STEP UP TIME FOR TAG

The Technical Advisory Group need to assess their mandate and their goals. This is not an easy thing to do as most of them, while well meaning and intelligent, have little or no historical involvement with Uniroyal Chemical, Lanxess Canada, Ontario Ministry of Environment (MECP), CRA or GHD. As my environmental colleague has pointed out, she knew long before I that the Chair of TAG (Tiffany Svensson) was not going to rock any boats. She definitely was not another Dr. Richard Jackson, whose departure was a huge loss for honesty and transparency in all things related to the 1989 Elmira Water Crisis. .................................................................................................................... Some TAG members have recently indicated that they were awaiting so called sediment sampling results from the bottom of the Stroh Drain before final comments on Lanxess/GHD and MECP refusal to test soils around the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB). These soils especially need to be tested in the low lying area (bowl like) to the immediate east of the SDDB. Those sediment results are now back and perhaps TAG members are waiting for the next scheduled TAG meeting next month. Indeed Total TEQ or Toxic Equivalency is the measure of dioxins and furans in these sediments. While the ISQG or federal criteria is .85 parts per trillion (ppt), three of the four samples exceeded that criteria with one being at 24.4 ppt. This matter also relates to the issue of their fellow TAG member, Dr. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach, and his appeal of November 2020 to them. Sebastian is insisting that he can not accept the refusal to test soils in the appropriate location by simple assertion of the company's client driven consultants that in their opinion, all is well and testing unnecessary. ......................................................................................................... TAG have smart and educated people on the committee. Only naivety or bias can prevent them from demanding these soil tests which could have and should have been done six or seven years ago. In fact the refusal then was followed by the attack on CPAC's integrity and credibility by both ignorant politicians and the other guilty parties in Elmira including the MECP. These soil tests need to be both shallow and deep not the usual 5.9 inches (15 cm.) deep and their location must be where experienced and highly knowledgable citizens have pointed out for years. This includes both a TAG member and very well informed local citizens denied both membership and a voice on TAG.