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.