THE SHAME OF OUR HOMEGROWN ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION

I continue reading the "2017 Canagagigue Creek Sediment and Floodplain Soil Investigation" of March 19, 2018. I am appalled. The results both in and around the creek everywhere it's been sampled and analysed are horrific. This is but for TWO chemicals namely DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and Dioxins (2,3,7,8 TetrachloroDibenzo-p-dioxin is the most infamous of the group). Mercury, PCBs, PAHs are not measured in this report along with Endosulfan, Endrin, Aldrin and all the other Uniroyal Chemical signature chemicals they produced while dumping their wastes into the creek intentionally.

A week ago I suggested here that I had found some typos in GHD's text of this report. As of now I'm going to rescind the particular one stating that DDT had been incorrectly substituted for DDD, an isomer of DDT. That is the good news. The bad news is the Method Detection Limits (MDL) for DDT and its' isomers namely DDD and DDE. For a detailed definition of "isomers" please check either Google or a dictionary. These Detection Limits essentially are the lowest concentrations that the lab are able to confidently measure accurately. In the report they are generally at .02 ug/g or parts per million (ppm). This translates to 20 parts per billion (ppb) and is astoundingly high when one realizes that the vast majority of chemicals can be accurately measured in labs at .5 ppb . Also many chemicals such as NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine) are routinely measured in parts per trillion (ppt) which is a thousand times smaller. Then of course we have Dioxins that are routinely successfully measured in parts per quadrillion (ppq) which is a thousand times smaller than parts per trillion (ppt) and a million times smaller than parts per billion (ppb).

The criteria for DDD, DDE and DDT in creek sediments are respectively .008, .005 and .007 ug/g (ppm) or 8,5 and 7 parts per billion. With a MDL of 20 ppb you therefore are going to get a ton of exceedances of the criteria showing up as ND (.02) which is Non-Detect at a detection limit of 20 parts per billion (ppb). This is exactly what shows up throughout the Figures 6.1 to 6.11 . Maybe this lack of precision is unavoidable but after thirty years of watching consultants minimize problems through creative science I am skeptical. Also a very quick look at past reports shows me that DDT has been measured at lower concentrations than 20 ppb. namely between 1 and 10 ppb. (parts per billion). This STINKS in this report and certainly all the ND (.02 ppm) gives a much better visual impression of the overall appalling contamination in the creek than it should.

Going through the Figures 6.1 to 6.11 I have not as yet seen any Dioxins measured in TEQ (Toxic Equivalency as pg/g or parts per trillion (ppt)) that were found to be Non-Detect. That I find astounding. Dioxins appear to be everywhere whether above or below the safety criteria being used. Dioxins are not a compound that can be seen as not a problem at any concentration. In other words they are a non-Threshold compound that can be damaging at any concentration depending upon the receptor and the individual organism within the species involved. I repeat this report is an abomination and for the Ontario Ministry of Environment to be only now publicly pushing Lanxess (formerly Uniroyal) for a cleanup is criminal. Lifeforms including human beings are and have been negatively affected for decades because of this gross contamination of the natural environment and hiding behind either a lack of budget funding or a lack of scientific, absolute proof is a cop-out. Next they are going to go through a mathematically complicated series of exercises called a Human Health Risk Assessment. Maybe also an Ecological Risk Assessment for wildlife will occur. Regardless its' purpose is to razzledazzle the few remaining citizens who have kept up with this years long exercise and to further artificially minimize the reality of health risks to animals and humans. Shame on everyone involved in this coverup.