UNIROYAL CHEMICAL WITH MIN. OF ENVIRONMENT SUPERVISION, CHEERFULLY CONTAMINATED ALL OF ELMIRA & DOWNSTREAM

Why did they behave in that fashion? Because they could. Our various pro business, pro economy, so called democratic governments needed their support and donations in order to win (buy) elections. Uniroyal Chemical saved hundreds of millions of dollars of toxic waste cleanup costs and detoxification costs by simply dumping their chemical wastes directly and indirectly into the Canagagigue Creek. The indirect dumping included dumping into open pits and ponds which both leached out the bottom as well as overflowed from the top. We have been advised that the overflowing pits and ponds then gravity flowed downhill hundreds of metres away allegedly into GP-1 & 2. In reality they followed the topographical surface contours to the lowest areas which included to the immediate east of where the Stroh Drain currently exists on the Stroh property. It is quite possible that much (or all) of what went into the currently known GP-1 was pumped there from the original position of GP-1 on the east side of the high, diagonal (NW to SE) ridge of land in Uniroyal/Lanxess's south-east corner of their property. .................................................................................................... Toxic wstes can migrate through soils via vapours if they are volatile (eg. VOCs or volatile organic compounds). Liquid toxic wastes can descend through soil until they reach the water table or shallow aquifers. If they are lighter than water they will both mix with the water as well as float on top of the water table such as toluene and other lighter compounds. Heavier compounds such as chlorobenzne, trichloroethylene etc. will both mix with the groundwater as well as sink through the saturated soil until they reach a lower permeability unit such as a clay aquitard. Then if the surface of the aquitard is sloped and their is enough volume of liquid wastes they will continue to gravity flow down the slope of the aquitard. The groundwater whether shallow or deep moves downgradient until finally it discharges into surface water bodies such as the Canagagigue Creek or even as far south as the Municipal Aquifer discharging into the Conestogo River in St. Jacobs. ....................................................................................................................... With hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid toxic wastes per week being discharged over to the east side pits alone, the contents of the uncovered overflowing pits literally ran downhill across the surface of the ground. Some then discharged directly into the Canagagigue and others discharged into swales, ditches and drains leading to the Canagagigue Creek including the natural creek on the Stroh and mostly Martin farms. .............................................................................................................. There is also air mobility of VOCs as well as of dioxins and heavier compounds. For example much of the now admitted discharges across the Uniroyal property line onto the Stroh property ended up in the surface soils (& deeper) where they were tilled and turned over and subject to erosion and wind. Dioxin mobility in the wind is a ver well known fact. .................................................................................................................................. Hence after close to eighty years of initially blatant and gross pollution followed by mostly uncontrolled migration of contaminants, the soils and waters in and around Elmira and for several miles downstream are a mess. Yes some of the toxins have spread far enough, including into the Grand River, to have diluted their toxicity. It is that dilution that all the guilty parties, including the political ones, have been relying on and hoping for since day one. ...................................................................................................................... Zero health studies and minimal soil sampling throughout Elmira have been key to the coverup. So has the willingness and ability of our politicians to always try and sell good news whether in an election year or not. Bad news results in incumbents getting turfed. Remember the 2014 municipal election here in Elmira.