WHAT ARE THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF LIVING BESIDE A TOXIC LADEN CREEK (the "Gig")?

 Our governments know the answer to that but have not shared the information publicly. Certain restrictions are expected such as not listing specific residents' names alongside specific disorders or diseases. In Grassy Narrows, Ontario special health procedures are in place for known victims of mercury poisoning. And this is public information without listing individual sufferers' by name. The same could and should occur here in Elmira for our Old Order Mennonite community. My understanding is that there are 22 families with farms backing on to the Creek between the Uniroyal/Lanxess property and the downstream Grand River. 

There are very specific health symptoms of dioxin poisoning in human beings which are not shared with the multitude of other possible human disorders and diseases. Locations such as Vietnam have developed extensive medical knowledge out of necessity courtesy of the American spraying of civilians, their fields and their homes with Agent Orange a mixture of 2,4-d and 2,4,5-T containing residues of dioxin (2,3,7,8 TCDD). Similarly while DDT can exacerbate other more common conditions such as diabetes, DDT also has some more symptoms specific unto itself.  

Our governments and corporations pick on minorities whether they be indigenous communities especially in the north or religious minorities such as the Old Order Mennonites. If both communities were well integrated white folk our governments would be less capable of throwing them to the wolves while piously claiming  support for pollution remediation while doing the bare minimum possible. 

FURTHER TO SATURDAY"S POST ABOUT MULTIPLE NEGATIVE FACTORS CONDEMNING ANY HONEST CLEANUP

 So our authorities agreed to a Risk Assessment. What better assessment of future risk than to look at the health outcomes of the past? I mean after all there has been zero downstream cleanup to date yet the excessive concentrations of DDT, dioxins/furans etc. are still in the Creek soils and sediments. There have to be government health records if the downstream residents have accessed OHIP doctors and hospitals over the last fifty to seventy-five years. How many still births? How many miscarriages? How many deformed or mal formed babies missing limbs etc? How many cancers? How much diabetes? How many health outcomes common to DDT and dioxin/furan poisonings?

Conflicts of interests are rampant in Woolwich Township. People who have directly benefited from Uniroyal and successors largesse are in decision making positions. This is especially true on the TAG committee in that young environmental professionals are sitting on it and they know where their bread is buttered.  They are not going to rock either the Min. of Environment's (MECP) boat nor Lanxess's and GHD's.

Money. The guilty parties have it in spades and the local citizens do not. Also local citizens generally are very intimidated by libel laws. This is intentional. It helps to muzzle them which is the main reason that we have Libel laws. It certainly isn't to prevent false accusations it is to prevent accurate allegations of wrong doing. Money also buys publicity whether in newspapers or radio.

Corrupt politicians have been around forever. They sell their souls and then spend their lives denying it. They long ago learned to make their worst decisions out of the public light. Private discussions with other politicians whether strictly following the laws surrounding private conversations or not are the rule not the exception.

Captured regulators means the MECP. Here in Elmira it's all about the "sweetheart " deal they signed with Uniroyal back in October 1991 in order to shut down the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) in mid stream. This was done immediately before the MECP were to take the stand. It saved the MECP from publicly confirming private deals and negotiations with Uniroyal over the decades allowing the dumping of toxic wastes onto the lands and into the Creek. The MECP sold the farm in order to shut down the EAB and avoid public humilation and worse.

The print media have been under attack for decades. Economically they have been whittled down to a tiny fraction of what they were. They too have to be very careful of nasty polluters and friends with deep pockets who believe in the use of SLAPP suits (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). Of course our courts have no high ground to stand on in this intentional and perverse obliteration of the rights of the public. Also the media in general are far less likely to attack even the worst of corporate sinners for fear that those corporations could ened up owning their employers. Media conglomeration continues and is no joke.

The record of success (minimal polluter cleanups) is on the upswing. Polluters are discussing and negotiating their way around charges and courts when that is where they belong as the dirty polluters they are. They are criminals and until they are treated as such they will proliferate. 

 

BALANCED REPORTING, CHECKS AND BALANCES, LACK OF HEALTH DATA, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, MONEY, CORRUPT POLITICIANS, CAPTURED REGULATORS & MEDIA etc.

 These above factors merely skim the surface. The general public have been eliminated from the process. The TAG members are handpicked from applicants, interviewed and assessed for knowledge, lack of knowledge, deference to authority and respect for our political institutions. The fatal applicants for Woolwich Township are those with technical knowledge regarding hydrogeology as well as a negative attitude towards "suits", qualified persons and politicians .  

The media just like individual citizens appear far more respectful of the words coming from bought and paid for credentialed experts than from local citizens with far more local knowledge. Both the media and citizens however are covering their ass*s by quoting the "experts" accurately but dramatically softening their quotes of very well informed citizens. They aren't likely to be sued for defamation if they quote the expert correctly than if they quote a citizen accurately.

How is it possible that multi generations of Old Order Mennonites living along the Creek have not had their health data for the past fifty to seventy-five years examined by those claiming to be doing an honest Risk Assessment of the Creek? 

That's enough for now. More will be forthcoming.

