotiation when, with no other options available, the residents finally launched a $65 million lawsuit. Facing significant financial risk, the City found grounds to compromise.".
Regarding our neighbour Uniroyal Chemical, here in Elmira: "For more than a decade the company has resisted efforts by the local residents and the provincial Ministry of the Environment to achieve a clean-up of the site. This has included thrice appealing Ministry control orders, resulting in more than two years of Environmental Appeal Board hearings. Uniroyal has used all bureaucratic means to contest public pressures for remediation. In fact the company's environmental policy states that any charges brought against it will be challenged in court.".
Varnicolor Chemical is also mentioned in this report as having been investigated and charged with 42 offences under the Environmental Protection Act. Unmentioned is the extreme methods local citizens were required to take due to the collusion, cover-up and conspiracys involved. Trespassing, deep throat informers, photographs and recordings were all required to force the Ontario M.O.E. to do their jobs. These included a source within Varnicolor who told us about collusion between the Ontario Ministry of Environment and the owner of Varnicolor. This eventually resulted in criminal charges and dismissal of a M.O.E. investigator, one Glen McDonald. He was the second M.O.E. officer originally working here who was fired by the M.O.E. for breech of trust and more. Jim Dochstader was the other. The Ontario M.O.E. are corrupt at the top and their commands are followed by those below who wish to keep their jobs.
Therefore Woolwich Council you need to be aware of the ongoing corruption, collusion and cover-ups all around you. Denial of such indicates a lack of knowledge at the minimum and or it could indicate that you have a personal reason to deny the ubiquitous existence of corruption. Politics is unto itself nothing more than polite collusion. It is exactly what Sandy and Mark did privately with Chemtura (Uniroyal) and the proven corrupt M.O.E.. Uniroyal's measure has long been taken by local citizens and for woefully ignorant and or possibly corrupt politicians to make deals with them privately, including manufacturing a crisis to give Council an excuse to dismiss the best CPAC they ever had, was abhorrent and disgusting.
All the above quotes are from the report I mentioned here yesterday. Council doesn't have it from me yet although they could always look it up on-line as I did. Hard for me to be respectful to a party who haven't as yet even acknowledged the receipt of my last communication to them from a week ago. That was a long list of questions in regards to the Bolender Park Landfill. Considering they've had literally months since my first Delegation to Council on the matter you'd think they would have voluntarily provided me with some answers by now. That failure by Council also falls under the umbrella of the THREE C's.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION, COLLUSION & COVERUPS
Yes Sandy, corruption, collusion and coverups are alive and well in Ontario municipalities including Woolwich, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. That said if I had corruption evidence of the brown paper bag variety that one of our Prime Minister's (B.M.) was the recipient of, yes I would take it to the nearest police or Crown Attorney. That is despite their recent penchant for cherry picking which laws they will or will not enforce such as the Municipal Elections Act. So rest assured, for the moment at least, you are in the clear. Our mayor, here in Woolwich, has publicly scoffed at the idea of corruption being part of the municipal experience locally. Well again try and recall the definition of corruption: it does not require brown paper bags filled with money.
A friend and colleague mentioned to me in passing that a well known Kitchener scandal (among many) involved a methane gas explosion at a home. The home was on Ralgreen Crescent. I was shocked as I had understood that the Ralgreen scandal was all about the City of Kitchener giving a builder/developer permission to build homes on a former landfill site. Potentially toxic sludges were oozing into the residents basements. Many citizens had rashes and other unexplained ailments as most or all did not know that their homes were built on top of a former landfill. The City of Kitchener's response to their residents was contemptible. Just like Uniroyal Chemical here in Elmira they didn't respond honestly until after they were sued by local residents. Then just like Uniroyal Chemical the gutless, lying politicians settled out of court because they knew they didn't have a leg to stand on. That Sandy dearest is but one form of CORRUPTION.
Of course we all know about another methane gas scandal in Kitchener. That was at the Ottawa St. Landfill. It turns out that both the City of Kitchener as well as the Ontario Ministry of Environment demonstrated their Corruption skills by ignoring provincial legislation prohibiting the building of homes on former landfill sites. Indeed for the longest time the City and builders claimed that they weren't actually on the landfill. Some expert researchers later declared otherwise.
According to a report published in 2001 by some local academics the City of Kitchener actually went to some lengths to keep the residential methane gas explosion a secret. They did one hell of a good job because I just found out about it. Obviously if the Ralgreen homeowners didn't know their homes were built on top of a garbage dump then they also didn't know that one of their neighbour's houses blew up many years earlier. Perhaps they either assumed or were told that it was a natural gas explosion as in a leaking gasline etc.. That was not the case.
I will be sending a copy of this report to Woolwich Councillors & mayor as well as to the Ontario Ministry of Environment. I expect that some of them already know about these facts. I will also send a copy to the local media. Older reporters in Kitchener-Waterloo may know about it but unlikely that the younger ones do.
Of what relevance is this information today to Woolwich Council? They and their predecessors on Council (including Sandy, Mark & Murray) have known about high methane gas readings at the Bolender Park Landfill for decades. They now know that the alleged methane gas collection system was essentially a crock and may have given up the ghost as early as two years after it was commissioned in 1984. This may explain why methane gas is still at explosive levels and much higher so many decades later. Afterall it was not extracted from the landfill as was expected in the 80s and 90s. Now they know that not only was their another methane crisis in nearby Kitchener but that it involved a house actually exploding from dangerous methane gas intrusion into the home. This is not a theoretical exercise.
