REGION OF WATERLOO ANNUAL REPORTS

These are the Region's Annual (Drinking Water ) Reports issued each Feb/March for the previous year. Therefore their most recent reports are for public drinking water in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot and North Dumfries Townships. As recently as last Saturday I posted here about microplastics potentially being in our drinking water as well as other unpublished chemicals. My concerns are still in effect and include NDMA, toluene, lead, asbestos and a multitude of unpublished (untested?) other chemicals including pesticides and herbicides. Also to date there are far too many Method Detection Limits (MDL) which are in the parts per billion which is far too high in general. Keep in mind that drinking water criteria are wholly fantastical in that they refer to that one chemical alone in unadulterated, pristine water which we haven't had in well over a hundred years. Therefore allowing benzene, NDMA, toluene, lead, phenol all just below their individual drinking water standard in our tap water does not remotely protect us from sickness, chronic or acute. Simply put there are no standards ever been determined or set for multiple chemical contaminants simultaneously in water which is no longer unusual. Throw in a few inorganics or bacteris for good measure and it's a wonder our average lifespans aren't plummeting. Inorganics would include nitrites, nitrates, sodium, chlorides etc. These Annual Reports are on the Region of Waterloo's website under "Living". Just keep following the prompts dealing with Water, water treatment etc. and eventually click on "Annual Reports".

LAST NIGHT'S TAG MEETING: TOTALLY UNDERWHELMING

One hour and ten minutes. That mercifully is how short it was and that time length is being generous as the meeting actually started late at 6:35 pm. and ended at 7:40 pm. It goes both ways. The meeting was dull and uneventful with little or no hard questions, demands or statements of position by TAG members. Linda, Sebastian and Katerina participated whereas Susan Bryant didn't show up until 7:15 pm. and Dustin and David H. were silent throughout the meeting. What the bloody hell! There are huge issues ongoing and nobody really seemed terribly concerned, upset or happy about anything. I'm upset that the meeting was so uneventful especially after the last meeting being three months earlier. No sense of urgency, no sense of time dragging, no sense of anger over how slowly everything is proceeding. ..................................................................................................... For example pumping well W9 that should have been up and running five or six years ago, is now scheduled to be on-line by June 2021. This is a major off-site pumping well and was supposed to be part of the November 2012 promised TRIPLING of off-site pumping. DNAPLS were mumbled about with vague comments about they are no longer mobile other than perhaps NAPLS (LNAPL not DNAPL) on the west side of the site. Nobody present either knew about the long history of DNAPL coverup on-site or otherwise they were keeping their mouths shut. ......................................................................................................... The east side issues (i.e. Stroh property) were barely even mentioned. Tiffany promised some news by the end of March. Wow! Meanwhile is Sebastian still supposed to be in limbo forever with his September "Appeal to TAG members" about the issue? Oh and we are assurred that the Canagagigue Creek Risk Assessment will be completed by the end of 2021. So what? It is and always has been a croc with sketchy data, lousy sampling and make believe Contaminants of Concern, Conceptual Site Model and a grand total of TWO samples taken somewhere within the Stroh Drain. Of course no real soil sampling has been done near (east side) the Stroh Drain as Lanxess's/GHD's basic strategy is to ignore facts, science and informed and willing to debate local residents and stakeholders. That is unless those residents and longtime stakeholders have been vetted by pretend mayor Sandy Shantz as being "nice" people to her liking.

"CLERICAL ERRORS" OR CORRUPTION?

Two maps from two different reports. The first map is dated 1983 and was published in a Ministry of Environment report in 1985 titled "A History Of Uniroyal Waste Management". The second report regarding the Elmira aquifer system etc. was produced by CH2M HILL on behalf of the Region of Waterloo in 1991. That report actually stated that their map was "From Jackman et. al. 1985". Jackman was Wayne Jackman one of the three authors of the first report. The small and embarassing problem is that there are discrepancies between the two maps. The second map (From Jackman et.al. 1985") appears to be almost exact with the same waste management pits and names as well as the same topographical (i.e. ground surface) contour lines measured in feet above sea level versus the more common nowadays metres above sea level (masl). ................................................................................................... The discrepancies are in relation to the location of GP-1 which stands for GRAVEL PIT 1. It does not stand for Retention Pond West (eg. RPW-5) nor does it stand for Retention Pit East (eg. RPE-4). Finally it also does not stand for Tar Pit West (eg. TPW-2) nor for Tar Pit East (eg. TPE-1). One TAG member recently has suggested that the gravel pits (GP-1 & GP-2) were excavated for the purposes of being used as liquid waste retention pits. Rubbish! The pits and ponds excavated for those purposes were so explicitly named. If I or any other semi-intelligent person were to guess, we would suspect that Gravel Pit 1 & 2 were excavated for...wait for it... extraction of the gravel within them! After gravel extraction the areas were low lying enough that some percentage of the overflowing east side waste pits (RPE 1-5) ended up settling in them. .......................................................................................................... There are problems however. Ground surface contour lines (i.e. topographical lines) clearly show a flowpath from the east side pits crossing into the former (i.e. before construction of the Stroh Drain) swampy area north of the ridge of high ground running North-West to South-East. From that former swampy area the flowing wastewaters would have continued eastwards onto the Stroh property. The true location of GP-1 does not change the topography nor where the toxic wastewaters ended up. What the true location may do however is undermine the blatant horse manure and lies of the polluter and his client driven consultants. They have long pretended that with minor assistance from ploughed furrows (& a swale) that all wastewaters ended up staying on Uniroyal/Lanxess's property rather than crossing over to the southern part of the Stroh property. This is a self-serving story possibly saving the company millions of dollars in cleanup costs especially as our municipal and regional governments have decided to bury the area under the future Elmira By-Pass running south to north up the east side of Elmira. ...................................................................................................... The same TAG member suggests that the discrepancy in locations of GP-1 on the maps are "clerical errors". Both maps however do not show GP-1 on the south-west side of the high ridge of land. The first shows it mostly on the north-east side of the ridge and the second map shows it partly on top of the ridge and slightly on the south-west downslope of the ridge. This is a non commercial, small scale gravel pit excavated from close to a very wet swampy area which just happens to encompass both sides of the high elevation ridge (a kame/esker etc.). Where would you excavate the gravel: from where it's above the water table or from where it's below? That's a no brainer. ....................................................................................................... "Clerical errors" or local government backed corruption? Seems obvious to me.