       

MECP/LANXESS CANADA CORRUPTION REIGNS - LAST NIGHT'S TAG MEETING

 How have the goals and objectives since 1989-90 changed so radically?  Back then we were promised the Cadillac cleanup. Back then we were advised that Uniroyal Chemical under the supervision of the Ontario Ministry of Environment would totally clean up the disaster that they had made including on and off their site. Here we are 34 years later and our drinking water aquifers will not be fully remediated until 2050 or 2060 if ever. The Canagagigue Creek is full of Persistent Organic Pollutants (dioxins, DDT, PCBs mercury etc.) mostly from Uniroyal yet we the citizens are now being told that Lanxess are not responsible and any cleanup is strictly voluntary. Finally longterm DNAPLS and LNAPLS have NOT been properly cleaned up on site and will continue to threaten ground and surface water for many more decades.

Last evening Sebastian followed up on his late Tuesday e-mail and spoke truth to power. The insidious lies and corruption are so deep that some TAG members argued against Sebastian after he advised that many of the alleged scientific documents and reports were of dubious and questionable quality. For decades I've been appalled at the typos, incorrect references to Tables & Figures, inaccurate conclusions arising from the weakest of sampling and evidence etc.  Linda, Susan and Wilson all countered Sebastian's criticisms including what I have long referred to as junk science and psuedo science.  Of the three TAG members I believe that one of them simply doesn't know what she doesn't know about the site i.e. ignorance  and at least one other has long ago gone over to the dark side who are in charge and control. 

Sebastian also advised of the inherent credibility advantage well credentialed experts and professionals have. Their use of scientific language and jargon combined with fawning and elaborate introductions makes it hard to criticize even their most ridiculous conclusions and opinions. Professionals with a long list of credentials behind their names are immediately imbued with a certain authority that is difficult to attack.. Their willingness to make unsupported assumptions that usually support  less costly alternatives and less rigorous remediation are welcomed by their polluter clients. Sebastian also suggested that TAG did not have enough "guns". In other words TAG did not have enough expertise of their own to directly challenge the other side. Serious issues and ramifications of decisions are not being raised aggressively by TAG members. Sebastian also stated that there are many errors in the HHERA and he is correct. Either Stantec or GHD advising that yes they will look a little harder into a matter and then returning months later to advise TAG that they have now "incorporated" their latest findings into the Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessment (HHERA) is NOT SATISFACTORY. How and where has the new data been "incorporated". Show us and explain it clearly!

Sebastian as always was polite and respectful which frankly is wasted on many of those in attendance nor do they deserve polite and respectful. Their lying, intentional obtuseness and hiding behind the MECP and Woolwich is disgraceful. Sebastian advised that TAG need far more critical thinking and far less deference to client driven experts. TAG need to challenge authority when it makes broad, unsupported blanket statements.  He referred to TAG as "tame". In my words they are not watchdogs they are lapdogs. Finally Sebastian advised that TAG are making a big mistake in closing the door on community input.      

 On openminded, unbiased individuals his words as a four year CPAC member and eight year TAG member are powerful. To TAG there was as usual no support to their disgrace and shame.  

VIRTUE-SIGNALLING, PATINA OF SCIENTIFIC AUTHENTICITY & WASTE OF MONEY GIVEN WHO THEY WOULD REPORT TO (i.e. Woolwich Township)

 Back to the e-mail sent to councillor Nathan Cadeau and CPAC members by a CPAC colleague and TAG member late last Tuesday evening. Talk about a wonderful birthday present! Yesterday I posted about the who and some of the what. Today a little more detail is in the title.

But first will there be a response by TAG at their public meeting in Council Chambers tonite at 6:30 pm.? I suspect not by the members but the well paid Chair may be induced to defend the Township just as mayor Shantz defended Lanxess's  behaviour at the last RAC meeting.  

The actual quote in the e-mail as referenced above is "...no insider would be allowed to tell the honest truth about the virtue-signalling remediation efforts in our town." The second part of the above title I believe refers to Conestoga Rovers and their successors GHD. Those folks and others have created a patina (thin coating) of scientific authenticity... . Other less polite terms which I've used for decades include junk science, psuedo science and bullsh*t. Finally the last part of the title above refers to another quote in the e-mail namely "He who pays the piper calls the tune." This references so called " independent" experts and so called Qualified Pe.rsons giving their alleged unbiased opinions to the public about contamination and remediation. 

OH MY BUT HAS SEBASTIAN EVER SET WOOLWICH COUNCIL & TOWNSHIP STRAIGHT

 Congratulations to Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach for his blunt and harshly honest communications regarding Woolwich Townships love affair with Uniroyal Chemical and successors. Yes of course I am exaggerating by using the term "love affair". Sebastian however has figuratively picked up Woolwich Council in one hand and Woolwich Township in the other and given them both simultaneously a vigorous shake. For the honest that should suffice, for the hardcore however nothing will make them come to their senses which includes working in the public interest rather than in the corporate interest.

Sebastian has suggested that Woolwich have turned a blind eye to Uniroyal Chemical and successors over decades. Our provincial government has also been both compliant regarding Uniroyal and successors as well as coddling up to them and their interests.

Further blunt assessments include the exclusion of "...environmental consultants who have done their best over the years to create a patina of scientific authenticity that remediation has progressed as quickly as possible.".  This can also be referred to as "He who pays the piper calls the tunes.". 

Suggested experts who would honestly and accurately provide insight into the state of past Elmira remediation include Dr. Richard Jackson and Dr. Neil Thompson. To hire any old qualified individual and put them on the Township payroll would be a complete waste of time, honesty and money. As stated "...no insider would be allowed to tell the honest truth about the virtue-signalling remediation efforts in our town."