Woolwich Councillors are exposing Woolwich taxpayers to a huge liability if they don't get off their asses and start taking the necessary steps including permanent methane detectors and alarms in nearby homes as well as settling with #86 Auto Recycling. Complete perimeter monitoring is required as well as an investigation as to where the landfill perimeter is actually located. City of Kitchener folks got it wrong and believe me you are no smarter than they are. Then you need to install an appropriate methane collection system, designed and built by competent individuals.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
KUDOS & BRICKBATS TO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Firstly as I'm more used to the brickbats versus kudos, here goes. Todays Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "
Hespeler residents voice concerns about air quality". It seems that city officials have taken it upon themselves to advise the public that air quality is not a hazard. Really? And which city officials exactly have any training or expertise in air quality matters? More importantly did they take the air samples themselves and or have they read the results and have the knowledge to interpret them? Obviously not. So please shut up and stop being cheerleaders.
The Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.) also say that "Air test results showed no excessive contaminants that are usually associated with industrial fires". What exactly does that mean? Does "no excessive contaminants" mean that air concentrations are below criteria for toxic compounds such as benzene, toluene, TCA, TCE etc. or does it mean that the levels, regardless of health criteria, were just par for the course of what is emitted from industrial fires? That statement is as clear as mud and typical gobbledygook from government officials more intent on reassuring the public than on being honest.
There is another concern. Having dealt with the Ontario M.O.E. literally for decades I wonder how it is that allegedly they already have their test results back. Whether air, water or soil, up here in Elmira, we routinely wait for months if not years to get test results back. Are whatever results they allegedly have formally completed test results or are they preliminary at best?
Now the kudos to the City of Cambridge. Believe me this hurts because over the years they have not impressed very many as being the sharpest tools in the drawer. Well according to both today's Record article as well as one in the Record on July 6, 2013 it seems as if they behaved proactively and removed numerous 45 gallons of drums of flammable and toxic liquids from this property back in 2013. That is to their credit and as Monday's fire indicates was a very good decision and money well spent. Kudos to all those involved at the City of Cambridge for so doing.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
2003 WAS AN IMPORTANT YEAR IN ELMIRA
The Region of Waterloo, we are advised on March 1, 2003, were not happy with Uniroyal/Crompton. The Region had made some changes in order to accomodate Uniroyal's six month temporary request for ammonia treatment at the Elmira Sewage treatment Plant. Then they asked for an extension and got it. Then they asked for yet another and the Region rightfully balked. Whether the ammonia was Uniroyal's or Nutrite's, it certainly wasn't the Region's. Build your own treatment plant was their advice to Uniroyal Chemical.
The next issue was the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's plan to remove their air monitoring station from Elmira. This plan was discussed at UPAC/CPAC and written up in the Elmira Independent on March 28, 2003. The Editor's Column on that date also covered the issue and the title was "The MOE is Failing Elmira". Neither Gail Martin, the Editor nor many of the UPAC/CPAC members were happy about this. This included Susan B., Ron Ormson, myself, Shannon, Pat and Gerry Heidbuurt.
Getting back to ammonia treatment, another option was suggested by Conestoga Rovers and that was engineered wetlands. These discussions occurred in April/May 2003 and included Golder & Associates on behalf of Conestoga Rovers. Nutrite were still claiming that they weren't the source that it could be coming from closed landfills. The two closest would be the Bolender landfill to the north and the M2 landfill on Uniroyal's south-west corner.
Trespassers were indicated as being at higher risk on the Chemtura site than the rest of the local population. At the time I was not aware that this likely meant teenagers and children smoking or hanging out underneath the Church St. bridge over the Canagagigue Creek. According to a local resident they are still doing so to the present time.
Also in the March 28, 2003 Independent was an article by Gail Martin in which she mentioned issues with aquitard penetration by Uniroyal toxic chemicals. The term diffusions was also mentioned. So in fact the knowledge was there long before Dr. Jackson pointed out that huge failing in CRA's planning and work, during his brief tenure as TAG Chair from September 2015 until the end of December 2016.
The woolwich Observer (Joanne Peach) advised readers that Wilf Ruland had advised CPAC that Optimization was unlikely to make a significant difference to the groundwater cleanup. Hence the June 21, 2000 Amended Control Order was not justified either when it was passed or after a couple more years of debate and discussion at UPAC/CPAC.
Lastly we are advised in July 2003 in both the K-W Record and the Woolwich Observer that Crompton failed their confidence vote by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association. This was a good thing and if it had been an honest process they would never have attained it nor maintained it. Gordon Crooks stated that Crompton had yet to fully embrace the true spirit of *Responsible Care. They still haven't in my opinion. Thus Uniroyal/Crompton failed in 1997, 2000, 2001 and again in 2003.
Monday, November 20, 2017
ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Last Thursday morning I sent a cover letter and four pages of questions concerning the Bolender Park Landfill to Woolwich Council and Staff. Copies also went to the Ontario Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) as well as the media. I had previously sent this information to my environmental friends and colleagues on CPAC. Two of them responded with advice and suggestions.