MORE PROBLEMS/ISSUES WITH THE TAG NOVEMBER 26/21 MINUTES

Alleged aerial photographs supposedly show the outlines of GP-1. Also we are advised by Dustin Martin (TAG) that GHD may have done what he Dustin did namely"...overlay aerial photographs on themselves." Fine, talk is cheap. 1) Show us (public & CPAC) these aerial photographs you are referencing 2) Show us the supposed "common landmarks" you Dustin mentioned and 3) Explain how the hell any of that remotely confirms the current location of GP-1 being the original location. As the written evidence produced by the MOE and GRCA on a 1983 map shows otherwise, at the very least the guilty parties need to address this including ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC about how and when this mix-up occurred. .................................................................................................... There is a huge issue of common sense and of transparency that is unresolved. Hell I won't even for the moment go to the possibility of fraud regarding soil sampling in the current GP-1 location. Conestoga Rovers were accused decades ago by a consultant for the Region of Waterloo of taking soil samples looking for DNAPLS in locations where they were unlikely to be in the first place. What I will suggest is that GHD/Lanxess are willing to manufacture bizarre arguments in order to avoid soil sampling in the most likely locations where Uniroyal Chemical's toxic wastewaters flowed over a period of decades i.e the southern part of the Stroh farm/property. Hell they've already admitted that Uniroyal liquid wastes flowed eastwards across the northern and central part of the Stroh farm. Granted they did sucessfully manage the sampling (5.9 inches deep) in order to minimize the extent of off-site contamination and alleged "cleanup". ................................................................................................................ The bizarre argument mentioned above is that Lanxess/GHD/MECP refuse to sample soils exactly where I and other intelligent people suspect the wastewaters flowed namely into the low lying area to the immediate east of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) that has an elevation of 345-345.5 metres above sea level. Instead they want to sample up gradient, still on the Lanxess property near the "Gap" area. Don't forget that the name "Gap" is to indicate where to date Chemtura/Lanxess have avoided proper sampling during sampling events both on the Lanxess property and on the Stroh property. It has been hilarious how they have contorted themselves to avoid sampling where it was requested. These contortions only lend credence to citizens suspicions but are not definitive. Afterall extremely limited up gradient (to the current GP-1) soil sampling has not indicated particularly high concentrations of DDT and dioxins. Therefore why would the guilty parties try to refuse soil sampling closer to the SDDB based on up gradient sampling? Perhaps what may have been proven is that flowing liquid wastes do not contaminate underlying soils nearly as much as ponded liquid wastes slowly settling and draining downwards into the soils. ......................................................................................................................... TRULY AMAZING HOW THE DIRECTION OF DEBATE/DISCUSSION CAN BE MANIPULATED BY THOSE IN CHARGE OF IT.

THE SYSTEM IS SO HORRIBLY PERVERTED (i.e. UNIROYAL/LANXESS & ELMIRA "CLEANUP")

I virtually attended, along with everybody else, the last TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting of November 26, 2020. I was extremely disappointed with the critique of Sebastian Seibel-Achembach's "Appeal" to TAG which he had provided prior to this somewhat public meeting. This critique was done verbally by Dustin Martin, hydrogeologist, likely I suspect at the request of Tiffany Svensson, TAG Chair. Well I actually received late last week a copy of the Minutes of that TAG meeting from THREE MONTHS AGO as well as a complete written copy of Mr. Martin's critique. I now have very belatedly a much better understanding of what Mr. Martin based his disagreements with Sebastian on as well as greater detail as to a number of agreements he had with Sebastian's "Appeal to TAG" regarding the East Side contamination of the Stroh property. .................................................................................................. Dustin Martin agreed that topographically, waste waters certainly could flow from Uniroyal Chemical onto the Stroh property in the vicinity of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm. He does have some hesitation regarding what the volumes of those wastewaters were. He also is very concerned with NDMA concentrations in groundwater several hundred metres to the east of the Lanxess/Stroh property line. To me these concentrations alone so far to the east of Lanxess speak to the likely volumes overflowing from Uniroyal Chemical's waste pits from 1943 until approximately 1970. .................................................................................................................... Dustin also may have been misled regarding aerial photographs allegedly showing the location of GP-1. He seems to think that those photographs clearly show the outlines of GP-1 and presumably GP-2. I say nonsense unless of course he was gifted different photographs than the public have received in various CRA or GHD reports. What may have happened is that Dustin was shown groundwater surface ponds within the alleged GP-1 location and simply told that the presence of these groundwater ponds over decades "proves" that this is the real location of GP-1. Absolute horse feathers! Convincing a new TAG member, no matter how qualified in hydrogeology, about a historical discrepancy of a surface feature is mere child's play for truth challenged consultants. .................................................................................................................. Lastly Dustin was also fooled regarding certain surface soil sampling. He suggested that five soil samples taken over the last fourty years along the flowpath to the Stroh Drain somehow proves that only low volumes of wastewaters flowed that way. In fact the highest concentrations have proven to date to be in the lowest lying areas where wastewaters sat for various time periods and the toxic chemicals settled out into the underlying soils. There have not been nearly as high concentrations found in soils along the flowpath versus in the lower areas where they settled out. Also of great importance is that two of the five soil samples are BOGUS and I might add that it seems clear to me that they are intentionally bogus. Not the first time over the last thirty some years that there has been bogus sampling (eg. DNAPL soil testing). Soil samples SS20 and S32(02) are the two BOGUS samples as they were taken not on the flowpath of gravity flowing wastewaters but on the higher ground of the diagonal north-west to south-east ridge running from Uniroyal onto the Stroh property. ...................................................................................................................... And it only took three months to see the Minutes and the written report produced by Dustin last November! Contemptible but oh so typical.

CRITICISM NOT ALWAYS EASY

The bad guys, whom I generally refer to as the guilty parties, generally do not wear black hats, black oily mustaches or other insignia clearly marking them for whom they are. Pity. It's just too darned easy for them to hide their dishonesty and self-serving behaviour while at the same time publicly, figuratively not literally; handing out candy bars and treats. Another example of that is in today's Waterloo Region Record. Now I am not a biologist or for that matter even moderately knowledgeable in the biology of plants, grasses or trees. Nor I expect are the majority of our citizens. Therefore if either Dr. Henry Regier or either of my kids, all of whom have studied biology extensively, wish to enlighten myself and the public regarding today's Record article titled "Five of Ontario's natural habitats to be showcased in new Elmira nature project"; that would be ideal. ............................................................................................................. The article in the Record written by Leah Gerber, certainly to my unknowledgeable eyes, seems to be a good news story. A popular walking area in the south end of Elmira is going to be transformed by local volunteers into five, presumably appropriate natural areas namely Tallgrass prairie, Oak Savanna, Beech maple yellow birch forest, Early successional forest and lastly Wetlands. Again the practicality and long term benefits for doing this are way beyond my knowledge level. You'll just have to read today's Record to see what they say about that. ................................................................................................. So if indeed this is a totally 100% good news story then what am I going to criticize? Well not the spawn of Satan but certainly the spawn of Uniroyal Chemical are involved. Lanxess Canada's involvement is to the tune of a $8,500 donation towards the project. Also I might add that the volunteers from Trees for Woolwich have done some incredibly good works over the years. Unfortunately there may also be one or two who are attempting to wash their environmental sins away. Two of these members were in attendance at the April 9, 2015 alleged "Stakeholder's Meeting" held in the Woolwich Administrative building. Now one of them lied her as. off along with many others including Mark and Sandy and the second Trees for Woolwich member I've always suspected was along as a patsy/pawn and had no idea why the hell they were invited to the meeting. This Trees for Woolwich member had exactly zero history or experience with Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura etc. but was needed by Sandy to replace extremely knowledgeable CPAC members who smelled a great big RAT ahead of that private meeting and who were excluded by Sandy from attending. ....................................................................................................... So it seems that even good deeds can and are politicized by guilty parties especially including politicians. Sorry to rain on anybody's parade if in fact this project turns out to be 100% positive, intelligent and environmentally sound. Maybe this is the price groups pay for including rotters in their midst.

