THE CPAC WARS

Well if nothing else Pat and Susan have certainly proven the point that citizens' groups or committees appointed by council have zero authority and even less chance of making a difference unless of course they totally toe the line drawn by council. Unfortunately the vast majority of Woolwich Councils over the decades have been more interested in not rocking the boat and maintaining the status quo hence the chances of a committee of council making a difference are just about nil.Ever since council through councillor Pat McLean, back in 2000, lied and deceived CPAC into becoming a committee of council; CPAC have been a toothless tiger with the one exception from 2011 until September 2015. Even then CPAC's last months were weakened by the undermining performed by Sandy Shantz and Mark Bauman of the almost entirely new Woolwich Council.

The 2011-2015 council despite a number of flaws were on board environmentally and recognized that change to CPAC was desperately needed in order to get the ground and surface water cleanup back on track. Of course little to nothing of the sort has occurred since the Sandy Shantz regieme took over. The Canagagigue Creek is about to receive a token Site Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA) likely on a par with the last one done around 2004 regarding the Chemtura site itself. The off-site groundwater pumping has barely moved since the last CPAC (2011-2015) forced Chemtura and CRA into promising a tripling of the groundwater pumping.

Back on February 16, 2011 the Elmira Independent carried an Editorial as well as a major article in regards to the pending new CPAC appointments. The old CPAC knew they were gone after Council announced in January 2011 that new Applications would continue to be accepted. That b.... did the same later in 2015 after the only applicants to the new CPAC or whatever new name Sandy came up with, were Pat, Susan and all the 2011-2015 CPAC and SWAT members.This is how either incompetent or corrupt councils manage membership applications to committees of council. If your public call for applications is only responded to by citizens you personally don't want, regardless of their honesty, knowledge and responsibility, then you lie like dogs and pretend you don't have enough applications. In fact you throw the initial, properly and formally received applications out and you personally solicit your friends, colleagues, and or supporters to bail you out.

This is why a citizens' committee overseeing the long delayed, corrupt and failed Elmira cleanup needs to be a citizens' committee, not a committee of the usually incompetent or corrupt Woolwich politicians.