The title above refers to government accountability and transparency. All governments publicly endorse those attributes while at the same time doing their best to hide from them. Woolwich Township are no exception. They believe that democracy should be seen but not heard. Even the seeing should be but once every four years at election time.
In my covering letter I advised Council that I had been a Delegate to them five times this fall on the methane issues in and around the Bolender Park Landfill. Their lack of questions or clarifications on my and other citizens' concerns were shocking. Similarly their refusal to sit down with me and discuss the glaring discrepancies and omissions in their consultant's ten or more reports has also been shocking. Exactly what part of transparency and accountability are they unable to understand? Who exactly do they think they work for? Maybe it's the M.O.E., their consultants (CRA/GHD) or perhaps the local companies who deposited their industrial wastes in the Bolender Landfill?
Oh and despite the very short time to date of only a couple of business days, there has of yet not even been an acknowledgement of my letter and questions having been received by them. These questions are worded as clearly and politely as possible. They are all relevant and need to be answered whether or not they give reassurance to local citizens on the health and safety matters involved. In fact the answering of all these questions might actually assist and clarify the Township in the actions they need to take to protect the health and property of nearby residents and workers.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
MONSANTO & BUDDIES SUING TO PROTECT PROFITS
This is becoming routine. A government agency responsible for protecting the public are sued by private industry because their products are either hazardous or likely to be hazardous to the environment or human beings. Isn't our judicial system (Canada & U.S.) just too precious? This time it'as occurring in California and the product is glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup.
It seems as if agricultural groups and other vested interests feel that consumer health and safety is less important than their never ending profits. The President of the National Association of Wheat Growers stated that California's cancer warning regarding Roundup "would result in higher food costs, crushing blows to state and agricultural economies and lost revenue up and down the entire supply chain.".
Recently the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified Glyphosate as "a probable human carcinogen". Hence the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment added glyphosate to it's list of chemicals known to cause cancer. This normally precedes a requirement for warning labels to be put on products using this chemical.
Monsanto and many others have made millions if not billions of dollars off of glyphosate at the expense apparently of the environment and various lifeforms including humans. How dare government agencies attack their wealth and accompanying status and power merely because their products might actually harm more than the weeds they are supposed to kill. If this is democracy folks then I don't care for it. The Waterloo Region Record published this story yesterday titled "California weed-killer warning faces lawsuit".
Friday, November 17, 2017
SAME TITLE AS YESTERDAY (WHEN DOES THE LYING & DECEPTION STOP?)
Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled "Wynne says she didn't get reserve mercury report". A political skeptic might suggest that the writing is clearly on the wall for the Wynne government. It's not that she hasn't resolved this horrible human and environmental crisis in Northern Ontario. It's not that every other provincial government before her never resolved it properly. It's that she and her government are looking stupid over it. All the other governments managed to lie, deflect and delay just as they have here in Elmira, over the last thirty years. Why can't the Wynne government keep up the good political work of doing nothing but talk, just like all her predecessors?
The latest straw is that a consulting firm for the current owners of the former Reed paper mill property commissioned a report last year that has supported a report by the Grassy Narrows Commission which suggested ongoing contamination to the river. This is contrary to assurances from public officials over the decades stating that there was no ongoing source of mercury to the river. This new Domtar report went to the Ontario Ministry of Environment in 2016 but allegedly never went to the premier's office. This could be a lie or it could be simply plausible deniability. In other words if senior M.O.E. officials were advised by the Premier's office not to bring her anymore bad news on the file then indeed Wynne could say that she never received the report. If that's the case then Wynne and the Liberals are on the right political track. Cover your ass and to hell with the victims of this tragedy. That's the way to undeservedly get re-elected in this province.
Meanwhile the Feds historically aren't looking much better. Promises made and promises broken. All in a days work.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
WHEN DOES THE LYING & DECEPTION STOP?
In November 2012 Chemtura/Conestoga Rovers made the public announcement that based upon their 5 year analysis it was necessary, in order to achieve the 2028 Elmira Aquifers cleanup deadline, for them to increase the off-site pumping by 300% AND to do some off-site source removal by introducing chemicals into the subsurface to break down NDMA and or Chlorobenzene. This last process is known as ISCO or In-Situ Chemical Oxidation. This announcement was of course complete nonsense. They had been smarting since the previous May when first CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) then Woolwich Council passed Resolutions stating that 2028 was unachievable under the current remediation plan consisting solely of Pump & treat technology also known as hydraulic containment.
Fast forward to 2017. In fact the last five years of pumping has been generally pretty good by the low standards that CRA and Chemtura set prior to that. Pumping has routinely been in the 50 to 53 litres per second and certainly for many months or more in the 60 to 63 litres per second. On a historical basis that is excellent. The trouble is it is nowhere near the original promised tripling of pumping rates or the later revised doubling of pumping rates.
Three new wells have come on line since this past summer. They are W6A, W6B and W9. W9 is near Park and Union St. and it's very low pumping rate has been at zero for the last couple of months. Unimpressive. The W6 wells are located on Oriole Parkway just east of Industrial Drive. W6A has been pumping at a staggering (not) rate of .8 litres per second. Good Lord, that is peanuts. W6B is pumping in a different aquifer at a mind numbing .7 litres per second during the month of October. It's mind numbingly little!