 

WOOLWICH COUNCIL DECISION ON JULIE-ANN HERTEIS WAS COOKED UP AHEAD OF TIME

The title above should not be any surprise to Woolwich citizens as well as applicants for the position of Woolwich councillor to replace Scot Hahn who had resigned suddenly. That is at least to the citizens who attended in person the Council meeting to listen to nine applicants speak to Council and the public. Eight of those applicants took time and effort to prepare serious speeches for their presentation to Council. They all acquitted themselves well and I was frankly surprised at the levels of experience, competence and talent on display. Except of course for one. Julie-Ann walked up to the podium casually attired (blue jeans etc.)  without obviously a pre-prepared speech. Now she did not appear nervous or show any signs of lacking confidence.  For very good reason apparently. She stated her name and indicated that she had served one term of office as a Woolwich councillor and hence was "experienced". That was pretty much her message.

Shortly thereafter I was advised by a very knowledgeable person, directly involved in the situation that Woolwich Council, under the leadership of mayor Sandy Shantz, knew who they wanted on Council. That Council included luminaries such as Mark Bauman, Murray Martin and Larry Shantz etc. who all knew better. They knew better as in they knew better than to cook up a phony application process for the purpose to waste applicants time and to deceive the public. Lie to the public if you will.  They knew better but they did it anyways. Julie-Ann was anointed and effectively appointed prior to the public meeting in Council Chambers and  everyone on Council knew it before the meeting.

Afterwards so likely did everyone else who had attended that public disgrace.  With the exception of Sandy Shantz, all those councillors are now long gone. Thank goodness.    

NONSENSE ON THIS THURSDAY'S TAG AGENDA

 Item 4.1 on the Agenda is "RAC and TAG Terms of Reference Review". It was a croc from start to finish including the exclusion of Sebastian from attending after he properly filled out the stupid "Doodle" Poll put out by Woolwich Township. Several other problems and biases existed and they have already been discussed and written about here in this venue. I am confident that the TAG Chair and or others will spin this however they want in order to pretend that it was an honest process. It was not and never intended to be.

Item 4.3 is "TAG Comments on Revised Draft Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (HHERA)". I expect that TAG will have come up with some accurate criticisms however they've missed the boat by believing Lanxess's claims years ago that the HHERA would appropriately weigh and include all their early process criticisms AND also TAG's serious criticisms around soil and sediment sampling in the Creek. TAG's criticisms as well as mine (in writing) should have been game changers in that extremely high Method Detection Limits (MDL) greater than provincial and or federal health criteria combined with shovel sampling versus core sampling vastly reduced the number of detections of most toxic compounds in the Creek including DDT, dioxins/furans, PAHs, mercury and PCBs.   

Item 4.4 is "Creek Hotspot Removal Update". This of course is merely the red herring to allow Susan and TAG to maybe save a little face. Eight years of wasted time with little or nothing accomplished including the failure to achieve drinking water standards in the Elmira Aquifers by 2028 will only be exacerbated by the failure to properly clean the Creek. The fact is that a proper cleanup isn't even on the Agenda whereas the whole idea of "hotspot" removal is both inaccurate based solely upon geographical sampling biases and inadequate to actually clean up the Creek. When you take hundreds of samples from only two to three areas of the Creek and only a couple of dozen from the rest of the five mile long Creek down to the Grand River, then guess what? Those two or three areas become alleged "hotspots". Sure they are highly contaminated areas but there are lots more if you even put half the effort into finding them that you did into the three areas conveniently located along the access roads namely New Jerusalem, Northfield Dr. and Jigs Hollow Rd just outside West Montrose. 

Item 4.5 are the Monthly Progress Reports. Linda has been doing her best for some time to point out pumping failures and of course TAG always thank her, commiserate and do little or nothing about it. Unfortunately both Linda and TAG have totally missed the extreme reductions in on-site pumping of the Upper Aquifer (UACTS). Embarrassingly Woolwich Council tried repeatedly to respond to my written concerns on the matter but their total lack of knowledge about the pumping regimes on the site prevented any kind of intelligent written discussion and of course the proposed face to face talks between Council and CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) have fallen through. 

I intend to attend this meeting in person despite the stupidity of it all. Usually there will be a couple of gems of information released which can assist myself and CPAC down the road. Of course it would also be helpful if each and every TAG & RAC meeting were covered by our local paper.   

TAG MEETING NEXT THURSDAY/ RISK ASS... CRITICIZED IN LETTER TO EDITOR

 The TAG meeting is both in person and virtual next Thursday whichever you want. It is in Woolwich Council Chambers at 6:30 pm. While it is mostly a croc, it is the only game in town and there are at least two or three honest people present at the meeting.

The Letter To The Editor is written by Susan Bryant. It is well written as most of her stuff usually is. She points out risk information and data that we do not have. She suggests that there are common sense questions that need answering. All that is true. What is also true is that Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura /Lanxess have thrown their extensive weight, power, money and influence around for over thirty years before they embarked upon this disgusting and self-serving Risk Assessment. The pushback by almost all citizens with little exception was respectful, polite and courteous. As a group the hardest pushback was by the 2011 to September 2015 CPAC. I know this because I have attended all the different variations of UPAC, CPAC and since September 2015, RAC & TAG.