MICROPLASTICS ONLY ONE POLLUTANT UNTESTED FOR IN OUR DRINKING WATER

Today's Waterloo Region Recorsd has a front page article titled "Research looks at amount of microplastics in our water supply". "Researchers at the University of Waterloo are working with engineers at the Region of Waterloo to better understand the concentrations of microplastics in our local water supply." The researchers are trying to determine how much microplastics are in our drinking water supply before it's treated, how may are there after treatment and finally how many are being discharged to our waterways from our sewage treatment plants. Concerning our drinking water supply that would include over one hundred groundwater wells as well as the Grand River in Kitchener. I strongly suspect that our groundwater wells should be clear of microplastics whereas likely the Grand River is chock full of them. The fact that they are in the Grand River would seem to be to be prima facie evidence that they are leaving our homes and industries, travelling through the various sewage treatment plants and then being discharged into our surface waterways to possibly be enjoyed yet again in our drinking water. That all depends upon the already horrifically expensive treatment of the Grand River water going into our household taps. ............................................................................................................. The Region of Waterloo's Annual (Drinking Water) Reports are coming out in about eight days. Despite literally thousands of new chemicals being discovered/manufactured and used in our society, the Region and probably other water distributers in Ontario only test for a very limited number of chemicals. They don't test for or at least publish results for NDMA, toluene, asbestos fibres etc. Lead results are tucked away within municipal water results and are less obvious versus the regional reports for each municipality. NDMA was in Elmira's drinking water likely for a couple of decades prior to its' alleged "discovery" in November 1989. It is unconscionable that it still is not routinely being tested for in our regional Annual Reports. There are also other DNAPL chemicals probably in our drinking water above and beyond trichloroethylene (TCE) that are not either being tested for or their results published. The list goes on and on.

ELMIRA, ONTARIO IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EARTH SLOWLY BECOMING UNLIVEABLE

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "Societal changes needed to help Earth: UN". The United Nations have released a report titled "Making Peace With Nature". The authors of the UN report are Sir Robert Watson and Rachel Warren. Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, is being kind when he suggests that humanity have been waging a senseless and suicidal war on nature. In fact it's always been about the self-interest of the already wealthy, wanting more. Big Business, developers, manufacturers, banks and financial institutions combined with their lackeys (politicians) have all benefited personally and economically from the status quo and from the growth mantra. More people, larger markets, cheaper labour, replaceable cheaper labour, free waste disposal including toxic waste disposal are all part of the intentional destruction of the earth and its' resources. Strip mining, below water table gravel extraction, more highways, more cars, continued burning of coal, more of everything because those who control our economies profit from every single unnecessary item made and eventually thrown out. ..................................................................................................... Mr. Guterres states that there are three interlinked environmental crises namely climate change, biodeiversity loss and pollution. Climate change of course is resulting in the recent massive winter storm in Texas as well as in extreme weather events around the world, sea level rise, a loss of plants and animals, food and water insecurities and the likelihood of future pandemics. Regarding biodiversity loss, approximately one million of Earth's species of plants and animals are currently facing extinction. Pollution includes 9 million human beings a year dieing from pollution and the poisoning of our air, water and food. Currently up to 400 million tons of heavy metals, toxic sludge and other industrial waste are dumped into the world's waters. Only fifteen percent of Earth's wetlands remain intact which are needed to store water during droughts as well as to help clean the water. Our health systems are overwhelmed with cancers also caused by the poisoned air, water and food. Much of our so called "source water protection" is nothing but window dressing. The same goes for smokestack scrubbers and other end of pipe pollution fixes. A very few worldwide are getting filthy rich literally over the dead bodies of the many. .............................................................................................................. Here in Elmira our authorities at all levels justify a go slow approach. They have permitted seventy years and more of leakage of contaminated groundwater and surface water slowly flushing incredibly toxic chemical compounds downstream from the former Uniroyal Chemical site. The Canagagigue Creek drains south-east into the Grand River which empties into Lake Erie, the St. Lawrence River and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. The soils and land of the former Uniroyal property (Now Lanxess Canada) remain grossly contaminated. PCBs, dioxins/furans, NDMA, DDT, solvents, DNAPLS, pesticides and herbicides (many banned long ago) all continue to slowly be flushed, diluted, evaporated and otherwise slowly mobilized by a multitude of biological, chemical and physical processes. So called "professional" consultants, bought and paid for by the polluter continue to piously lie to the public, public advisory committees and to our municipal, regional, provincial and federal representatives. Those councillors, MECP, MPPs, MPs etc. are mostly clearly aware that they are being lied to and are O.K. with it. It provides them with the plausible deniability that they require in order to be able look their children and grandchildren in the eyes. .................................................................................................................. Here in Elmira (Woolwich Township) we are a part of the problem, not of the solution. And it is killing all of us.

CLARIFICATION: YES INDEED THE NEXT TAG MEETING IS NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25/21

Last Saturday I posted here the tentative date that I had for the rescheduled/delayed TAG meeting. In fact my source was correct and the time and date are February 25/21 at 6:30 pm. The meeting is a virtual one and the public may "attend" via Zoom meeting by either e-mailing or phoning the Support Specialist Lisa Schaefer at lschaefer@woolwich.ca or 519 6691647 (ext. 6112). ...................................................................................................... I am pleased to state that relations between myself and the TAG support specialist are considerably better than they were several years ago. We both have strong personalities and butted heads early on in her tenure as a Woolwich employee. Since then I have come to appreciate her skills and reliabilty and it seems that we both prefer to get along than not. Also I can say that I tried very hard and was quite reasonably sucessfull in getting along with the new TAG Chair Tiffany Svensson since she took over from the admittedly incredible and difficult to compare with, Dr. Richard (Dick) Jackson. His talents, experience and no nonsense attitude likely will never be achieved again. Regardless Ms. Svensson within the confines of an extremely punitive, undemocratic and biased public consultation process, initiated by Sandy Shantz and Mark Bauman (Woolwich Twn.), has often times done her best to be polite and respectful towards me which was both appreciated and recognized by myself. Unfortunately her decisions and behaviour in 2020 have drastically eroded that good will. ...................................................................................................................... Besides a private agreement with Lanxess (Ramin A.), later communicated to TAG and "accepted" by them regarding the Stroh property, there has also been further poor decision making on her part regarding responding to written Delegations to TAG from the public. When a Delegate following the previously mentioned "...punitive, undemocratic and biased public consultation process" nevertheless follows those rules and submits detailed text and maps showing agreed upon ground surface contour lines on the east side of the Lanxess (Uniroyal) site proving ground surface flow of Uniroyal toxic waste waters onto the Stroh property BOTH in the north and southern parts of the site; then a rationale or verbal (minimum) or preferably written discussion must be part of any decision to totally reject the factual basis of the Delegation to TAG. Ms. Svensson refused to do this although she did send two (wait a minute-I sent her two e-mails, she responded inadequately only to one) polite, written e-mails so stating her failure to do so. ........................................................................................................ I understand that as an individual presumably on contract to receive her $10,000 per year stipend, she must adhere to the rules laid down by our pretend mayor in Woolwich Township. I guess I have to ask however whether the cost to her credibility and professionalism is worth it.

K-W RECORD AMONG MANY CONDEMNING CONSERVATIVES'/DOUG FORD'S ACTIONS

Apparently since the January 6/21 insurrection/riots at the U.S. Congress, Republican Party members have been leaving the party in record numbers. It is good to see that the rank and file, at least, have some decency, pride and self-respect. Not so much apparently for the self-serving Senate Republicans of which only seven voted in favour of impeaching one of the world's truly great ass.oles, namely Donald Trump. All the others, even those highly critical of Trump's behaviour before, during and after the riots, voted against impeachment. Oh my God but do they not see how incredibly ignorant, pathetic and morally bankrupt they are appearing to the entire world? Apparently not. ......................................................................................................... Up here in Canada we have our share of idiot Conservatives as well. Jason Kenney certainly seems to be intent on making his name as the "saviour" of Alberta, no matter the environmental and health costs involved. Ontario Conservative leader, Doug Ford is also making his mark as a tax cutting, environment ignoring, unrestricted capitolism and development promoter no matter what the true societal costs. The Record and many other news media have been highly critical of Doug Ford's assault on Conservation Authorities in Ontario. This includes an excellent Record Editorial last November 25, 2020 titled "Grand River watershed needs more protecting". I think that the truth of the headline should be obvious to anyone who uses or lives near the Grand River. True it's not the sewer it was 75 years ago but it's still not as good as some would have you think. ................................................................................................................ Minister's Zoning Orders (MZO) by-passing municipal planning bylaws and procedures are a huge part of the problem. Other changes include only allowing municipal politicians to sit on conservation authority boards. Wow, what a blatant attempt to keep the meddling public even further away from the decision making process. One of my biggest criticims of our Conservation Authority (GRCA) has been for decades that there are too many idiot municipal politicians on the board. Most of them are way too beholden to business, and other local power brokers (developers etc.). What the conservation authorities need are more unaffiliated citizens on the board, not less. ..................................................................................................... The Record accurately states that "This province can't afford endless development either from a tax or environmental perspective. We're having a hard enough time managing the sprawl created in the last half century."

