WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN ELMIRA

Firstly some form of public inquiry is needed in order to separate our local politicians from their joined-at-the-hip stance with Lanxess Canada. Secondly the Ministry of Environment's collusion with Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and lanxess needs to be exposed as well. Without those first two changes everything else is doomed as the guilty parties will simply regroup and go back to business as usual. This business includes lying, deceiving, and covering up all aspects of the alleged cleanup and remediation. Keep in mind that the coverup did not start in 1989 when the wells in Elmira were first shut down. The coverup likely started the day after Uniroyal Chemical were in production (1940s) as they both directly and indirectly dumped their toxic liquid wastes into the Canagagigue Creek which runs through the middle of their property. For God's sake how dumb did the local politicians have to be when they first learned that Naugatuck Chemicals (later Uniroyal) were purchaing that property. It was located generally downwind of the community with a sewer (creek) running through the middle of it. Sure as hell the chemical company knew what they were doing before they bought the property. ...................................................................................................................... Hydraulic containment as ordered in the November 1991 Control Order needs to be complete in all aquifers including the Municipal Lower (ML) and Bedrock (BR) aquifers. The shallow aquifer (UA) containment and treatment system needs to be extended both northwards on the west side of the site and fully installed on the east side where it is non-existent. DNAPLS, both residual and free phase need to be vigorously pursued and either removed or chemically nuetralized if that is possible. The groundwater treatment systems need to be upgraded in order to be able to reduce the discharge criteria (into the creek) for all compounds. Honest and serious soil and groundwater testing is required on both the east and west sides of Lanxess (Yara & Stroh/Martin properties). This must not then be followed by more decades of delay but rather immediate removal of highly contaminated soils is required including DNAPLs, dioxins/furans. DDT and more. ............................................................................................................. Source removal has been the dirty word for the group of chemical companies owning this site since 1989. Too bad. You bought a mess and all the illegal reassurances in the world from local powerbrokers was at your own risk. We have the technology to clean up this site immeasurably but no serious attempts have been made. No the site will never be pristine but instead of intentionally letting everything ooze, leak and flow off-site over many decades it can be greatly improved. This includes downstream removal of dioxins/furans, DDT, PCBs, endosulfan, lindane, mercury and more. It has always been the will that has been missing. The way is the easy part in comparison.