TRUTH IS THE FIRST VICTIM OF WAR AND OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUPS

I predict that some day there will be university level Environmental Science courses using the Uniroyal Chemical/Elmira 1989 Water Crisis as a blueprint. A blueprint or an example of how not to do environmental cleanups. All aspects of the "cleanup" will be examined from the decision to focus on pump and treat (i.e. hydraulic containment) in order to restore the Elmira Aquifers to drinking water standards (it didn't) to the hardening/capping of creekbanks and some soil removal on the Uniroyal site to remove downstream contaminated sediments and soils (also failed). ............................................................................................................ I expect these university courses will also look at the public consultation involved and how it was manipulated and controlled from the very beginning by Uniroyal, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and by Woolwich Township. The guilty parties (just mentioned) were more careful and less blatantly biased during the first decade (1992-2002) than they were later on including Woolwich Township under the "leadership" of Sandy Shantz and Mark Bauman. That "leadership" included the gutting of the citizen volunteers on the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) appointed by the previous Council. ..................................................................................................................... All suggestions by local citizens of serious source removal both on and off-site were utterly rejected by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess. This included citizens appointed to UPAC, CPAC and TAG. Remarkably APT Environment early on made a private deal with Uniroyal Chemical to let DNAPLS (Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids) on site slide. This likely was in exchange for bad faith promises by Uniroyal to take care of concerns with the downstream Canagagigue Creek. Of course the two in charge of APTE made no such admissions to their fellow members. ........................................................................................................ The east side of Uniroyal/Lanxess has been part of a major coverup for decades which included the Ministry of Environment and Woolwich Township. Likely local developers and influential business persons also were involved in order to promote their financial agendas. At this point in time there is no longer any doubt that Uniroyal Chemical purposely allowed their toxic liquid wastes to flow from their east side pits (RPE 1-5) onto the neighbouring Stroh farm with both tacit and explicit consent. They even reburied toxic wastes (dioxins/furans, DDT, NDMA etc.) in drums into RB-1 & 2 literally touching the Stroh property boundary. ................................................................................................................................... Personally I expect self-serving, contemptible behaviour from proven, longterm polluters. The acceptance of that and assistance from both local Woolwich Township leadership as well as by provincial regulators (MOE/MECP) is however beyond the pale.