There are two other wells supposedly constructed and hooked into the treatment system. Supposedly. When do they come on stream and will they be just as ridiculous as the first two new wells? We've waited five years after their huge announcement about vastly improving the chances of achieving a 2028 cleanup. ie. from nil to a vague maybe if we get lucky. So far it's been a huge pile of home grown, Elmira HORSE MANURE.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
THE SAME TITLE AS TWO DAYS AGO !
Guilty parties are always hoping that their past sins will be forgotten often in the hope that they can get away with new sins. Sorry not on my watch. Adam Loney, a name from the past, on behalf of Conestoga Rovers (CRA) gave a presentation on constructed wetlands. I am sincerely sorry to say that I was advised quite a while back that Adam had passed on prematurely. He was a very young man. I do not know if there is a connection but I do know that both on-line and in conversations with former CRA employees I've been advised that CRA do not have any work/life balance. It reminds me of law firms constantly pushing their young lawyers for billable hours.
The idea that CRA had was to build wetlands at the south end of the Crompton/Chemtura site for the purpose of breaking down the ammonia in the water. This ammonia was partly from the Nutrite/Yara property next door. Both the Elmira Independent (Julie Sawyer) and the Woolwich Observer (Joanne Peach) reported in their papers on this matter on January 24, 2003 and January 25, 2003. Adam Loney suggested that it would take one year for the pilot system and two years for the whole thing to be up and running. The other term for this idea was engineered wetlands.
In the February 13, 2003 K-W Record, Bob Burtt wrote that there had been an out of court settlement between Uniroyal/Crompton and the Machens, Chalmers, Fulchers and Posts of Elmira. The confidential (sort of) settlement included Crompton buying all their houses. It also allegedly included them not stating that APT had been helpful towards them getting a settlement. Funny how the professional Bullsh...... at Uniroyal/Crompton rolled over so quickly when facing hard facts against them in a venue (court) they apparently could not control. This is not any kudos towards our corrupt judicial system. The hard facts and stench were all out there for the public to know and the courts prefer not to bring the administration of justice into public disrepute.
The K-W Record announced on February 19, 2003 that Crompton and Jeff merriman had been charged with hindering a Minstry of Environment officer performing his duties. This was in regards to a spill that took place back on August 22, 2001. On February 25, 2003 the Record published a story regarding the findings of the highly criticized and reviled Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) and the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA). Even to this day there are discussions denigrating Risk Assessments underway in Elmira. The public were advised that there are slightly greater risks of getting cancer for employees and trespassers on the site. My heart goes out to Uniroyal employees past and present as I suspect that they and their families have paid a price for steady employment. The ERA concluded that the only increased risks were for earthworms and rodents (shrews). Really? But no increased risks for their predators such as small birds, hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes etc.. Hardly credible.
The February 28, 2003 Independent story by Julie Sawyer discussed the HHRA further. Dioxins and DDT were considered the only Chemicals of Concern (COC). Lindane, dieldrin and benzo (a) pyrene were allegedly not a health hazard according to Peter Hicks of Conestoga Rovers. The big finding was that the EAST SIDE held the largest risks for humans and wildlife. Well that's interesting in regards to the current testing of soil and groundwater on the Stroh farm on Chemtura/Lanxess's EAST SIDE.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
WARNING TO HUMANITY
This morning I read an article on-line from CBCnews.ca titled "More than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries issue "warning to humanity"". It is a very sobering article that spells out things like mass extinction events, ocean dead zones, forest losses, climate change and population growth. The sheer numbers of scientists from 184 different countries around the world indicates that this is a non partisan, apolitical, last ditch warning to humanity. In a sense it is a call to arms. Citizens can no longer simply rely on their leaders, governments of whatever stripe and so called authority figures to make the changes necessary for life to continue on planet Earth.
One of the strongest sentiments I heard in this article is that both the Earth and humanity are "family". These horrible and ever exponentially increasing problems listed above can not be solved by one government in one country. It requires citizens worldwide to increase pressure on their leaders to do what is right. Governments do not lead so much as they maintain the status quo. Their purpose is not to solve problems it is to minimize or hide them. All governments, again of whatever stripe, communist, totalitarian and democratic exist for the primary benefit of their financial elites. It's always been that way and always will be. We the citizens are merely here to give them legitimacy through our complacency and non-revolt.
This article focuses on rising middle classes throughout the world. While here in North America it appears to be a declining middle class, many third world countries are rapidly expanding their middle classes. This results in the rise of consumerism including the buying of appliances, cars, meat consumption and world travel all of which contribute to the world's carbon footprint. We the world are on a one way treadmill that needs to be reversed. I have long suggested that if mankind push themselves into extinction I hope that they don't take the rest of life on this planet with them.
Monday, November 13, 2017
HISTORY IS A BITCH
I have recently sent an e-mail to Woolwich Council with the same title as above. That e-mail was in regards to a ten year old report (November 19, 2007) written by my friend and colleague, Dr. Henry Regier. Today's posting and headline are in regards to a different report written by Henry, back on September 14, 2004. It too will be a bitch for those semi-dishonest or worse individuals and groups who love to pretend that they are objectively and scientifically running the environmental remediation here in Elmira, Ontario. Henry's 2004 report is titled "SSRA As Applied To A Contaminated Site In Elmira, ON.". SSRA of course refers to Site Specific Risk Assessment.
