TAKING THEIR MEASURE

It's been a slow process. It's been very close to 3 1/2 years now since idiocy was restored en masse to Woolwich Council. Generally that means the return of former councillors with a history of decisions not in the public interest. That would mean Mark Bauman, Sandy Shantz and Murray Martin. The addition 3 1/2 years ago of newcomer Scott Hahn did not raise the average IQ. Then of course let's be honest here. There were a couple on the previous council (2010-2014) who also honestly could never be called brain trusts. One of them replaced Scott Hahn when he suddenly resigned. That move alone was supported by at least three of the current councillors namely Sandy, Larry Shantz and Murray Martin. Any who witnessed that contemptible sham also believe beyond a reasonable doubt that those councillors bald faced lied to the public. They had exactly zero intent to replace Scott Hahn with the best candidate. As far as the public interest goes they replaced him with the least competent candidate available. Council's measure was taken and found wanting however, within the first six months of their term of office. This recent incredibly poorly orchestrated performance was merely the icing on the cake.

Then we have Lanxess who bought out Chemtura Canada. Also GHD took over Conestoga Rovers & Assoc.. These two corporate bodies were much more cautious and careful in their dealings with the public. They said the right things and they took some early positive steps. The appointment of Dr. Richard Jackson as TAG (Technical Advisory Group) Chair by Council (believe it or not) was an incredible positive although it took several months and meetings for us to completely understand the immensity of his experience and grasp of the political situation as well. His departure after only fifteen months on the job has been attributed by some CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) members to the refusals by the Ontario Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) as well as Lanxess to take the necessary steps to advance the off-site aquifers cleanup as well as the cleanup of the Canagagigue Creek. Finally it has been suggested a little more gently and diplomatically that TAG itself missed an opportunity. Dr. Jackson had asked them what they would be willing to do to spur more concrete action from Lanxess and the M.O.E.. He specifically asked if they would be willing to go to the media, do interviews and publicly call out Lanxess and the M.O.E. if they continued to drag their heels. TAG both unfortunately and perhaps not unsurprisingly were reluctant to do so. It was out of their comfort level. Most of them were new at public consultation and public confrontation of both a government body and a new corporate entity to Elmira seemed well... maybe unCanadian to them. At least that's my interpretation.

3 1/2 years later and past the very brief but golden age of Dr. Jackson and it's now clear that Lanxess and GHD are no improvement whatsoever. They will ignore what they don't want to acknowledge and they will cloak it in their usual psuedo (junk) science. They will "explain" what they want to explain and they will continue to ignore the Stroh Drain as well as both the Stroh and Martin contaminated soils. At least that is except for a very shallow (5.9 inches) and very narrow (10-12 feet) strip along their property line. They will continue to add pumping wells that literally pump miniscule amounts of water (< 1.0 litres/second) while reducing pumping at others. There has yet to be any significant increase in off-site pumping rates much less the triple later reduced to double pumping volume they promised in November 2012. They are liars and deceivers just like their predecessors. All hail corporate power and local political corruption! Dioxins and DDT will again be found in huge quantities in and around the creek another fifteen years from now and these same corrupt bodies will wring their hands and promise on their mother's graves to do what they should have done twenty-five years ago from now and fourty years ago from then.