Uniroyal and successors have been treated with kid gloves by municipal politicians and the Ontario Ministry of Environment in particular. It's all been private discussions and negotiations with decisions made there albeit with token discussion in public at UPAC, CPAC, RAC & TAG. Uniroyal and successors have insisted upon major deference and respect that if they behaved differently they might have earned. Instead they have consistently lied, misled, minimized the issues and manipulated public consultation for over thirty years. They have gotten away with that because most citizens are far too polite and respectful automatically even to professional liars. Pat McLean and Susan Bryant have also been way too chummy with Uniroyal including back and forth favours, private meetings and much more.  Now we are seeing exactly what Lanxess are made of. Initially they refused to do any downstream cleanup hiding behind their own bought and paid for self-serving Risk Assessment. Now they are asking for just a tiny bit more either begging or as& kissing in exchange for which they will consider some sort of small budget with fixed limits to do a token cleanup at a "hotspot" or two.

And our local politicians and appointed "opposition" will then publicly kiss their ass*s which really is all that Uniroyal Chemical has ever wanted. Free toxic waste disposal followed by a third or fourth rate "cleanup" followed by public adulation and appreciation. 

ISN'T MONEY & POWER GRAND?   

CANAGAGIGUE CREEK RISK ASSESSMENT BULLSHIT CONTINUES

 Anybody walked in the Creek lately? Anybody looked carefully at the Creek lately? Anybody smelled the Creek lately? Anybody dumb enough to eat any fish whatsoever out of the Creek lately? Anybody at all seen, lately or ever, any health data/information about the human residents living for generations along the downstream Creek?

We the public are being sold a huge bill of goods by Lanxess, GHD, Stantec, Ministry of Environment and some of our local politicians. They have concocted an elaborate scam referred to as a Risk Assessment. I have no doubt that the majority of TAG members have been unable to follow the mathematical contortions based upon assumptions that make up the claim that there are NO UNACCEPTABLE RISKS. 

Our authorities mostly know that that is utter and complete Bullsh*t but have wanted for decades to put the whole mess behind them. They are on the verge of success.  Somewhere down the road decades of health information about multiple generations of Mennonite farmers living along the Creek will suddenly appear and then and only then the self-serving hand wringing by our authorities will begin. "Oh if we only had known.", "How was this data not required in a Human Health Risk Assessment ? and on and on. 

This is your government serving their interests, not yours or anybody elses. 

THERE ARE NO CHECKS & BALANCES INVOLVED IN THE ELMIRA "CLEANUP"

 Politicians suggest that they are the checks and balances as they are the voice of the people. They think that they represent the people. Nothing could be further from the truth. While not 100% of wanna be politicians are inherently corrupt, I suggest that 85-90% is not an unreasonable figure. Then there are the ones who go into politics straddling the fence as to their motives and or basic beliefs. A few years later they have learned the hard way that absolutely nothing goes forward or gets done without compromise. If you want my support on your idea or bill then you have to vote my way on this issue and that legislation. After enough compromises whereby you support either poor legislation or even outright bad legislation in order to advance your pet project or by-law, bill etc., you realize that you have slowly become one of them.

Municipal politicians in general including Woolwich Township councillors are probably indoctrinated early and often as to their subsidiary role in the scheme of things political. Municipal power and authority are always trumped by provincial power and authority and those in turn by federal power and authority. Plus municipalities are always looking for grants and provincial or federal money for roads, bridges, airports, cultural edifices (Centre in the Square-Symphony etc.). Could upper tier governments be vindictive if they smell a lack of cooperation or even normal complaining about their government by a lower tier government? Ha! There have been studies over the decades suggesting that some grants only go to municipalities who have correctly elected the right party to power. whether provincially or federally. 

With this kind of political atmosphere abounding is it much wonder that experienced municipal politicians often end up very jealous and defensive around their very limited sphere of influence? They are expected to behave and cooperate from higher tiers of government and they then believe that's exactly how the unwashed masses below them should  behave towards their municipal government. 

ISN'T DEMOCRACY GRAND ! 

OFFICIAL COVER AND PROTECTION EMBOLDENS LANXESS, GHD AND THEIR FELLOW TRAVELLORS

 Cover from whom? Let's see :  The Ontario Ministry of  Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). Truth be told the old MOE have changed their stupid name just about as much as Uniroyal Chemical now Lanxess. Also decades long, still ongoing cover from Woolwich Township.  The Region of Waterloo aren't perhaps as obvious but they too have given support at times to the status quo while refraining from loudly criticizing Lanxess, MECP, GHD as they should. The federal government have given support as much by omission as by commission. Where are they? Nowhere in sight despite there being federal issues involved with war material (Agent Orange) manufactured here in Elmira now gracing the soils and sediments of five miles of downstream Canagagigue Creek which discharges into our Heritage River (the Grand) which discharges into Lake Erie.

I can not readily believe that Woolwich Township senior staff or councillors appreciate terminology used by myself and on rare occasions by others such as "professional liars", "guilty parties", "fellow travellors", "client driven" etc. I also doubt that Lanxess Canada and their consultants GHD truly enjoy their name being dragged through the mud. While shareholder profits may trump good press and public relations nevertheless my opinion is that corporations usually prefer to have both. Regarding the MECP I have often referred to them as plainly "corrupt". That should sting but I guess when you are a provincial Ministry whose real mandate is the APPEARANCE of controlling pollution versus actually doing so, than harsh words come with the territory. 

