"WE ARE GETTING SOMEWHERE"

The quote above is in regards to a letter sent yesterday to Mr. Ramin Ansari of Lanxess Canada formerly Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura by Jason Rice of the Ontario MECP formerly MOE/MOEE etc. I have disparagingly referred to the MOE's new name as Ministry of Empty Corporate Promises or my favourite Ministry of Expanded Corporate Pollution. The name that they prefer is Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.

The quote is from one of the many local citizens who donate their time and efforts to overseeing and advising both the MECP and Lanxess Canada in regards to the cleanup of one the most contaminated sites in Canada, here in Elmira. Generally speaking over the last twenty-nine years the victories have been few and far between. This east side (Stroh farm) is a long ways from a victory for either the environment or the citizens but we are making inroads. I can also advise that TAG have a number of honest, committed citizens who are part of the solution. In my opinion their chair for only the last year and a half,Tiffany Svensson, is slowly establishing herself as both knowledgeable and fair. I tend to wait a while to take the measure of new participants before commenting thus I am glad to see a number of actions and initiatives of a positive nature from her.

The letter from the MECP to Lanxess repeatedly uses the terms "is not known", "deemed not adequate" and "have not been completed". Clearly the MOE are dissatisfied with the efforts of Lanxess's consultants, GHD, to date. The MECP wish to see data that will give all parties a much better idea as to the extent of the contaminant plumes of NDMA, 2,4,6 trichlorophenol and 2,4 dichlorophenol. The last chemical is the raw material for the herbicide 2,4-D and the first is within a whisker of being the raw material used in another herbicide 2,4,5-T which when combined with 2,4-D makes the infamous Agent Orange. This is not a coincidence as the Uniroyal/Lanxess site manufactured them all decades ago.

The MECP want to know whether these plumes have either penetrated the aquitard or found a route around it and into the deeper aquifers. They also want to know the extent to which the Stroh Drain is acting as a preferential pathway for contaminated groundwater. This was one of the many issues raised by Peter Gray (MTE) nearly four years ago after his Report commissioned by CPAC regarding Chemtura contaminants migrating eastwards onto the two farms located beside (east) and below (south) of Chemtura.

Obviously CPAC's efforts were not only accurate and timely but they have exposed one more long term coverup by Uniroyal Chemical and their corporate successors. This of course puts the lie to Sandy and Mark's mealy mouthed comments during my brief absence at the end of the meeting last Thursday in which they stated that the current progress couldn't have happened four years ago. That was a cheap shot at the best CPAC there has ever been. I expect that Tiffany's e-mail last Friday to Sandy and Mark, the MECP and TAG was somewhat embarassing for Sandy as Tiffany mentioned the nine CPAC members and their Delegation to Woolwich Council in August regarding Interceptor Trenches and the Stroh Drain. All items raised by CPAC four years ago and being investigated and discussed now.