HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU WATERLOO REGION RECORD - THEY PUBLISHED!

My faith and confidence in the Record have received a significant boost. Quite frankly the bizarre and blatant manner in which the Record did not seem willing to publish (especially in Elmira), quite frankly a very gentle article about Lanxess Canada (Uniroyal Chemical) and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), seemed lacking in finesse. It is quite one thing for example for Lanxess, GHD and the MECP to be involved in a decades long coverup but for them to also publicly carry signs and placards announcing their collusion and corruption will never happen. It's all about credible deniability , controlling the process of the cleanup, controlling public consultation etc. This is not remotely to suggest that the Record or the Woolwich Observer are in the same league of wrong doing as various consultants, MECP, Woolwich Township etc. No, the media, especially print media, are fighting for their very corporate lives and existence. The media are the publics' friend but they are and have been under enormous pressure for a very long time. .................................................................................................................... Therefore I am sorry that the long term state of affairs including the environmental coverups, the political collusion at all levels with polluters and the willingness of the corporate polluter to use wealth, power, authority and even financial pressure on third parties caused me to have such serious doubts about the backbone of the Waterloo Region Record. To the Record I say "I am sorry to have doubted you and then said so here". You have confirmed your independence from Lanxess and other power brokers. Please so continue. ..................................................................................................... Now some specifics about the article published today in the Record. It's title has been changed from a wordy "Experts probe Elmira chemical-manufacturing site for groundwater contamination" to a much pithier and more accurate "In Elmira, toxic waste remains an issue". You're damned right it remains an issue and that is exactly what the public need to hear, over and over again, until it is resolved to the satisfaction of the vast majority of informed, knowledgable and honest stakeholders; not to the satisfaction of the polluter, his corrupt regulator, their fellow travellors, toadies, co-opted citizens and mostly NOT to the satisfaction of the dishonest, biased and in some cases plain stupid politicians. ................................................................................................................ One other not so small matter. The first and biggest issue for me was what appeared to be corporate power and influence killing a local public interest story. That has been resolved favourably (Thank God). The next issue is that the quality and accuracy of the story is marginal. The issue at the last RAC meeting (December 10/20) that the author is attempting to report was not NDMA nearly so much as it was about dioxins/furans, DDT and more not just on the east side of Lanxess (long ago proven) but that they have crossed the property line (also proven) and may (likely) be still in high concentrations in soils to the immediate EAST of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). Yes Sebastian is leading the charge at TAG (Technical Advisory Group) but he is being opposed both from within and from without, primarily by those with vested interests including financial, status, power and authority. The Mayor and other twits on council are also leading the honest ones on Council down the garden path, as has been done for decades. ................................................................................................................. How many times do the honest stakeholders have to prove over and over again, the same thing? How much evidence is required to convince the dishonest, the biased, the self-serving who are in total charge of the cleanup, the Agenda and public consultation? The answer is an infinite amount. The guilty parties who have for decades sacrificed public interest, public health and the environment on the alter of money, profits and power will NEVER see, hear or read enough evidence to change their minds. They are intentionally OBTUSE. They are intentionally blind, deaf and stupid and our own politicians enable them.