This 2004 report has been sent on to CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) members by myself. So far I and CPAC have received back two comments namely from Rich Clausi and Graham Chevreau congratulating Henry on his insights and accurate discription of SSRAs. In Graham's words SSRAs are and have been used as part of the "greenwashing" efforts by both industry and their regulators both in the U.S. and particularly here in Canada. These Risk Assessments can be used for the purpose of greatly reducing serious cleanups at grossly contaminated sites and in this case will likely be used to allegedly scientifically prove that less is more in regards to the downstream Canagagigue Creek.
One of the many ways to avoid cleanup is to admit to the extent of gross contamination in the creek but then to claim that it's O.K. because allegedly exposure to human or wildlife receptors is minimal or negligible. The determination of negligible exposure relys on shoddy or no empirical data otherwise. This means that a long term lack of professional and unbiased scientific study, including health studies on humans, can be exploited and extrapolated to pompously state that there is no evidence past or present implicating the Canagagigue Creek in causing adverse human health effects. Similarly a lack of detailed biological investigations further up the food chain (predators) over the last fifty years, in and around the creek, can also be exploited and extrapolated to pompously declare that zero evidence exists that any predator whatsoever has been harmed by eating fish, reptiles, clams, muskrats, raccoons in and around the creek downstream from Uniroyal/Lanxess. As I have long stated in regards to Elmira and area contamination; you will never find what you refuse to look for. This is precisely why full blown health studies have never been done here.
Henry's report will be circulated further afield. His study was comprehensive and detailed and included sessions with Risk Assessment "experts" at the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOECC). His report and his conclusions are clear and strong and will not be easily dismissed by self-serving, highly company paid consultants who have for far too long been in charge of the multi faceted local remediation while ostensibly being regulated and supervised by our Ministry of Excuses and Corporate Collusion (MOECC).
Saturday, November 11, 2017
WHY DO WOOLWICH FEEL THE NEED TO DECEIVE REGARDING THE BOLENDER PARK LANDFILL??
The plot continues to thicken. Yesterday's Woolwich Observer story was helpful in getting some of the facts out to the public. Woolwich Township were likely either stupid or dishonest in regards to their advice and information to the Rattasid's when they purchased Paleshi's garage and auto recycling yard here in Elmira, Ontario. In my opinion it was likely a little of both.
Back on October 6, 2017 I posted here an article titled "Curiouser & Curiouser: Was The Mayor's Husband Somehow Involved In The Shoddy Methane Collection System At Bolender Park?". I described in that posting the lack of clarity as to who had actually designed and built the methane collection system. While it consisted of eleven gas probes allegedly capable of collecting landfill gas it actually only appears in hindsight to have actually been evacuating landfill gas (methane ) for a couple of years. The probes themselves were exposed to a large variety of failures but the actual pumping of the subsurface methane, out of the ground and into the atmosphere, seems to have only lasted at the most a couple of years. This may explain why the Ontario Ministry of the Environment who were allegedly monitoring through their Certificate of Approval never demanded emissions scrubbers or filters. Methane gas release from landfills is a huge component of greenhouse emissions and landfills with methane collection systems usually require stack scrubbers to reduce methane release into the atmosphere. The readings of methane gas at the pump (blower pad) were all zero (when they were tested) from 1986 through till 1996. After that they weren't tested ever again including when the pumping system was formally decommissioned by the M.O.E. in 2015. What a farce!
I speculated in my October 6, 2017 posting that the construction and design of the collection system might have been an in-house operation. Further evidence has arisen on this matter. The Elmira Independent had a historical article in their February 7, 1994 edition that described part of the bidding process in 1984 around the construction of the Bolender Park Landfill gas collection system. It seems as if the bid from Daly Construction of Cambridge was refused by Woolwich Council because it was $19,000 too high. Hmm in hindsight that may have been a very poor attempt to save a few bucks. The article indicates that the methane gas was moving off-site. If the collection system had worked as planned, likely the bulk of methane would have been relatively safely released by now. Further checking to date has not given me any evidence of another accredited construction firm having won the bid for this work which leads me to more strongly believe that this was an entirely in-house job done by Woolwich Township, possibly including the mayor's husband from the start.
I had earlier on mentioned that Mr. Brian Shantz was mentioned in the August 1994 Conestoga Rovers report on the Bolender Landfill. He was also mentioned in the same Independent article as being the Elmira Arena's rebuilding project manager five years earlier (1989). With his obvious Woolwich connections is it likely that he was involved as well with the Bolender landfill from the start in 1984? I had asked some pointed questions in my October 6/17 posting here regarding who was responsible for the design and construction of the inferior and unworkable methane gas collection system. Those questions need to be answered whether it was a private company, the mayor's husband or Conestoga Rovers. The paying public need to know that errors and mistakes are not being constantly glossed over and the responsible parties rewarded with yet more contracts on the publics' dime.
A final point. I have also unearthed public testimony from a local Elmira resident claimimg that drums were buried in the Bolender PARK area prior to it being developed into a park. This same witness also claims that Uniroyal chemical wastes were likely buried in the Bolender Landfill. The Township's case and credibility continue to head down the drain on these matters. Full and honest disclosure to the public is required. This testimony came at a well attended, public UPAC (Uniroyal Public Advisory Committee) meeting written up in the Elmira Independent on January 24, 1994.
