OPEN LETTER TO ALL POLITICIANS & BUREAUCRATS WHO FAILED/REFUSED TO RESPOND TO MY FRIDAY, MAY 14/21 INITIAL LETTER TO TAG MEMBERS

The May 14/21 letter I sent to the TAG Chair and almost all members was then sent on the following day to all Woolwich Councillors and Mayor as well as to all Regional Councillors and Chair. The letter was a listing of very significant criticisms regarding the handling of the Elmira "cleanup" that were publicly expressed, initially at public, in person, TAG meetings by Dr. Richard Jackson. My letter to TAG advised them as to which current members were present during Dr. Jackson's tenure as TAG Chair and that those members might wish to examine both their memories and their notes taken at the time (Sept.2015 - Dec.2016) in order to substantiate the extremely strong and critical position taken by TAG's first Chair. Part of the intent of my open letter to TAG members was to ensure that the members, especially the newer members, fully understand the thirty year background of poor and self-serving decision making made by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess, their consultants and the Ontario Ministry of Environment. Having been present since the late 1980s I believe that Dr. Jackson's experience and knowledge far surpassed all other Chairs (CEAC, UPAC, CPAC, TAG) since the 1980s. Of equal importance was/is Dr. Jackson's integrity and dedication to truth. That was only matched by one or two prior Chairs. ....................................................................................................................... The forwarded copies to Woolwich Council and to the Region of Waterloo each had a brief message for each group. I advised Woolwich Councillors that they had a duty of due diligence to confirm the accuracy of the quotes and statements attributed to Dr. Jackson. I advised them how to do that. Unstated but hopefully clear however was the fact that both past actions and current plans are woefully inadequate and in fact those parties responsible are actually attempting to turn their Elmira Aquifer cleanup failure into a virtue by suggesting that further cleanup is somehow environmentally damaging. Unbelievable. .......................................................................................................................... Similarly I advised Regional Council as to the "...inadequate cleanup decisions of the last 32 years..." and that those decisions were made by "...Uniroyal/Lanxess, Ont. MOE/MECP, Woolwich Township". I did not advise Regional Councillors that at one time the Region of Waterloo had their hydrogeologist, Eric Hodgins, routinely attending UPAC and earlier CPAC meetings. Nor did I remind anyone that prior to Eric's non-attendance at regular CPAC meetings that the Region of Waterloo had advised CPAC that the Region would not continue attending if their well researched advice to CPAC continued to be ignored. I further advised Regional Councillors that it is astounding that the parties who messed up technically, repeatedly over three decades (according to Dr. Jackson) are the same folks now cheerfully suggesting that a reassessment of the mandated 2028 cleanup should be discussed. Perhaps if Adolf Hitler had had the same advisers as Lanxess has, he could have avoided losing the Second World War by reassessing the declarations of war made in 1939. ............................................................................................................................... It is possible that I was not clear enough in my note to Regional Councillors that I expected a response from them. I'll be honest in that I really didn't expect much more than a buck passing response along the lines of "Oh the MECP have responsibility for that." Nevertheless in regards to both Woolwich Council and Regional Council I have a news flash for you. I, current CPAC members, Elmira citizens, Woolwich & Regional taxpayers are all STAKEHOLDERS! We do not need either Woolwich Council's blessing nor certainly that of Uniroyal/Lanxess and their partners in pollution in order to be listened to. Yes it is likely that many of you do not care for me or my bluntness born of thirty-two years of trying to get a proper, appropriate cleanup done here in Elmira. Well guess what? The feeling is mutual. Your likes or dislikes are not important. You will respond to members of the public whether you agree or disagree. That is your job and another news flash is that the people paying your salaries and benefits don't all agree with you. A preferably intelligent, reasoned response to serious concerns sent to you is but one of your duties. The fact that the matter is a public interest matter that affects Elmira and downstream water users (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge etc.) only compounds your required duties. ........................................................................................................................... The only reason that the "cleanup" has not and will not be sucessful is because citizens' voices have been ignored, muted, manipulated and even co-opted. When the polluter has the power to tell (insist) a local municipal council (Woolwich) whom they do and do not want on the public advisory committee, then informed, honest and experienced consultation is weakened. Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess with MOE/MECP protection and insulation have always been in full control of the failed cleanup. Citizens repeatedly told the MOE/MECP many (not all) of the same criticisms and suggestions that Dr. Jackson has stated publicly. The failure of Dr. Jackson's pronouncements not being publicly disseminated is a failure of our local media. The closing of the Elmira Independent newspaper in August 2015 was and is a godsend for Lanxess, MECP and Woolwich Township both in order to sell their failed cleanup as a success story and to avoid the proper cleanup that could have and should have been done in Elmira. ..................................................................................................................... Therefore for the record, both Woolwich and Regional councillors, I would like and expect a written response. It is also possible that one is in the works from both of you and I need only wait another couple of days. I and other Elmira citizens have been patiently (sometimes) waiting for the cleanup and the results that we were promised in the late 1980s and early 1990s. So far it's all been a bill of goods and a public relations scam based upon delay, delay and more delay. November 1989 was a long time ago and the net result is "Sorry we can't achieve what we promised you from 1989 until about 2017". Is it any wonder that citizens generally hold politicians, government ministries and corporations in such low regard? Lying to us tends to do that.