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID

Let's see now: Covid-19, asian carp, Lyme Disease, climate change, purple loosestrife and now ...wild pigs. I'm not suggesting that these various invasives are not dangerous. But how come so many, one after another? The last one is described in today's Waterloo Region Record by reporter Leah Gerber. Apparently a big wild pig problem in the U.S. is also in Saskatchewan with Ontario possibly next. A conspiracy theorist like Sandy Shantz (ha she thinks that the January riot at the U.S. Congress was NOT affiliated with Donald Trump) might suggest that our governments are happy to instill fear in the populace. ............................................................................................................... What possible motive could they have? Well how about greater respect, hope and reliance on our governments. Amazingly after various major scandals on both sides of the border over the last several decades from political (Watergate) to environmental (Flint Michigan, Walkerton, Elmira, Grassy Narrows); there are still millions of citizens who actually believe that their government honestly is concerned about them. The thing is exactly how long can that last? As bad as Covid is, climate change will cause millions of environmental refugees fleeing flooded coastal areas plus food production will plummet with less rain and more heat in some areas. Starving people will not be compliant people. Unless of course they enter into the final days (months or couple of years) completely convinced (brainwashed) that government is their big brother looking out for them and their only possible hope for survival. ............................................................................................................. So are these "lesser" crises going to provoke civil disobedience (even in Canada) or will they make citizens more reliant and dependent on our municipal, provincial and federal governments? I do not know but trust me our governments are certainly looking into that. They can as always use our money to study and investigate for their benefit but less likely for ours.

TENTATIVE NEW DATE FOR NEXT TAG MEETING

The date that a colleague and friend advised me is Thursday February 25/21 presumably at 6:30 pm. My concern is that I don't seem to have received this date formally from the TAG support person nor to date have I received a new Agenda etc. although perhaps it is still earlier than usual to receive that information if February 25 is the correct date. ....................................................................................................... To be perfectly clear the only reason that I "attend" virtually these meetings of the Technical Advisory Group is to stay abreast of the latest lies and wishful thinking of Lanxess Canada and their consultants GHD. That said there have been occasions over the last two or three years where the Ministry of Environment (i.e. MOE/MECP) have distributed critiques of Lanxess/GHD plans whether for further Canagagigue Creek sampling or for the Conceptual Site Model (CSM) updates. The author of these intelligent critiques has generally beeen Cynthia Doughty of the MOE/MECP. Of course as a hydrogeologist her expertise and understanding of many of these issues far exceeds that of any of our politicians and some of the so called "experts" thrust upon TAG and the public. Unfortunately as we have seen over the last thirty-two years, knowledge, understanding and especially honesty are held in generally low regard by all those in charge of the Elmira "cleanup". It's a lot like the former Trump administration in the U.S. Qualifications for high office consisted of loyalty to Donald Trump, first, second and third with actual competence further down the list. Now that's not to say that only stupid people ever agreed to work with that a..hole. Smart people with major career aspirations certainly saw potential opportunities in jumping aboard the Trump express. The really smart ones of course jumped ship before January 6/21 and the even smarter ones shortly after the election. .................................................................................................................... Even here in Elmira we've had people with career aspirations apply to CPAC and TAG. The problem is that just like Trump supporters in the U.S., they feel the need to handle Lanxess, GHD and the Ontario Ministry of Environment with kid gloves. Afterall local folks have seen petty repercussions and nasty payback handed out to honest critics from some of those friendly to Lanxess and predecessor companies. In hindsight I even wonder if former TAG member and Chemtura/Lanxess critic, Joe Kelly, was one of those on the receiving end from Woolwich Township for his honest and intelligent criticims at TAG. It's a stacked deck with the liars in full control.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND - ONTARIO POLICE FORCES TAKING A SH.T - KICKING

There has been little to no honest transparency ever. There has been little to no accountability forever. Yeah Officer Forcillo got a few years in jail for shooting Sammy Yatin to death in front of dozens to thousands (via video) in Toronto afew years ago. You or I would have earned life in jail without parole for doing the same thing. Toronto saw mass protests back in the 1960s for police shooting deaths of unarmed black men. Locally here we've had questionable police shootings resulting in little or no accountability. The last time I looked the fatal shooting of a distraught young man on Brybeck Cres. (Kitchener) many years ago still has not been fully, publicly examined. Covid-19 has conveniently allowed even more delay regarding some form of inquest/hearing into the shooting. Another Waterloo Region Police Service officer (Darling?) resulted in charges being laid by the Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) only to be dismissed by our local prosecuters. I have had some personal experience with prosecuters in Kitchener and been unimpressed. One was at least professional and respectful whereas the as.hole from London actually was threatening and intimidating in his efforts to get me to drop Municipal Election Act charges against pretend mayor Sandy Shantx. What the hell that bit.. even had her husband attempt to intimidate me repeatedly in Woolwich Council Chambers during MECAC (Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee) public meetings. Talk about corruption folks. It's all around us even if certain local politicians cry "Conspiracy Theories" to the world when their improper behaviour is examined (even superficially). ............................................................................................................ Last night, the "Fifth Estate" had an incredible story on Ontario policing including its' brutality, corruption and lack of accountability. Their focus was on the Niagara police force and one officer in particular. I believe his last name was "Parker". On the surface this police officer was the victim of a shooting by another police officer at the scene of a previous car accident. The other officer shot him ten times without killing him which has to be a record on so many levels. Unsurprisingly the shooting officer was charged criminally with a plethora of very serious charges. Until he wasn't that is. All charges were dropped and the "victim (Parker?)" was then charged with assaulting the shooting officer. It turns out that the officer shot so many times had a lengthy, documented history of assaulting citizens both on and off duty and then of receiving mere wraps on the knuckles for his unprovoked, aggressive behaviour. The "victim's" own brother testified on camera that he was O.K. with his brother being shot ten times. The brother suggested that Parker? had finally picked on a victim that had both the will and the means to defend himself. Wow! ....................................................................................................... So let's look at this carefully. Why do our Ontario police forces allow hostile, aggressive and unprovoked assaults on civilians with such little effective response? Why are clearly out of control police officers put back on the streets with pepper spray, batons, guns and tasers after little to no serious mental health examinations? Why are they back in uniform at all? ....................................................................................................... Secondly why are police officers allowed to defend their lives and health with firearms yet civilians are not? When was the last time a civilian shot anyone and was not heavily penalized for his actions regardless of their legitimate fear of imminent harm or death? Locally the Lamka (sp.?) case is an example of that. It's called a double standard. It is the opposite of the Rule of Law. Clearly both our police and judicial system are quite adept at contorting themselves, the law and right and wrong for self-serving purposes. ................................................................................................... Oh yes and in today's Waterloo Region Record we have a story by Katie Walsh titled "Tragic telling of Black Panther leader's murder". The second sentence pretty much blew my mind. Yes U.S. police forces have been at long last back in the public eye. But this sentence is astounding simply for its' bluntness..."The Black Panther Party Deputy Chairman was murdered in his sleep in 1969, at age 21, by Chicago police in conjunction with the FBI." Further comments regarding J. Edgar Hoover's "sick obsession" with destroying civil rights leaders were discussed. The point being all our politicians both in the U.S. and in Canada have long conspired to mainatin the status quo. A status quo that allows sick sociopaths free rein within police forces to commit criminal acts up to and including murder with a totally different legal standard being applied to them when the inevitable sh.t hits the fan. Coverups are preferred but not always sucessful.

