UPCOMING RAC & TAG MEETINGS

I believe it's a somewhat subtle piece of propaganda. First of all we haven't had a media presence at any of these public meetings since their inception in 2015. TAG or Technical Advisory Group and RAC Remediation Advisory Committee were started by Sandy Shantz and Mark Bauman to be "more company friendly" versions of the old CPAC then known as the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee. The "more company friendly" quote is from the Woolwich Observer back in 2015. While I and others have been extremely disappointed in the Observer's lack of coverage of these two committees of council since September 2015, at least the Observer covered the removal of CPAC and the pathetic excuses by Sandy and Mark at the time. This included both coverage of council discussions, CPAC Delegations to Council and cartoons in the Observer pointing out the truth versus the pap being given to the public.

The timing and scheduling of RAC and TAG meetings are also part of the propaganda. Lanxess, the MOE (MECP), and Woolwich Council want Uniroyal/Lanxess and groundwater contamination to fade from the public mind. What better way than to slowly diminish the frequency of these so called public meetings? Yes TAG is held at 6:30 pm. in the evening which followed the last CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) practice. Prior to that the CPAC Chair, Pat McLean, refused to entertain evening meetings. This set the pattern for local working citizens being virtually shut out of attending these meetings.Thank you Pat and sidekick. By the way today CPAC stands for Citizens Public Advisory Committee and consists of nine committed and active local volunteers with extensive volunteer and professional expertise in environmental matters.

The next TAG meeting is scheduled for Thursday November 29, 2018 at 6:30 pm. in the Dodie Hummel Room beside the Woolwich Council Chambers. This is more than two months after the last TAG meeting on September 20/18. There are lots of issues being ignored simply because the majority of TAG members plus very competent chair have no historical experience or reference to know what has gone on over the past thirty years here in Elmira. This was done intentionally by Sandy and her sidekick at the request of both Chemtura and the Ontario MOE. Shame on the pack of them.

The next RAC meeting is scheduled for Thursday December 13, 2018 at 3 pm. likely in Council Chambers. Obviously the time of day will preclude the vast majority of the working public from attending. This is for the convenience of the GRCA, Region of Waterloo, Woolwich Township reps (Sandy & Mark), Lanxess and Ontario MOE plus two TAG members & chair.The last RAC meeting was September 20/18. Again there are lots of serious issues requiring attention but certainly the GRCA and Woolwich Township reps don't have a clue what they are. Currently Lanxess and the MOE are happy campers with only a very few storm clouds on the horizon for them. As usual they will count on our local politicians to aid and abet their efforts to sell the Volkswagen beetle cleanup as the Cadillac Sedan de Ville model.