As always it is the citizens who pay the price of corrupt and incompetent governments. It is also the citizens who elect them in the first place. Throwing the bums out each and every election might at least slow down the audacity and arrogance of the corruption once every party and individual understood that they were generally held in contempt by the majority of voters.   

DNAPL SHAM INVESTIGATIONS PARTLY TO BLAME FOR 2028 ELMIRA GROUNDWATER CLEANUP FAILURE

 

Frank Rovers was a very smart individual. Further descriptions I do not know. He did however advise UPAC way back in the 1990s as to how much DNAPLS were spread across the Uniroyal Chemical subsurface and site. With the control of Minutes securely in the hands of the dishonest Woolwich it is unlikely that they would ever in a million years release those Minutes for public consumption. Frank, by the way, was the founder of Conestoga Rovers, the famous or infamous depending on your point of view, engineering and consulting company who moved on from the Love Canal (U.S.) to shilling for Uniroyal Chemical.

Contrary to later hydrogeological dictums, Frank Rovers advised UPAC (Uniroyal Public Advisory Committee) that there was way too much DNAPL, free phase and residual, spread across the Elmira site to attempt to remove. Since that time Drs. Cherry and Parker at the University of Waterloo have advised Susan B., Pat Mc, Wilf Ruland and I otherwise. That was in January 2007 and eventually led to my backstabbing and ouster from CPAC in the spring of 2008 by those same hyenas.

The problem with DNAPL is that while it dissolves slowly into groundwater nevertheless it does dissolve at concentrations in excess of the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS). Hence attempts at pump & treat technology will not be successful in the long run because the source of contamination is right there in the aquifer continuing to slowly dissolve over decades and even centuries.  Chlorobenzene is but one example of a DNAPL and it has since been determined that either 1000 lbs or 1000 kg. of chlorobenzene is in the Elmira Aquifers IN EXCESS of the initial estimates. This was discovered/determined by Dr. Thompson of the University of Waterloo while working for Chemtura/Lanxess to produce a proper Conceptual Site Model (CSM). Dr. Richard Jackson the original TAG Chair had referred to CRA's CSM as no more than a cartoon.

These issues are but some that never show up on either the RAC or TAG Agendas for discussion. Gosh I wonder why? 

WHY WOOLWICH & WATERLOO REGION NEED TO DO MORE FOR ELMIRA'S GROUNDWATER

 An environmental colleague and friend sent out a report titled "State Of The Great Lakes" (SOGL). Depending on where you live it could be viewed as both good and bad news. There are multiple factors and criteria involved but the bad news for Woolwich Township and Waterloo Region is that of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie is consistently in the worst shape of the five lakes. Why is this bad news? It is because our watershed and the Grand River all empty into Lake Erie. Also of course the Canagagigue Creek empties into the Grand River. The implications of this are that when both our agricultural and industrial colleagues have at last pooched our groundwater beyond the Region's ability to "manage" contaminated wells via musical chairs rotation of them or by drilling them deeper into less contaminated zones and aquifers; then at that point the clamoring for a pipeline will begin anew. Of course Waterloo Region will be limited to the one Great Lake within our watershed and that is, you guessed it, the least healthy of them all, Lake Erie.

Does any of this speak to greater effort to remediate the Elmira Aquifers from chemical pollution? Does it speak to still better efforts at keeping livestock manure out of our waterways? Does it also speak to where possible reducing salt useage on our roads? Finally it should also speak to cleaning up the Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Canagagigue Creek  which remarkably are a significant problem in Lake Erie fish and sediments. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and dioxins are getting into Lake Erie and Canagagigue Creek and Uniroyal/Lanxess are likely sources.  

WHY DID CPAC TURN DOWN WOOLWICH'S OFFER TO MEET?

 The meeting was turned down for a whole host of reasons. One, I believe that it was initially misrepresented by Woolwich Township as a meeting solely between CPAC and Woolwich Council when in fact other participants had been invited by Woolwich including Tiffany Svensson (TAG Chair), David Brenneman (Woolwich CAO) and likely Rae Ann Bauman (Woolwich Clerk). Now any of those three might have been acceptable (or not) for a meeting on a different topic. They were not remotely acceptable for a meeting to remove RAC and TAG. Now of course neither was Sandy Shantz particularly acceptable for anything but as a council member (mayor) we felt that excluding her from a council meeting might be seen as an unreasonable demand no matter how much we would have enjoyed it.

Then there was the egregious exclusion of Sebastian S.A.  Despite a recent, problematic outburst by Sebastian he is both a CPAC and a TAG member and frankly next to myself has put far more time and effort into the Elmira crisis than any other CPAC member. For this he should be excluded from a CPAC/Council meeting? I think not!

We were well into the process when we were advised that in fact the whole process was a Council initiated "Review" of the Terms of Reference of RAC and TAG. Well there are many ways to express my and others response to that. "Piss Off" is the first to come to mind. The second and more decorous response is that why would we discuss the Terms of Reference for two dishonestly initiated and dishonestly mandated groups? Yes there are honest, decent people who have been hoodwinked (or not) into joining TAG but that does not negate that TAG and RAC's fundamental purpose is to both provide cover to Lanxess Canada and the MECP  as well as to give the veneer of honest public consultation which they are not.

Also initially CPAC were advised that the eight to ten CPAC members would have all of one hour to talk to six Woolwich councillors. Again you know the initial response to that bullsh*t I hope.