IT TAKES NUMBERS & OVERALL PUBLIC ANIMOSITY TO FORCE CHANGE FROM OUR GOVERNMENTS

Right and wrong are way down the list of criteria that governments use to either change policy or make it in the first place. Far more important to them is the politics of the situation. Who and how many will be he helped by a change in government position and who wil be harmed or upset by that same change? Then of course there is the question of how many votes could potentially be lost by doing something in the public interest. Seriously, governments can and do lose votes sometimes when doing the right things. Can the government of the day sell their decision to the public? Whether by telling the truth or by lying how likely are they to regret doing the right thing? How powerful are the opposing forces (i.e. private interests not public interests)? ............................................................................................................. Black Lives Matter should have been a win-win for all. It's not viewed that way in so many, utterly predictable U.S. states. Anybody remember George Wallace of Alabama? He was one of the few racists to end up sitting in a wheelchair courtesy of violence. Usually it's the minorities (blacks) who end up disabled or dead from majority violence. Southern U.S. states have resisted for many decades, attempts to change their anti-Black culture. All the forces of the state, especially including police have been politicized to enhance, exacerbate and enforce racism. This will only change after decades of new generations raised totally differently. Schools could have taken a leadership role in the southern states in changing and improving attitudes towards minorities. My guess is that state controlled and funded public education has been stymied in that regard. .................................................................................................. Pollution should have been a no brainer throughout North America. It hasn't because big business and industry have long ago bought protection for themselves in the U.S. Congress. Money wins elections and they've already got it. Show me how many "independents" without party affiliation get elected anywhere at any level. Any and all party candidates for election need to be vetted thoroughly to avoid the embarassment of a non corporate believer getting elected. Right now there are Congressmen and Congresswomen in Congress looking around themselves in horror and realizing just how many of their colleagues are radicalized, brainwashed puppets unwilling and unable to think for themselves. Perhaps to a lesser extent only, Canadian politicians are bought and paid for through their parties as well. .................................................................................................... Are you an Albertan politician? Then you had better be in favour of more not less oil extraction. Yes you can mouth platitudes about sustainable and clean extraction down to the very last drop, but the world are very slowly in the process of weaning themselves off of oil. It's taken the threat of world starvation, economic collapse and environmental collapse to make any progress at all. This is the human condition. Parasites and leeches making money from a dysfunctional and unsustainable system will continue to squeeze the last possible nickel from oil right up to the day that it kills everyone else. The psychopaths have long been in control and the money they've made and spent has long given them the veneer of being smart and civilized when they are neither. Being in control and in charge even in a democracy means being ruthless and caring nothing for your fellow citizens.

WRDSB -THEIR BEHAVIOUR EXCEEDED FILTH LIKE IN THE LATE 90s - ARE THEY ANY BETTER NOW?

From 1996 -1999 I had first hand experience dealing with Superintendants, trustees and a Principal all of the Waterloo Region District School Board. The biggest liars, cowards, bullies and ethically challenged individuals are of course long gone and retired now. Talk about the "blue wall" protecting police officers; you have no idea what lengths those basta.ds went to to protect lazy, incompetent, and even criminally engaged teachers in those days. Lest anyone think that I am exaggerating, Ron Archer was about twenty years into his tenure as a teacher with the WRDSB at the time. I believe that it may have been him who initiated the "pass the trash" slogan/mantra for Principals and Superintendants trying to defuse ongoing parental complaints about problem teachers. Instead of correcting or disciplining bad behaviour the Board simply transferred the problem on to another school. As complaints rose there, they did it again and again. Mr. Archer was eventually convicted of criminal behaviour including threatening as well as sexual assault against minors. What was most reprehensible was evidence that so very many within the WRDSB knew about his both in school behaviours as well as outside school. Senior staff as well as some Principals knew that he was a pedophile and did everything to protect his and the Board's reputation while doing little or nothing to protect Grade 7 and 8 students from Ron Archer. If there is a hell those filth will burn there for eternity. ................................................................................................. Now we come to the present day. Certainly the WRDSB would like you to believe that they are all about Mom, apple pie and student achievement. Same with the teachers' unions. Trustees meanwhile have even less authority than they did twenty years ago. Trustees are still divided as they were then. There were some good ones in the 90s especially from Cambridge and there are still some good ones today, likely just not enough. Today's Waterloo Region Record has an Opinion piece by reporter Jeff Outhit, titled "Public school board releases 10 e-mails after four-year secrecy battle". Mr. Outhit advises us that "...it's not the first time the education bureaucracy has let secrecy instincts prevail over common sense." Unh do you think? Mr. Outhit goes on to describe behaviours both from the WRDSB as well as from the Ministry of Education in Toronto that indicate that both bodies believe that they and they alone have the right to accept vast amounts of public money while not being accountable for their work allegedly on behalf of the public interest. How much has changed in the last twenty years? I do not know but I can tell you this: neither of my children had any problems in school before 1996 (Winterbourne Public School) and absolutely none afterwards including a Masters dgree for my son and a PhD. for my daughter all DESPITE the best efforts of the Waterloo Region Disctrict School Board. I was ecstatic when my youngest was finally out of the sphere of influence of the WRDSB. The WRDSB were beyond filth then, I only hope for current children and parents that they are much, much better now.

COVID-19 AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Well it's a mixed blessing. On one hand automobile (& petroleum) use is way down as is air emissions from cars and factories. Presumably surface water discharges of oil and gas from roadways into creeks and streams are also down. Unfortunately there is a political axiom known as "Never waste a good crisis". What this means is that filthy, lying, self-serving politicians will always use the cover of a crisis to sneak in unpopular and likely damaging legislation to the public interest. ................................................................................................ Now keep in mind this damaging to the public interest legislation will as always be very helpful to a very small part of our community. For example aggregate pit owners/operators just love less scrutiny for their proposed new pits and or expanded pits. Similarly developers just love it when Premier Ford and the Conservative Party cut back on environemnetal assessments, oversight by Conservation Authorities (even when often it's merely superficial oversight) and or any other previously mandated reviews. .............................................................................................. Lanxess are loving the current situation. They have been working diligently with Woolwich Township help to bring to a close all oversight on their Elmira property (formerly Uniroyal Chemical). This means phony studies, junk science, inexperienced citizens on the public advisory committee and simply constantly delaying public meetings whether of TAG, RAC or even public assessments of for example their plans to "remediate" the Canagagigue Creek downstream of their Elmira site. We are in the 32nd year of lies, junk science, politically motivated coverups, and overall contempt for the environment and of the public. None of their "cleanup" plans stand up to even the most cursory examination yet they simply push on with little to no resistance from our authorities whether municipal, regional, provincial or federal. .............................................................................................................. Yet another "public" meeting (TAG) was cancelled last Month (January 21/21) allegedly due to Covid-19 restrictions. It was a virtual meeting for God's sake and the excuse that a second person (AV technician) needs to be in council chambers with the Chair of TAG during this virtual meeting with citizen volunteers, smells. Two people in a room designed to hold 50-100 spectators during normal times is not an issue. This is especially so as regular Woolwich Council meetings are continuing with councillors hopefully sitting a little further apart but they and staff are present albeit zero members of the public are permitted other than again virtually. ...................................................................................................... It's always been way too easy for Uniroyal and their nasty corporate successors since they ruined Elmira's water supply, creek and health of many. With Covid-19 as the whipping boy now for all ills; polluters, developers and anti-social money makers are thriving thank you. Hmm, who says that those running/ruining the country can't benefit from the current emergency and crisis?

