PUBLIC CONSULTATION TAKES ANOTHER HIT IN ELMIRA

Two days ago here I posted about an October 2, 2018 three page letter from Jason Rice (MECP/MOE) to Ramin Ansari of Lanxes/Uniroyal Chemicals. I mentioned how that letter suggested good news in that the MOE (MECP) appeared to be getting on Lanxess's consultant's case regarding inadequate reporting and responses to the MOE's concerns. Now obviously I received that October 2, 2018 letter in a very timely manner. It was received however also two days later by the more appropriate direction which would be from the Woolwich Township Support Specialist who assists the RAC and TAG committees. I have thanked this individual for passing along late yesterday the October 2, 2018 letter to me. I have also thanked her for including a July 31, 2018 letter from Alan J. Deal of GHD, consultants to Lanxess.

The Support Specialist advised me in her e-mail that she had only just received the July 31, 2018 letter. I have no reason to doubt her word on that. That July 31, 2018 letter however is the exact letter that the MOE's (MECP) October 2, 2018 letter was based upon. Obviously it should not take over two months for the Support Specialist of RAC and TAG to receive a communication of this significance dealing with both the east side of Lanxess (Stroh farm) as well as with the Stroh Drain and migration of both contaminated groundwater and surface water.

In the scheme of pretend public consultation, deception and fibbing over the last nearly thirty years, this July 31, 2018 letter is relatively small potatoes. CPAC received letters written in May and June 2008 from two hydrogeologists (one was MOE) in June 2014, six years after the fact. Those two letters were crucial and their absence allowed Chemtura and CRA to misrepresent DNAPL facts and data for another six years.

The significance of the very late July 31, 2018 letter is that TAG, CPAC and myself did not have that information for either the September 20,2018 TAG meeting or the September 27, 2018 RAC meeting. This let Lanxess off the hook from potentially some serious criticism. The next TAG meeting is November 31/18 and the next RAC meeting isn't until December 13/18. Late information is but one more delaying tactic and in this case will likely be long forgotten by December meetings. That folks is how the guilty parties manipulate information and discourage and delay informed criticism.