At one point we were told that there could be as many as sixteen to eighteen participants and this was when CPAC were actually hopeful to get four or five CPAC members to attend. So who else was invited by Woolwich? Maybe the MECP? Maybe Lanxess? Maybe the GRCA? Maybe the Region?  

So the question now is : Has the Township (i.e. Council) given their head a shake and are prepared to offer a two to three hour meeting to say half a dozen available CPAC members to discuss why RAC and TAG have grossly failed to promote the public interest versus Lanxess and the Ministry of Environment's interests?

UNIROYAL/LANXESS PROPAGANDA & PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTINUE

 I suspect that there are some at the Woolwich Observer holding their noses regarding yesterday's front page story titled "Lanxess study finds Canagagigue contaminants pose no unacceptable risk".  At least I certainly hope so. There are three parts to that title that should raise eyebrows with the thinkers among us. "Lanxess study..." Really? Lanxess do their own studies of the mess their predecessor (Uniroyal) made? Isn't that some kind of conflict of interest? Not in Woolwich apparently. Secondly "...Canagagigue contaminants..."   Oh so they are admitting that there are (chemical) contaminants in the Creek. Thirdly "...no unacceptable risk".  So there are risks involved but according to the legal owner of the pollution, those risks are acceptable...to him, to you and I, to the Mennonite residents along the Creek???

Risk calculations trump everything else apparently. We have dosed those downstream residents with some of the most highly toxic compounds known to humanity namely both NDMA and dioxins/furans. While by now the more soluble NDMA should have thinned out somewhat, the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) remain. Some of them include DDT, PCBs, dioxins/furans, mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). 

Read the story and carefully note each and every name in the story agreeing with the Risk Assessment. In my opinion those are not good people.  Read the numbers that the reporter has included in the story. 83 samples out of 162 exceeded the Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines (ISQG), 11 by a large amount (PEL). Note carefully that one of the sediment samples taken had a concentration of dioxin at 1,090 pg/g which is 1100 times greater than the criteria of .85 pg/g  (decimal 85). That is an outrageous concentration and along with many others puts the lie to "acceptable risks". 

Where is our Ministry of Environment in this? They are and have been in the local industry's (Uniroyal) pocket for decades. They are primarily present to run interference for industrial polluters and they do one hell of a job. As Mr. Makin, Lanxess representative states "We would defer to the regulatory agencies and the government on this". It's nice having the environmental regulator on a leash when you trot him out for a walk now and then.   

DEFT STICK HANDLING REQUIRED

 Bashing local, dirty polluters and their co-conspirators should be easy compared to this:

If one adheres to the mantra of An Eye For An Eye Then Eventually The Whole World Will Be Blind

If indiscriminate murder and mayhem by one group unleashed upon another is heinous then how is indiscriminate murder and mayhem unleashed back upon the first group less heinous?

Today's local paper has used words such as "occupation", "open air prisons" etc. in referencing life for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank (?). Our local paper has also stated that Israel are in complete control of food, water, electricity that is transported to the Palestinian people. I often disagree with the Editorial section of the Waterloo Region Record but a recent Record Editorial suggested that based upon the living conditions for the Palestinians,  the Record while not condoning Hamas's recent murderous behaviour, certainly can understand where it's coming from.

It never ceases to amaze me how human beings in a superior position of power, authority, money and influence are so willing to lie, cheat and steal from their fellow citizens and residents. I am of course referring to corporate polluters and their fellow travellors here in Elmira, Ontario. With support from local politicians and others they externalize their toxic waste disposal costs upon the unsuspecting environment and public. That is a polite way of saying that in order not to spend money cleaning up their profit producing production wastes, they dump them into the ground and into nearby creeks and rivers. These toxic wastes are lethal and contribute to the epidemic of cancers and more inflicting human beings.

Then in a gross fit of hypocrisy these polluters and their friends whine and cry about harsh words being thrown at them as if these words were bombs or bullets as per the horrific carnage unfolding in the Middle East. Eventually, when all other options are exhausted, human beings often resort to violence.  I have a suspicion that the perpetrators may actually like to see their weaker opponents go that route as it usually discredits them. At least of course until the violence is literally upon their own doorstep and visits their own families. Then the whining and crying begins in earnest.        

WOOLWICH COUNCIL - CPAC MEETING UPDATES & CLARIFICATIONS

 The meeting had oddly been set for today at 5:30 pm. That effectively removed CPAC and TAG member Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach from attending despite him filling out the multiple Doodle Polls and clearly indicating that he had a time conflict this evening.  Keep in mind that Sebastian was the only CPAC member who could stomach Woolwich hypocrisy, cheating and manipulation and reapply a second time to be on the new, proposed RAC and TAG. Dr. Dan Holt, CPAC Chair, very eloquently and strongly spelled out the facts of life to Woolwich Council regarding CPAC's decision not to attend. Dr. Dan left the door open if Woolwich Council sincerely wish to speak to us and learn the truth about the failed cleanup. 