DECEMBER 2020 LANXESS "PROGRESS" REPORT

Oh heck, let's call it for what it really is: THE December 2020 Fool The Public Report. Pumping from all off-site wells in December 2020 totalled 48.8 litres per second. Now consider that Conestoga Rovers and Chemtura Canada promised CPAC, Woolwich Council and the public in November 2012 that they would TRIPLE the amount of off-site pumping as well as introduce In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) to off-site hot spots. The average off-site pumping in 2012 was 53 litres per second. Not only are they pumping less but they aren't even being confronted about it. Nobody asks so nobody (Lanxess/GHD/MECP) even has to lie about it. No contortions, half truths, blatant lies or even deflection of the questions. No one at TAG or anywhere else apparently remembers, knows or understands. Oh and of course ISCO has never been used off-site on any of the hot spots either. Why would Lanxess spend one nickel when no one are pushing them? This is what some of us use to do when the media were in attendance and all meetings were open to public attendance. ........................................................................................................... The MISA 0400 outlet as well as the Storm Water Sewer (SWS) just south of RPW-8 continue to be the two worst MISA (Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement) outlets. Lindane is constantly detected in low concentrations as is 2,4-D, Carboxin, and toluene. In my opinion the basic MISA "strategy" is sjust let it discharge to the creek. "Dilution is the solution to pollution" and all that don't you know. ....................................................................................................... Surface water sampling (Table C.2) continues to be problematic. To this day, many decades later, there are still small but measureable concentrations of numerous chemicals in the creek. Of course it's all about statistically higher concentrations as well as high enough permissable concentrations of toxic contaminants in surface water so as not to violate certain criteria. Some arithmetic means of contaminant concentrations are higher downstream than upstream which one would expect whereas there are also some chemicals that are found in higher concentrations upstream. This too needs to be explained but that never happens at either TAG or RAC meetings. ........................................................................................................ I have previously indicated significant problems with Groundwater Elevation monitoring (Attachment D) for December 2020. ................................................................................................................. Attachment E is all about the Municipal Upper Sentry Well monitoring. It's basically nonsense with enough of a spin to maybe make the unitiated happy. Two reasonably nearby off-site wells, again decades after all releases/discharges have supposedly stopped, continue to have high concentrations of both NDMA and chlorobenzene in them. Wells CH-47E and CH-56B have consistently for decades had NDMA concentrations above drinking water standards and CH-47E as well has had chlorobenzene exceeding drinking water standards. In well CH-56B chlorobenzene is still present albeit it is now lowwer than the drinking water standards. Three out of four failures pretty much describes the "cleanup" over the last thirty years. Keep the cleanup in the hands of the polluter and his friends and allies and that will continue. ................................................................................................ Attachment F deals with NAPL monitoring. This is the abhorrent situation whereby LNAPL (light non aqueous phse liquid- i.e. toluene) was floating on top of the water table in Uniroyal Chemical's south-west corner. A decade ago plus it was close to half a metre in thickness on top of the water table. Whether through attempted skimming from a trench or more likely dilution and dissolution into the aquifer it has been greatly reduced although traces and "blobs" have been found in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Wisely using the scientific technique of not sampling several of the wells in 2020 has resulted in no detections last year. This is par for the course with this "cleanup".

TAG NEEDS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST LANXESS CLEANUP FANTASIES -FIRMLY

What's the worst that can happen? Oh yes pretend mayor Sandy Shantz can fire a whole bunch more Woolwich volunteers. Then maybe in the next application form for TAG members (Technical Advisory Group) she can include the words "Must be willing to obey orders from mayor regardless of contrary evidence of any kind". At the least TAG members would then see that their committee is all for show. Their input is not appreciated, their acquiesence is. ......................................................................................................................... I've been looking over the December 2020 Progress Report. It's not that to date that I've seen more errors, falsehoods or problematic interpretations than usual. Not at all. Same old, same old. I've been looking at Appendix (Attachment) D, Groundwater Elevation Monitoring program. I've known for some time that both contaminant plume maps as well as groundwater flow directions can both be very subjective depending upon what the consultant's client requires to minimize cleanup costs. This nonsense of course has been going on for a very long time by a very many consulting companies in the field. ....................................................................................................................... Often there are too few data points to actually be able to properly construct a groundwater elevation contour line. On the other hand the fewer data points used and clearly documented the easier it is to be creative with your contour lines. In other words you make the groundwater flow in whichever direction will cost the client less money. He's got a toxic waste pit beside a farm. No problem show 100% of the groundwater flowing away from the neighbour's farm. Easy, peasy as long as the polluter controls the cleanup. .......................................................................................................... Other times the text does not correspond with maps or diagrams. In the text you can claim that a certain pumping well is hydraulically containing say the Bedrock Aquifer. However for years the company and consultant's reports have shown maps of both the pumping well indicated as well as the thick aquitard beneath it that is preventing the upward flow of Bedrock Aquifer water that is claimed in the text. And no one calls the lying buggers about it. Come on! ..................................................................................................................... Tricks have been used by Uniroyal Chemical's hydrogeological consultants for decades. These include knowingly using inaccurate data when it serves your purpose. For example a well screened in one aquifer can be readily determined to be representative of the water level of a completely different aquifer. The purpose is to alter groundwater levels and hence flow directions when you are trying to prove hydraulic containment. All very self serving and only rarely caught. (twice in fact by me, zero for everybody else except the Environmental Review Tribunal who admitted that my analysis of CH97, just south of Uniroyal/Lanxess was correct.

MOE/MECP REFUSES TO RESPOND TO GRCA - FOR TEN YEARS!

Sorry if I am somewhat unsurprised or unmoved by the revelation in yesterday's Waterloo Region Record's story titled "Still no answer after 10 years". In fact I find it somewhat reassuring. Afterall here in Elmira, citizens routinely wait ten years for promised answers from the Ontario Ministry of Environment and sometimes even longer. Heck I might even suggest that waiting ten years for an honest answer is better than getting the usual from the MOE which is a false answer, repeated regularily until they finally decide to come clean, long after everybody else knows the truth. This has certainly been the case regarding the MOE mandated 2028 deadline for cleaning up the Elmira aquifers. The MOE (George Karlos) and others were still promising the full cleanup by 2028 as late as 2014, two years after CPAC and Woolwich Council said horse manure, it wasn't going to happen! The MOE also promised back in 2012 that they would have a list of criteria within six months that would provide clarity as to what actually defined "cleanup" of the Elmira Aquifers. We are still waiting. Then of course there was the prizewinner. The Ontario MOE promised UPAC and Elmira citizens that they would advise whether or not the DNAPL "cleanup" on the Uniroyal site in 1993 was satisfactory or not. We are still waiting for that decision/determination. Unbelievable filth and scum that treat citizens so disrespectfully. How can any honest citizen so much as look at the MOE and not spit on them? Oh yeah, that's because the vast majority of Canadian citizens, unlike their governing bodies and authorities, have morals and ethics. ....................................................................................................... The article in yesterday's Record by reporter Leah Gerber describes the MOE/MECP's refusal to respond to legitimate questions regarding drinking water protection in the province. Source protection committees are organized across the province and led by our Conservation Authorities. For example the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) coordinates four different watershed groups namely the Grand River watershed, the Catfish Creek watershed, the Kettle Creek watershed and finally the Long Point Region watershed. These source water protection committees are mandated by the Ontario Clean Water Act of 2006 which came about after the Walkerton disaster in 2000. ......................................................................................................... All the local source protection committees want to know is whether or not they can designate below water table former aggregate quarries as a threat to drinking water. While politically that's a hot potatoe for the province of Ontario (& the MOE) because aggregate producers like to donate to both Liberal and Conservative Party coffers. Shame on our governments for then bending over backwards to accomodate them. This is the kind of work these committees having been doing for years namely identifying drinking water threats and making plans to mitigate them. ....................................................................................................................... Of course here's the bottom line. It's all window dressing. Always has been. Drinking water threats from sources without political or financial resources will be identified and mitigated. Others with power, money and influence will be avoided, forgotten or simply delayed. Like delayed for ten years while the source protection committees blow in the wind. As our provincial politicians fully intended from day one. "Only" seven people died from E. Coli in Walkerton in 2000. "Only" thousands got sick. That is a small price to pay for the maintenance of the wealth and privelege of the few. As it has always been.

