Firstly it appears as if the sole reliance on virtual meetings may be coming to an end. Allegedly the proposed RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee) meeting tentatively scheduled for September 29/22 may be both in person and virtual. Presumably the next TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting will be a s well.
Agenda Item 3. is New Business...and Item 3.1 is Written Submissions Review. TAG Chair Tiffany Svensson was very polite and in fact courteous when she thanked me for submitting my written Delegation strongly criticizing what has passed for a Risk Assessment of the Canagagigue Creek. While her courtesy is always appreciated, the failure and I term it as that, for TAG to discuss, agree or disagree with a written submission by a regular attending, far more knowledgeable and experienced than most of them, local citizen is highly unfortunate. Unfortunate for them not for me. By so doing they are giving history and posterity the clear message that these written submissions by the public are mere tokenism. Yes we already all know that however appearances are everything and frankly I wonder if maybe some of them fully understand that and are O.K. with subtly highlighting it? Just a thought.
TAG and CPAC member Sebastian again raised the issue of the Risk Asessment (RA) being voluntary and not subject to Ontario regulation 153. Tiffany and others sort of explained the reason for this. Susan Bryant (TAG) in discussing Agenda Item 4.1 agreed with most of the Min. of Environment's (MECP) comments and concerns regarding the Draft RA. She pointed out that Lanxess (Ramin) have claimed that they want the community's concerns to be satisfied by the RA. Of course as they have obfuscated, deceived and manipulated the RA from the beginning it's hard for me to put any weight whatsoever in Lanxess's (Ramin's) statement.
There was some discussion as to where and when the next steps of the RA will occur. Discussion suggested that the earliest that the further sampling, whether sediments or earthworms, will have results available for discussion will be in the first quarter of 2023. The beat goes on.
Linda (TAG) had a written report available for TAG regarding the June Progress Report. Oh by the way Linda, David H. and Dustin M. all were absent last evening meaning there was no quorum. Over the years this has often happened whether CPAC or TAG and it has been difficult for me not to smirk about it because the decade plus that I was a formal member, I was utterly reliable in attending. Apparently that is of less significance when the meetings are primarily for show not for actual improvements in cleanup.
Linda's submitted report indicated ongoing failures in on-site (Lanxess/Uniroyal) municipal upper aquifer pumping. Sebastian queried this and asked Tiffany when that would cause a loss of hydraulic containment and off-site flow of contamination to the rest of the Elmira Aquifers. In my opinion Tiffany's answer minimized and understated the likelihood of that happe4ning despite six months of below Target pumping from pumping wells PW4 and PW5.
Allegedly all TAG coorespondence is on the Woolwich Township website including my submissions. Hmm I'm skeptical however I will take a look.
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