A DNAPL HISTORY LESSON

DNAPL - Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid ......................................................................................................................... DNAPLS are a group of chemical compounds often being chlorinated organics such as well known solvents namely chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene, chlorophenols etc. Other DNAPL chemicals include carboxin, MBT and more. They share certain characteristics including low solubility in water and density greater than one which means they tend to sink in the subsurface through water saturated aquifers. .......................................................................................................................... To say that they are a major environmental contaminant and hazard is a huge understatement. Once in groundwater in their pure phase form they can slowly dissolve over decades and centuries to concentrations exceeding the drinking water standards. They are difficult although not impossible to remove from the subsurface once accurately located. Here in Waterloo Region we have ground and drinking water contaminated by them in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Trichlorothylene (TCE) is found in our three cities drinking water courtesy of industrial operations such as Electrohome (Deilcraft), Canadian General Tower (possibly shared from nearby drycleaning operations), Canbar, Sunar and even possibly the former Seagram's operation in Waterloo. ......................................................................................................................... Here in Elmira, chlorobenzene is the most well known DNAPL chemical in our groundwater although there are others. Back on October 21, 2010 I posted here about part of the extensive DNAPL coverup by Chemtura, the Ministry of Environment and a couple of local co-opted citizens. The title of the posting (still on line ) is "Pat McLean and Susan Bryant have witheld crucial information from the public". This is in reference to a meeting in January 2007 that I attended with them and Wilf Ruland at the University of Waterloo with Professors and DNAPL experts, Dr. John Cherry and Dr. Beth Parker. That posting describes the advice that we were given regarding removing DNAPL from the subsurface when at all possible to reduce the ongoing and longterm contamination of groundwater. This advice was contrary to past understandings that attempts to remove DNAPL might somehow mobilize it to spread further in the subsurface. It was also grossly contrary to the advice of Conestoga Rovers, client driven consultants to Uniroyal Chemical/Crompton and Chemtura Canada. Unfortunately it was also contrary to behaviour and actions of APT Environment from January 1994 until that time and later. In hindsight I have likely suggested that private deals were agreed to between Uniroyal and a couple of APT members without the knowledge or agreement of either all the APTE co-ordinaters or certainly of the APTE membership. These deals most likely included promises for future creek improvement in exchange for relief on the DNAPL issues. Of course these two (later three) APT members did not remotely have the technical knowledge or expertise or authority from their members to make any such deals but that did not stop them. ................................................................................................................................ They were thus shocked and between a rock and a hard place having me present to that January 2007 DNAPL meeting. Their decision was not to renege on their private, grossly inappropriate deal with Uniroyal but instead to manipulate a removal of yours truly as a CPAC member which they accomplished through their usual methods of lying, backstabbing and bending/breaking of any and all rules necessary to accomplish their self-serving goals. Keep in mind they had already managed to remove Rich Clausi, myself and Esther Thur from APTE back in 1994 over their initial DNAPL acceptance and coverup.