Friday, November 10, 2017
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP ARE REAPING WHAT THEY HAVE SOWN
Stupidity and dishonesty can come in very small packages. The small package I am referring to is Woolwich Township. Both staff and Council are behaving in a very small manner. They are once more attempting to pass their unresolved problems and their responsibilities onto others. A similar (environmental) problem exploded in their faces almost thirty years ago for almost the same reasons. They had a grossly contaminated property (Uniroyal) that they and other levels of government fully knew was eventually going to blow up in their faces and it did. It was called the Elmira Water Crisis. This problem, heaven forbid, may actually literally blow up in the faces of either nearby residents on George and High St. or in the faces of Elmira Pet Products or the folks at the auto recycling business on Arthur St..
The Rattaisd's who purchased the former Paleshi's garage and wrecking yard were advised by the Township that while there was a former landfill present on the property that the methane issues were a thing of the past. They were advised that the methane collection system was not being used and in fact was decommissioned. Several lies were told although for those sensitive persons on Council including the mayor who don't like such coarse language let me restate that. Woolwich staff including the CAO gilded the lily unmercifully. They did not advise that local witnesses had seen and testified publicly that Uniroyal Chemical's wastes were dumped in the former landfill on the Rattasid's property. Nor did they advise that a local witness publicly claimed to have seen garbage dumped within the park (Bolender) itself. Nor did they advise that any intelligent reading of the consultant's reports made it clear that the methane was not gone. A couple of low or zero readings taken but once every couple of years proves nothing.
As usual Woolwich Township Council are hiding behind everyone possible that they can. They have been hiding behind staff and their consultants, Conestoga Rovers (now GHD). The latest is they are hiding behind the Ontario Ministry of Environment. For thirty years and more Uniroyal Chemical have hidden successfully behind the Ontario M.O.E. so why shouldn`t Council be allowed to do the same thing. Oh yes it`s because two wrongs don`t make a right. Today`s article in the Woolwich Observer is titled ``Woolwich still at odds with owner of wrecking yard over methane``.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
INCOMPETENCE AND CORRUPTION FLOURISH TOGETHER
And if you think about it, why wouldn't incompetence go hand in hand with corruption? Keep in mind one of the definitions of corruption is "riddled with errors". In other words under certain circumstances corruption is merely the net result of incompetence left unchecked. A prime example would be the 2010 to 2014 Woolwich Council. They had a bunch of newbies on Council who frankly neither had the experience/intelligence nor the smarts to do their jobs. Julie Ann Herteis was a prime example. I saw some of her inexperience at work as she struggled to keep up at Council meetings. That said I do not know her personally other than through Council where indeed she was a very petty individual all about "payback". I truly believe that she honestly had no clue as to how badly her inexperience and incompetence affected citizens and thus their attitudes towards her. All that said I have absolutely zero reason to believe that she was corrupt in the financial or ethical sense of the word. She was simply way out of her depth and at least part of her problem was her closeness to Mayor Cowan and having followed him into politics on his advice. He wanted a loyal foot soldier rather than an independent, thinking colleague.
Todd Cowan was corrupt certainly in the sense of incompetent. Part of his defence at trial over criminal charges was that he was dyslexic. In other words he had difficulty reading. Good God, politicians don't need many skills but that would be one. Also he claimed that he wasn't good at figures or accounting practices hence leading to his expense "errors". Well overall the judge bought his story so again I suggest that incompetence and corruption can go hand in hand.
Our current Council are another example. Half of them are newbies although I will say that Councillor Merlihan and Councillor Larry Shantz are by no means inexperienced. Councillor Hahn is at least as smart and experienced as Councillor Herteis however. Current issues with incompetence at Woolwich Township are exemplified by a recent posting I did in which I indicated that both the TAG and RAC public meetings were being postponed again. This information was received from a reliable member of those groups and I have zero reason to doubt it. Unfortunately I checked the Woolwich Township website a few days back and sure enough they have not updated their Agenda. I checked again this morning twenty minutes ago and same thing. They've still got the wrong dates including the TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting week from today. Come on guys it's hard enough getting the public out to these meetings even when they've finally after decades of self-serving scheduling, finally been put at 6:30 pm., for TAG at least. The self-important people at RAC still prefer 3 pm. in the afternoon when working people can not attend. Inaccurate dates and lack of prompt, public reschedules guarantees a lack of public attendance.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
BACK IN THE CLASSROOM AGAIN
Well in recent years I've been involved along with CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) on four occasions in public outreach. One involved a presentation to the Kitchener chapter of the Council of Canadians a while later followed by a table beside them in the Kitchener market where they handed out literature dealing with their issues and I did the same regarding Elmira, the environment and Chemtura (Uniroyal Chemical). A couple of years back Dr. Dan Holt, chair of CPAC and I addressed a grade 7 and 8 enrichment class of students. They were brought to Wilfred Laurier University for the occasion. That was the first time I saw Dr. Holt in that particular type of venue and was very impressed. He understood how to get the kids involved through questions and answers and how best to keep them enthusiastic, entertained and learning, all simultaneously.
