FURTHER EVIDENCE OF AN ILLEGAL DIVERSION OF TOXIC GROUNDWATER OVER TO THE NEIGHBOUR'S FARM?

If there is anything I've learned is that our authorities sure know how to cover up embarrassing if not illegal acts. Four years ago our new Council jumped to attention when Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment screamed for help. They were getting handed their asses by a bunch of citizen volunteers albeit with some professionals sprinkled into the mix.

The off-site east side migration of contamination was known by the Region, the Township, The province (MOE), Uniroyal, CRA etc. way back in the 1980s. They managed to stifle that until I and CPAC raised the issue in 2014. We also had MTE Consultants do a study and conclude that there likely was both ground and surface water that had migrated from Uniroyal's (Lanxess) property over to the Stroh Farm. Typical mickey-mouse "investigations" since have confirmed a part of this migration.

Then there was the issue of the Interceptor Trench found also by myself via satellite photos of the Uniroyal site and publicly presented at the October 2014 CPAC meeting. Once again Chemtura and the MOE went into full denial mode. Additional evidence was presented last evening in Woolwich Council Chambers. While Council as usual asked me no questions they did actually have a decent and productive discussion afterwards. An optimist would suggest good things of Council. A skeptic might suggest the fact that they were all being filmed by Roger's TV had them all on their best behaviour. Regardless Mark, Sandy and Patrick expressed concerns and made some suggestions such as getting the Region of Waterloo involved. As Sandy is a regional councillor that should be fairly easy to do.

The new evidence was presented in a package given to Township staff as well as to each councillor. A suggestion from Mark Bauman was that I also send the package along to Tiffany Svensson, the TAG Chair, which I will be doing almost immediately. The Woolwich Observer received the same package last evening in Council Chambers.

My Delegation consisted of a satellite photo on the overhead screen showing three basically north to south lines on Uniroyal's (Lanxess) east side which clearly are manmade. Likely at least two of them are the horizontal groundwater collector (interceptor trench) described in two notarized Affidavits submitted to the Environmental Appeal Board in October 1990. Both these Affidavits promised under oath to construct the interceptor trench by the spring of 1991 in order to stop the flow of contaminated groundwater directly to the Canagagigue Creek. The one Affidavit came from Ron Frehner of Conestoga Rovers and the other from Brian Beatty of Morrison-Beatty. Both were working on behalf of Uniroyal Chemical. Besides these two Affidavits there were also two MOE letters, dated May 29,1980 and September 29,1983 regarding the need for shallow hydraulic containment of the east side buried pits.

Mark Bauman said some interesting things after my Delegation. He agreed with me that the MOE are a serious problem. He also clearly stated that the Stroh Drain which collects both surface and groundwater from Uniroyal and the Stroh farm continues to elude any sampling whatsoever. This Mark correctly states will only continue suspicions of improper investigations by the Ministry of Environment and by GHD, consultants to Lanxess Canada.