My Saturday post very strongly condemned Woolwich Township, RAC, TAG, Lanxess and the Ont. Min. of Environment (MECP). Regarding Woolwich Council please note carefully the second last sentence :

"THIS, WOOLWICH COUNCIL IS THE MOST FLAGRANT EVIDENCE OF THE FAILURE OF RAC & TAG BUT THEN THAT WAS YOUR INTENT IN THE FIRST PLACE " 

That is indeed a condemnation of Woolwich Township behaviour but the timing is important. I am not yet convinced that the majority of this Council still favour a pretend cleanup. In other words that like past Councils they're all about appearances not about real environmental cleanup of groundwater, the Canagagigue Creek, soils and sediments. If I was convinced that this Council with lots of newcomers was already a lost cause then I wouldn't waste one minute of my time trying to sit down and quite frankly, educate them.  Yes I believe that the mayor, the TAG Chair, Lanxess and the MECP have spent the last eleven months trying to brainwash the new councillors with a ton of heavy duty bull. We at CPAC want at least a tiny opportunity to undue that damage and get this Council on track to fight for a real cleanup that includes restoring our drinking water, removing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) from the Canagagigue Creek soil and sediments and remove some of the heaviest DNAPLS and LNAPLS from on the Lanxess site.   

OCTOBER 2023 : UNIROYAL & SUCCESSORS "CLEANUP" HAS FAILED

November 1989 - October 7, 2023 ... Three weeks shy of THIRTY-FOUR YEARS !  

What has been accomplished?  We do not have our drinking water aquifers restored. Self-serving claims suggest that 90% or more of the toxins have been removed. One that is the claims of professional liars and it means nothing when the health criteria for NDMA can not be achieved by pump & treat technology and two that does little or nothing for the remaining dozens of toxic chemicals in our municipal, drinking water aquifers introduced by Uniroyal, Varnicolor, Nutrite and others; whether or not those dozens of others exceed their individual health criteria. All criteria are based on the false and inaccurate assumption that there is only the one contaminant, currently being examined, in the groundwater. Everybody, including the professional liars, agree that drinking water standards for NDMA can not be achieved with four more years (2028) of pump & treat.

The Canagagigue Creek is home to suckers, carp, shiners and chub. Allegedly there is the odd bass and pike. Regardless the Creek is also filled with mercury, PCBs, dioxins/furans, DDT, PAHs and lots more. Gosh and golly just like our groundwater. Wasn't Uniroyal generous to spread their filth pretty much everywhere including ground water, surface water, air, soils and creek sediments? Oh and of course many of the fish in the Creek are also full of these toxins. Lanxess's answer to this is a Risk Assessment (HHERA) that claims that there are no unacceptable risks downstream of the Uniroyal/Lanxess property. Hence no cleanup is required. The clear and simple exceedances of all health criteria the length of the Creek (5 miles) to its mouth (Grand R.) are to be trumped by the self-serving and self produced Risk Assessment. Just imagine if murderers got to be in total charge of their trials in our courts. Exactly how many convictions do you think would ever occur?   

For now we'll pretend that the disgusting soils, waste pits, ponds and lagoons on the site don't exist. We can also pretend that chemicals known as LNAPLS and DNAPLS have all magically disappeared because their cleanup has been avoided at all costs for many years/decades. We'll also pretend that humans within a five mile radius who have died from cancers and or respiratory diseases had virtually no connection to Uniroyal Chemical's toxins. 

THIS, WOOLWICH COUNCIL IS THE MOST FLAGRANT EVIDENCE OF THE FAILURE OF RAC & TAG BUT THEN THAT WAS YOUR INTENT IN THE FIRST PLACE. 

BOTH LANXESS & THE MIN. OF ENVIRONMENT (MECP) THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. 

THE DAVID BRENNEMAN ADVANCED COURSE IN BULLSH** & BAFFLEGAB

 I would like to propose the following name above to be used for a new university level course jokingly referred to as say Business 404. Now keep in mind that I have cheerfully not corresponded directly back and forth with Mr. Brenneman for some time now. That is all to the good because he has, in my opinion, led Woolwich Township and multiple mayors downwards into the realm of idiotic and ridiculous communications. I am beginning to suspect that he may also be mentoring councillor Nathan Cadeau. I say this as a break towards Nathan because I sincerely hope that his bullsh**  isn't natural and homegrown.

Nathan's little trick, possibly to piss off whom he's writing to, is to totally ignore their most recent written communication to him and ask them what they want as if they haven't already told him. Geez it's like talking to a stupid computer that uses key words to spew out nonsense. I'd love to see either David or Nathan pull that crap in private business where they are actually trying to accomplish something. Apparently in municipal government the goal is more about pretending to solve issues and problems rather than to actually and honestly address them. Hence if you can get the other parties to throw up their hands in exasperation and walk away then you've won.   

R. A. BAUMAN WORKS FOR WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

 Enough said for the moment at least. I had confirmed yesterday to me two recent disinvites. You decide if the liars and cheats have taken over the house.

There have been a total of three CPAC members who attended public CPAC meetings on a regular basis. They were Sebastian, Vivienne and myself. Sebastian is also a TAG member with a very strong stomach. No other CPAC members were interested in repeating the formal process they had already gone through to reapply for membership to the incoming citizens advisory panel. Despite newspaper ads in the Woolwich Observer the only applicants at the end of the 2014 term of council were the current CPAC members plus two occasional public attendees namely Pat McLean and Susan. Neither of them now live in Elmira/Woolwich nor have for a few years now. Sandy and the other Chemtura/MECP lovers didn't want the old CPAC to continue precisely because Chemtura and the MECP were taking such an accurate and fact based sh.t kicking from CPAC so Sandy threw out all the formal and proper applications and demanded everyone start over simply so that she could dig up anyone to apply including her curling buddies from the Elmira Curling Club. Yes Virginia, that is exactly how bush league Woolwich Township is.

