SNAKEBITTEN! LANXESS FEAR POISONOUS BITES FROM BELOW GROUND SNAKES ON THE STROH PRPOERTY!

Perhaps the title above is somewhat figurative versus literal. Nevertheless it warms this old environmental activist's heart to see and hear the word "snakebitten" used to describe Ramin Ansari's (Lanxess Canada) instantaneous reaction to any suggestions from TAG members that more investigation needs to be done on the Stroh farm nearest to the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). Last evening at the RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee) meeting was a prime example. We will return shortly to Ramin's instinctive leap away from dangerous snake bites. ............................................................................................................... Yesterday here in the Advocate I described my opinion of RAC in general. Yet another example was the response to Chair Sandy Shantz's request for comments on the Minutes of the last meeting. A meeting held ONE YEAR AGO! I described yesterday several problematic comments in those Minutes. A year after that meeting, if anybody had read the Minutes, they should have had questions of clarification at the minimum. There were no questions. Zero. There were no comments. Zero. There were no clarifications requested. Zero. There were no disagreements. Zero. ............................................................................................................ Ramin's bullsh.. continues to develop and improve. In reference to a new, upcoming Ministry of Environment (MOE/MECP) Control Order, likely 2/3 written by Lanxess, he advises that continued Elmira aquifer cleanup could actually cause greater environmental harm. Wow that is brassy! Remind me to tell the next cop who pulls me over for speeding that ticketing me may cause more speeding in the future. ........................................................................................................................ December 2021 is the target for the completion of the Risk Assessment for the Canagagigue Creek. Ramin suggests that greater stakeholder input could delay that. Aww that's so inconvenient for him and Lanxess. By the end of February 2021 there is supposed to be a fullsome report on the east side (Stroh property) coming. Possibly this is the same memorandum coming from TAG to Lanxess. This will incorporate TAG's concerns about the east side which will be pulled together and synthesized. Dustin Martin expressed some of his (& TAG's) concerns such as the lack of delineation dealing with stratigraphy including how much protection the Upper Aquitard on the Stroh property is giving to the Municipal Aquifer. Also there are NDMA plume maps which indicate contamination across the Lanxess property line onto the Stroh property. Therefore delineation is incomplete including soil delineation as well. This soil delineation should include around the Uniroyal/Lanxess waste pits as well as the southern end of the Stroh property. TAG therefore requests an updated report from Lanxess/GHD on these concerns. I commend Dustin Martin for this position but frankly am doubtful that either Lanxess or the MOE/MECP give a damn. ....................................................................................................................... WHAT IS REQUIRED FROM TAG IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST IS NOTHING SHORT OF A BLUNT CONDEMNATION OF THE STROH PROPERTY INVESTIGATION AND COVERUP TO DATE. ........................................................................................................... Nothing less will get through to Lanxess and the MOE/MECP. They have long ago made their private deals and it's all about "managing" TAG and the public opposition. They will talk and talk and make noises about incorporating criticism and comments while simply wearing down, over time, polite opposing opinions. Ramin Ansari made that abundantly clear last evening. He stated that the "Gap" area is well resolved. It is not. He stated that Lanxess will not open the door to another investigation of the SDDB area without the MECP's insistence. Obviously he is confident that Lanxess's private deal with them will hold up. He stated that there was testing at the bottom end of both Landfill Creek and the Stroh Drain. That is totally inadequate and a joke and he knows it. Dr. Richard Jackson (first TAG Chair) walked away from TAG in their very early days due to their inexperience leading to a lack of confidence in confronting Chemtura/Lanxess. TAG need to stand up on their hind feet and simply say NO NO NO NO and more NO. Ramin and Lanxess have made it clear that politeness and professionalism do not work with them. They are corporate bullies and know it alls unswayed by truth and facts. And TAG need to tell them that, publicly!