VERBATIM "INTRODUCTIONS" SENT TO TAG MEMBERS & TO WOOLWICH COUNCILLORS

So the first question is "why?". Why send these two separate "Introductions" firstly to TAG and then secondly to Woolwich councillors? The first one to TAG members is if you will a call to arms. A few of the members (including Sebastian) have been involved for nearly five and a half years. He's actually been involved for closer to ten years. Others have only been around for barely a year. Under the leadership of Sebastian, Linda D. and David H. they must call a halt to their being led around by the nose whether by Lanxess Canada or by Woolwich Council. TAG members (less one) are good people in a difficult situation. It is crunch time and TAG members need to either step up or walk away. ................................................................................................................ The "Introduction" to Woolwich Councillors is a whole other cup of tea. Two of those councillors are I believe in their first term (Redekop, McMillan). Others are in their second such as Merlihan, Larry Shantz). Then you have the pretend mayor Sandy Shantz who is in her third term on council. Lastly, as an example of the general level of intelligence of electors, we have Murray Martin who's been around for ever (God help us). My "introduction" to them is primarily to serve as a method to reduce their plausible deniability. History will not be kind to Woolwich Councillors, the majority of which have supported Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess over the interests and health of Elmira citizens as well as of the environment. These councillors have hid behind the Ontario Ministry of Environment as well as behind generally tame, polite and respectful public advisory committees who for their free volunteer efforts have been rewarded via being lied to, delayed and deflected for nearly thirty years. ................................................................................................................ Sebastian's November 26/20 "Appeal To Technical Advisory Committee" .............................................................................................................. Mon., Feb. 1 at 12:39 p.m. ..................................................................................................... TAG Chair & members: Good afternoon. Following are three very recent on-line posts in support of your fellow TAG member Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach. I have known Sebastian for ten years both as a CPAC member and as a TAG member. My confidence in his integrity and honesty are absolute. That said we are different individuals with different styles. Sebastian still tries very hard to be polite and respectful even to those who have lied to his face over a period of years. I on the other hand can not and will not so pretend nor have I for at least the last decade, possibly even two decades. Way too many lies and deceptions from way too many "suits", professionals, smooth operators and especially politicians. .............................................................................................................. TAG members it is time to step up. I realize individually you are not in charge of the overall Agenda, much less even your own as TAG members. I also understand that it is not easy to reject opinions and positions from consultants and or other professionals but as Sebastian has stated he wants to see more evidence, more honest sampling and results and a whole lot less so called professional opinions. If you have had difficulties following Sebastian's Nov. 26/20 report than holler loudly for clarification. Ask for maps of all the waste pits if you've misplaced yours. Ask for clarification directly from Sebastian if you don't follow some of his ten page report. Be aggressive and assertive in doing your due diligence. This includes understanding that even as individuals you are representing the citizens of Woolwich Township and of Elmira. You are not being paid enough (that's for sure!) to be ordered around including being told whom you can and cannot speak to either publicly or privately. Hasn't it bothered you that former CPAC members as well as the hundreds (if only) of citizens who attend your public meetings are not permitted to either add clarifications or heaven forbid ask a question that you too may not know the answer to? ..................................................................................................... Sincerely Alan Marshall ......................................................................................................... To: sshantz@woolwich.ca , lshantz@woolwich.ca , pmerlihan@woolwich.ca , smcmillan@woolwich.ca , fredekop@woolwich.ca and 1 more... ......................................................................................................... Tue., Feb. 2 at 8:42 a.m. ......................................................................................................... Woolwich Councillors: ......................................................................................................... I felt that it would be a good idea to pass this e-mail originally to TAG members along to yourselves. I suspect that being a councillor, as a part time job encompassing a myriad of different subjects, it is fairly routine to willingly delegate certain jobs and areas to individual councillors. You then have to trust that that particular councillor will be upfront with you and not let his or her biases colour their reports back to you. Therefore the purpose of this e-mail is to ensure that all councillors understand the depth of knowlegeable and sincere opposition underway at the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Lanxess Canada and their consultants GHD have blatantly refused to do proper soil testing in particular but also groundwater testing on the Stroh property in and around the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). For six and a half years they and Chemtura/CRA have intentionally ignored, deflected and delayed all calls for a proper investigation on the more southerly Stroh property (SDDB area) whereas they did do a very superficial and shallow (5.9 inches) sampling further north along their border with the Stroh farm. The soil results even after literally fifty years of tilling the soil still exceeded the criteria and regulations for DDT and dioxins/furans. The original call for a proper and honest investigation came from the Council appointed CPAC (Chemtura Public Advisory Committee) , MTE Consulting as well as from the Woolwich Council of the day. Overwhelming evidence written by the Ministry of Environment, hydrogeologists and consultants (CH2M Hill) to the Region of Waterloo has indicated major flows of both contaminated groundwater and surface water were discharged onto the Stroh property, both north and south. These reports written in the 1980s have been read, studied and presented to TAG by Dr. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach. As much as possible Lanxess and GHD have avoided all discussion and honest public debate on the matter with the now usual acquiesence of the Ministry of Environment. .......................................................................................................... Woolwich Councillors please consider yourselves duly advised. Serious and sincere clarifications and questions can be responded to either by Sebastian or by myself. .............................................................................................................. Sincerely Alan Marshall

RECENT ACTIONS RELEVANT TO THE LAST FEW POSTINGS HERE

First of all I reread Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach's excellent ten page Summary of numerous MOE, Morrison Beatty, Conestoga Rovers (CRA), CH2M Hill reports produced back in the 1980s and very early 1990s. I will go so far as to say that I believe that outright fraud may have been committed in some of these consultant's reports, on behalf of Uniroyal Chemical. This fraud seems apparent in the relocation by CRA of GP-1 on the Uniroyal site. It also seems apparent in the failure to include the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) in both photos and maps showing shallow groundwater flows on the extreme east side of Uniroyal Chemical. The particular report also shows plume maps of various contaminants in the shallow aquifer and fails to mention that some of the monitoring wells right on the Uniroyal/Stroh border that allegedly are part of the plume map are in fact either decommissioned (grouted etc.) or are actually not screened in the shallow aquifer but into the Upper Aquitard thus likely decreasing the concentration of contaminants right on the Stroh property line. Of course the failure to include a well below-grade drain on the Stroh property immediately beside the Uniroyal site also supports the consultants probably false narrative that no grossly contaminated shallow groundwater flowed from Uniroyal to the Stroh property. Of course the Stroh Drain was constructed in 1983 and some of these maps and reports were produced in 1992. Odd that they "forgot" to include the SDDB in so many of their reports for so many decades isn't it? ................................................................................................................ I then further summarized Sebastian's ten page report down to three postings namely January 29, January 30 and February 1, 2021. Along with them I included a brief introduction to the TAG (Technical Advisory Group) members to whom I e-mailed this information. A day or so later I also sent those three postings along with another introduction to all Woolwich Council members. Lastly I sent one last copy to one member of the media although not to our local, in-town newspaper which unfortunately has long ago been muzzled?/co-opted?/intimidated?/warned off? by Chemtura?/Lanxess?/Woolwich Township?/local business owners & power brokers? ................................................................................................ The evidence and smoking guns regarding serious contamination of the Stroh property (& likely Martin as well) are incredible especially when you know the big picture going back to the very first (1984) Control Order laid on Uniroyal Chemical by the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE). The only way that all the guilty parties (Woolwich Township, MOE, Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess, CRA, GHD, local MPPs, Region of Waterloo?, federal government?) have been able to "forget" the evidence and smoking guns is via intentional obtuseness, fraud and or corruption. Of course having a politically pliant local judicial system has also aided and abetted the conspirators. Otherwise the fraud and corruption resulting in both environmental and human health negative effects would have been sucessfully prosecuted decades ago.

PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY - TAKE IT AWAY AND MAKE THEM FEEL VULNERABLE

Insulating themselves via a citizen public advisory committee is step one. This likely is one of the reasons Sandy Shantz and other ignorant Woolwich Councillors did their best to prohibit local citizens from speaking as delegations to Council about Chemtura/Lanxess back in 2016. As long as the alleged public meetings weren't covered by the media especially, then Chemtura/Lanxess supporting councillors could claim that they weren't in the know, that they had delegated to the TAG and RAC committees. In fact they delegated the work, the reading and the attending meetings to local citizens while at the same time delegating exactly zero authority to them. Afterall all the mayor had to do was ask Chemtura/Lanxess what they wanted and she could essentially and effectively ignore TAG and RAC if she wanted. ........................................................................................................ It was Pat McLean in 2000 with the support of Susan Bryant who put Woolwich Council in the driver's seat with some UPAC members "agreeing" to the change. Of course Pat lied to all the UPAC members and deceived them into thinking it was simply about clerical and chair duties being taken over by Council. In fact it was Woolwich Council wresting full control and authority away from UPAC. Henry Regier, Esther Thur and I all argued against the move but Pat and Susan had done their lobbying behind the scenes privately and had a majority. In fact it was a demand from Uniroyal Chemical that the public advisory committee had to be under Council control and authority before they Uniroyal would return to the table. That was one of the biggest sellouts by Pat and Susan to date. ..................................................................................................................... Well if the scheming, lying shi.s want the power then make sure they have the accountability as well. Keep them in the loop wherever and whenever possible. Don't let the public ever forget who pays for the Chair. Who appoints the Chair. Who fires the Chair. Who appoints all the members to TAG etc. Some Council members want it both ways. They prefer to be secretly in charge so that if there is good news they can grab the credit then and if there is bad news they can distance themselves. For example Lanxess can't make the decades long promised and mandated 2028 cleanup deadline. So sad says Woolwich Council. Yet it was Woolwich Council who specifically gave CPAC members the boot in 2015 with Sandy and Mark's lying and manipulation. So sad that the MOE/MECP's upcoming Control Order is going to remove the 2028 cleanup deadline. Woolwich will point the finger at both the MOE and likely at the very same CPAC citizen volunteers that they smeared and lied about. ...................................................................................................... Hang every cleanup failure on Council. Hang every broken promise on Council including false promises given by the MOE/MECP as well as those given by Chemtura/Lanxess/Crompton and Uniroyal Chemical. Afterall it was and always has been Woolwich Council enabling all the other stakeholders to lie, deny and avoid their responsibilities. Local councils are supposed to stand up for their citizens not sell them out to corporate polluters and health destroyers.

THE LAST THREE PAGES FROM SEBASTIAN'S NOVEMBER 26, 20 "APPEAL TO THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE"

For the benefit of readers: Sebastian has footnoted names, dates and titles of the various documents he has quoted in his ten page report. TAG members were supposed to have received these reports months ago. I doubt very much that they received them all although I suspect they've received two or three of them. However one can only lead a horse to water, not make them drink. Similarily TAG members, whether new or old, can not be spoon fed everything, whether from me, Sebastian or from the appropriate albeit corrupt authorities. Therefore TAG members, especially those who are skeptical about the extent of east side (Stroh) contamination, may need to get aggressive and demand copies of these reports. ............................................................................................................. pg.7 "As early as 1948, seepage along the western slopes of the east pits was known to occur. Seepage from these pits was directed overland in open ditches which drained to GP-1 and GP-2 situated on the south side of the property. Some seepage from these pits also occurred east of the site." These words are from Conestoga Rovers August 1991 report. .................................................................................................. pg.7 "Liquids would pond in the gravel pits and eventually seep down into the subsurface soils...Liquid waste water was continually standing in the gravel pits until the east side pits were closed. When seepage from these pits subsided in the early 1970s, the gravel pits dried up." This of course is the problem when dealing with words from liars. It's difficult to tell when it's just more self-serving lies versus them actually making a telling true statement. This quote does indicate the quantity of so called "seepage". Continually standing "...liquid waste water" indicates ongoing, large quantities of waste water likely overflowing the top of the east side pits not simply being "seepage", whether from the bottom of the pits into the groundwater or "seepage" from the top of the pits as they overflowed. Also lest we forget, the east side pits received daily liquid wastes via pipelines from the west side production facilities including during the winter months. The ground surface would be frozen, there would be little evaporation and these wastewaters would have flowed unimpeded south, west and east into the lowest lying topographical areas such as the "bowl" to the immediate east of the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). ......................................................................................................................... pg.8 Figure 2.1 in the CRA Environmental Audit shows a yellow area along Uniroyal's east side boundary with the Stroh farm. Sebastian asks if it is evidence of grading, removal or recontouring. In fact the text much later in the report (pg.40?) explicitly states that that is exactly what it is. Despite that soil replacement, DDT and dioxin concentrations decades later still exceeded health standards there. Imagine the results prior to soil removal and replacement. ........................................................................................................................... Sebastian also indicates that the lowest point of land is on the Stroh property and hence the likely recipient of overflowing waste waters from the east side pits. ............................................................................................... pg.9 Sebastian mentions in the MOE's May 2012 report titled "Chemtura Property-100 Year Floodplain Mapping, Elmira" that there is no reference or visual indication of the Berm on the east side of the Stroh Drain. He speculates that maybe the Stroh Drain was unknown to authorities. Please! The Ontario MOE along with Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura and their consultants (CRA) failed to mention the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) from its' construction in 1983 until AFTER AFTER AFTER I and Dr. Holt and Vivienne toured it in May 2014. "Unknown" my butkiss! ..................................................................................................................... Sebastian mentions that the small opening at the north-west end of the high diagonal ridge of land is not shown on GHD's February 2019 "Historical Watercourse Assessment...". This may be an oversight or perhaps the gap/opening into GP-1 never existed. Of course all guilty parties have seriously avoided committing themselves to any discusion or statements that could undermine their decades long coverup of Uniroyal contamination ending up on both the Stroh and Martin farms. .......................................................................................................................... Sebastian's requests for action are in my opinion actually well below even the minimum required. After all these years (decades) why are we still coddling Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess Canada? The evidence and SMOKING GUNS are overwhelming including written documents produced by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, the last four owners of the site and their consultants CRA and GHD. Take the goddamn "investigation" out of the guilty parties hands and sample soils, sediment and groundwater on both the Stroh and Martin farms in locations indicated by honest citizens not by dishonest polluters and their tame regulators and politicians.