Yesterday Dr. Dan and I again presented to two classes of children in regards to environmental matters here in Elmira, Ontario. A total of 42 children, their teachers, a teaching assistant and briefly the Principal all were in attendance. Again after a brief introduction to the issues I found the interaction through questions and answers to be the most enjoyable aspect of the day. The kids were interested and full of questions, comments and even suggestions. For my part I have to admit that it almost felt like a runner's high both during the discussions and afterwards as it became apparent as to how much everyone benefited from the exchange.
Over the decades I have talked to a number of classes of students both elementary and high school kids. For a number of years each spring a class of high school students and their teacher came down from Walkerton and I chatted with them about Elmira, Uniroyal, groundwater and more in a room at the Elmira Library. I thought that it would be easier to explain some of the issues with older kids than younger but I'm no longer as certain. Kudos to both Dr. Holt and his wife Dr. Colleen Holt for their efforts in making the arrangements for outside community resources to come in and speak to the children on serious matters which will affect them and hopefully will prepare them for lives as active and involved citizens.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
MORE UNIROYAL/CROMPTON HISTORY
The October 5, 2002 Woolwich Observer edition reported on "Optimization" discussions held at CPAC. Wilf was still holding steady against the usual Conestoga Rovers intransigence, arrogance and dogmatism. According to the article Conestoga Rovers wanted to relax two cornerstones of the 1991 Uniroyal Control Order. The first was full on-site containment and the second supposedly was the full cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers by 2028. Jaimie Connolly of the Ontario M.O.E. was also holding steady on these matters. I expect that the 2028 date had to do with the modelling done by CRA which showed a couple of small areas of the aquifer still above .009 parts per billion of NDMA by that date.
On November 5, 2002 the K-W Record advised that Uniroyal Chemical had been fined $125,000 for the "Pink Spill" which consisted primarily of Toluene. Two families on Wyatt St. in Elmira and two workers at the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant became sick from the fumes from this spill into the sanitary sewers.
The December 20, 2002 edition of the Elmira Independent had a story by Julie Sawyer describing the latest CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) meeting. Both Lindane as well as the Pink Spill were discussed. Myself and Jeff Merriman of Uniroyal/Crompton were discussing Lindane still being found in groundwater at Uniroyal. Jeff called it a "mystery". Ha! Gerry Heidebuurt, Art Fletcher and Henry Regier of CPAC all wanted the Pink Spill (Toluene) issue reopened as they were not satisfied with the results to date.
Monday, November 6, 2017
HOT UPDATE ON NEXT TAG MEETING
Well if I wasn't thrilled with the TAG meeting being skipped in October what do you figure I think of it now being postponed till December 7, 2017? Furthermore the pathetic quarterly only RAC meetings have also been postponed from December until the new year. Both of those are ridiculous. We have a new Chair of TAG since last January. Most of the TAG members are new albeit fairly to very keen but the learning curve is immense. Sebastian and two others if and when they (the two others) get around to attending TAG meetings are experienced and the large time gaps are a little less damaging to their learning curves. In our busy lives with families and jobs/careers it is difficult to keep up to date with new events and reports coming out from the partners in pollution much less remember everything that's gone on over the last couple of years or more.
Soil sampling took place on the Stroh farm in September, very close to the Chemtura/lanxess property line. Whether or not the results are totally completed this month, field observations such as odours, soil discolouration, stressed vegetation etc. all could have been passed on to TAG last month much less this month. Also soil types and or any problems with the soil sampling could be clarified prior to the formal report. The sediments in the Canagagigue Creek were also sampled this fall. Even more so TAG could get a heads up as to how that sampling proceeded. Were water levels high or low? Where exactly were both sediment and floodplain soil samples taken as there was supposed to be some flexibility based upon field examination and determination.
Above and beyond the recent sampling events we also have ongoing news regarding the Conceptual Site Model (Dr. Neil Thompson) and the recent mini expansion of the off-site pump and treat system. News regarding the other sources of both Chlorobenzene and NDMA in the Elmira Aquifers is decades overdue. When or if further testing of In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) will occur in the off-site Aquifers is also front and centre (or should be). There is a ton of news and data that should be shared with the community yesterday not next month. How many of our Woolwich Councillors have a clue as to the pressing issues? The answer is zero.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
TAG MEETING IS APPROACHING
The month of October was skipped as far as any public TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meetings went. As a general rule I think that that is a very bad idea. Every skipped meeting in past decades has always turned out badly. Badly that is for the environment and honest citizens. Unsurprisingly Chemtura, their consultants and the Ministry of Environment always seemed to enjoy the time away. If nothing else they need to be publicly accountable at a minimum on a monthly basis. Even when the accountability is only semi-public they need to be held to account on a monthly basis. Anything less makes it far more likely that issues will be lost or forgotten.
The next meeting is Thursday November 16, 2017 at 6:30 pm. in Woolwich Council Chambers. I'll be honest I far preferred it when Dr. Richard Jackson was the Chair of TAG. If Chemtura/Lanxess and the Ontario M.O.E. thought that they were going to get a free ride with Dr. Jackson as Chair rather than Dr. Dan Holt and the last CPAC; boy did they get a shock. Dr. Jackson was nobody's fool and he also knew when the will was absent and the excuses were thick and stinky. He just hammered Chemtura, CRA and the M.O.E. for their verbal drivel, excuses and downright failures. He made me and CPAC look like we were wearing kid gloves when we dealt with those three dishonest groups. In fact he also made Sandy, Mark and other naive or not Woolwich Councillors look stupid for alleging that CPAC were too hard on the guilty parties and then bringing in Dr. Jackson to whip them into line.
