In the U.S. there is a well known phenomenon known as polluters "capturing" their regulators although this can happen in any situation whereby industry are regulated by force of law likely due to past sins of the industry. Obviously the financial services industry is a prime example. The name Bernie Madoff may come to mind as a glaring example of the failure of government regulators. Astonishingly the U.S. Environmental protection Agency was barely known until the Love Canal scandal broke. Again this was a failure of both the chemical industry and of the development industry who made money by building homes on top of Hooker Chemical's former chemical dump. Alas it was also a failure of the government regulators both for the housing /development industry and for the chemical industry who have an embarrassment of scandals around the world including Seveso, Italy and Bhopal, India.
Here the Ontario Ministry of Environment has long been "captured" by Uniroyal Chemical and successors. My guess is that decades of looking the other way and or of approving disgusting and useless toxic waste disposal methods compromised the Ont. M.O.E. Also of course their decades of assuring the residents of Elmira that their drinking water was safe, even after they knew better, reduced their credibility and integrity to zero.
Add to this mix past lazy or apathetic municipal politicians and the stage has been set for the current sham that is supposed to pass for public consultation. This can be seen yet again virtually on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 6:30 pm. Intelligent citizens, particularly environmental professionals, will stickhandle their appropriate criticism regarding lack of Creek cleanup and more, such that Lanxess, MECP and GHD will take little or no offense. That is crucial because citizens were clearly shown in 2015 that blunt honesty and truth are far less appreciated than either ass kissing or deference to those with money, power and influence which means the polluter and his friends.
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