None of this is a criticism of the new Chair person, Tiffany Svensson. I'm sure that she has her own strengths and if her style is different from Dr. Jackson then so be it. Her style, however more gentle than his, at the same time should not be construed as either criticism of Dr. Jackson nor should it be viewed as some kind of vindication of Dr. Jackson's departure nor of CPAC's departure as a committee of Council. Quite frankly I am so disgusted with this Council's behaviour that I would be hard pressed to want to be on any committee of Council ever again. The majority of CPAC members feel the same. Simply put those asses aren't deserving of honest, informed volunteer citizens working on behalf of the public interest. The citizens are deserving but their representatives on Council generally are not and never have been.
Friday, November 3, 2017
UNIROYAL/CHEMTURA "OPTIMIZATION" SCAM
This series of deceptions and lies by Crompton (Uniroyal) occurred primarily between 2000 and 2004. "Optimization" as proposed by Crompton's consultants CRA was allegedly intended to "optimize" the cleanup. The Ministry of Environment were skeptical as CRA claimed it wasn't a money saving measure. CRA claimed that it would be a case of moving Municipal Aquifer wells around, both on and off-site in order to maximize the amount of contaminants removed per gallon of groundwater pumped. The study and review by both the M.O.E., CPAC and Wilf Ruland were all fraught with difficulties and in hindsight misinformation.
The hindsight had to do with years of bogus groundwater levels at well CH44, off the western boundary of Uniroyal and on the Nutrite property. Allegedly there was a hydraulic "mound" or very high level of groundwater in that area which affected the off-site flow of contaminated groundwater from Uniroyal. In hindsight it was all bogus and it wasn't the only time that CRA used bogus information to support their position and their client's (Uniroyal). Think back to my appeal of the Certificate of Approval for the proposed new Ammonia Treatment System. In that case it was well CH97. Same scam, same deception.
Further details will be forthcoming on the knowledge and warnings about relying on this bizarre data from CH44 by the Ontario M.O.E.. CRA objected and refused the Ministry's warnings and then attempted to bury the news that the "mound" was a sham and an artifice. Yours truly found where it was buried and brought it to CPAC's attention. It worked for them on this matter hence they tried it again a few years later and almost got away with it again. I of course got booted from CPAC but the Ammonia Treatment C. of A. was always only a red herring for the intended purpose of removing me from CPAC. That goal continued for further Councils and their co-optees.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
THERE ARE NO "MAGIC BULLETS" HOWEVER...
There was an interesting article in the Waterloo Region Record a week ago Tuesday titled "Fungus could help clean up oilsands tailings". Whether or not this relatively new remediation has great potential I do not know. Also whether or not it has potential at the Uniroyal/Lanxess site I do not know, however based upon their history and their consultant's history I do know that suggesting it to them almost guarantees an instinctive negative reaction from them. So far after only the brief period that Lanxess has owned the company and the also brief time frame in which GHD are the new owners of Conestoga Rovers; I have not developed any confidence in them. This is despite some suggestion that both parties are an improvement. Time and actions will tell.
The fungus involved has a symbiotic relationship with dandelions and it turns out when it is introduced as a seed treatment to various plants they have a much greater likelihood of germinating. In fact the fungus actually eats petrochemicals in the soil and converts them into carbon dioxide and water. The first problem at Uniroyal/Lanxess is whether they're even ready to admit that petroleum hydrocarbons are a problem on their site,. In the past Jeff Merriman has strongly advised that they don't have them in the soil or groundwater. Unbelievable as they do indeed have Benzene and Toluene plumes, both of which are petroleum hydrocarbons.
Some bacteria have long been known to break down petroleum hydrocarbons however they do not penetrate well into contaminated soils. These fungi discovered by a University of Saskatchewan biologist however actually "...will follow the oil.". Field tests will soon be done on an old diesel spill site in Banff National Park to see how well the fungi can clean it up.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
ASBESTOS-THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
I found this story in last Friday's Waterloo Region Record titled "Asbestos-related charges laid in Budd's reno" to be quite surprising. After all this time I would think that all parties involved in renovations of older buildings would be cautious, informed and prepared for the eventuality of stumbling onto asbestos insulation. Apparently not, as the Ontario Ministry of Labour have laid 36 charges in regards to renovation work a year ago at the former downtown Budd's clothing store.
These charges were laid against the current owners as well as against the employer and constructor known as Canadian apparel Inc.. Apparently workers on the scene were not advised of the health dangers and reasonable precautions were not taken to protect them. Asbestos is a horrible carcinogen as well as a longterm threat of causing asbestosis which permanently scars and damages lung tissue.
The owner of the property was initially identified in the newspaper article as a numbered company namely 1888181 but then later in the article appeared to be identified as a father-son team by the names of Jay and Kamal Shah. I'm not sure as to the possible ambiguity on this matter in the Record article.
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