Vivienne stopped attending public TAG meetings when they became virtual versus in person. I and Sebastian kept attending. Rae Ann Bauman allegedly sent out honest doodle polls attempting to find a common time for CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) members to attend. Unsurprisingly Sebastian could attend many of the proposed dates but of course as the lone sitting CPAC member on TAG, Rae Ann and Woolwich Township picked the one he could not (i.e. next Tuesday). Really cute Rae Ann and Woolwich.

The second disinvite was me albeit on a different meeting. Lanxess dreamed up another CAP (Citizens Advisory Panel) a few years back but made it clear that historic contamination issues were OFF the Agenda. That CAP was only to discuss current events including operational activities that could affect Elmira residents etc. Of course the problem is that their "historic" contamination affects residents every single day. We no longer drink our own water but are stuck with K-W highly chlorinated (& contaminated) tap water thank you very much. Also there are constantly new reports and new data being generated regarding both the downstream Canagagigue Creek as well as our aquifers. 

One CAP member advised that he was aware of these brand new reports and wanted to discuss them. Lanxess reps said no using the excuse that they would need to bring in their experts as they themselves didn't know enough. The CAP member said fine I too am no expert and will bring in my own expert. Well guess who the expert was and guess what Lanxess said when so advised...NO !  NO!....NO!

Hmm maybe I should add chicken shit to "liars and cheats" in the first sentence.

I POLITELY ADVISED WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP TO PEAS OFF

 In other words I did not use the wording above in the title. In fact here's exactly what I did say to them:

"Although my e-mail to Woolwich Council dated Sept. 29/23 and titled "Woolwich Just Can't Help Themselves" should have made my position clear regarding next Tuesday's proposed meeting I don't want any doubts in anyone's mind. The conditions of next week's proposed meeting are not acceptable to me. I have spent way more than enough time in phony, sham meetings stacked with Uniroyal/Lanxess supporters, fellow travellors and their ilk not to be looking to waste more of my time. Also I might add that eight years of contemptible Woolwich Township gross disrespect for honest and real public consultation can not remotely be overcome by token, half hearted discussions involving additional co-optees, syncophants and worse.

My Sept. 29 e-mail spells out four areas of major concern. There are more but clearly you aren't terribly interested. If you Woolwich Council can not understand those issues (which is abundantly clear regarding the Upper Aquifer Containment & Treatment System) then continue as you have by asking the non neutral, biased, solely motivated by self-interest polluter successor (Lanxess) to help you out. Or continue asking their bought and paid for consultants. Or continue asking their long captured and corrupt regulator the MECP. Whatever you do, do not ask informed Woolwich residents and taxpayers who have selflessly volunteered their time for years and indeed decades to assist you. You Woolwich Township have treated those volunteers like crap and apparently you wish to continue to do so.

Alan Marshall"

 

 

A SLIGHTLY MORE GENTEEL LETTER WAS SENT TO WOOLWICH COUNCIL, RAC, TAG, MECP & LANXESS

 It never fails to amaze me how third parties react (over react?) to some of my harsh and critical communications with professional liars, whether government or corporate. The more "genteel" letter was just slightly less harsh than the one that I posted here last Saturday. I suppose that I could leave it at that or perhaps while subtlety is not my strong suit I should bluntly tell Woolwich that their attempt at honest communication with CPAC simply is crap. Now of course  I'm speaking for myself right now. As I understand it the conditions are that CPAC get two hours to talk to two councillors plus Sandy Shantz plus RAC and TAG representatives including Tiffany Svensson and possibly Ramin Ansari of Lanxess. Maybe even one of the most corrupt Ontario ministries, the MECP. 

Well guess what Tiffany, RAC, TAG and maybe Ramin? For eight years I, CPAC and the public have not been allowed to ask you questions or make comments at RAC and TAG meetings. Written "Delegations" may be submitted to TAG where they are NEVER discussed, questioned, clarified  etc. Really classy you a*#holes. RAC which meets sometimes three or four times a year allow verbal Delegations. Verbal Delegations to bureaucrats and politicians overflowing with both ignorance and biases. Again never any serious discussion or debate. So RAC and TAG feel free to flock off. You don't want to talk to me for eight years then I don't want to see, smell or hear you pieces of crap at any meeting next week with half of Woolwich Council. I will attend if those others don't. Otherwise go to hell Woolwich. Your legacy will be one of corporate capture of both regulators (MECP) and of local politicians. You've earned what history will accuse you of here in Elmira.  

GRASSY NARROWS & ELMIRA, ONTARIO: OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

 I believe that these two locations represent the worst in environmental cleanup in Ontario and that is saying a lot. Similarities include the largest group of victims being minorities. In the first case it is indigenous Canadians and in the second it is Old Order Mennonite farmers along the Canagagigue Creek. Neither group have political strength although certainly Canadians are becoming more aware of past indigenous injustices such as residential schools, the Sixtys Scoop and more through their organizing and speaking out. Old Order Mennonites on the other hand keep a low profile and most definitely do not speak out on either public issues or on their own issues.

Last Saturdays K-W Record had a front page article titled "Truth and reconciliation calls for perseverance, personal commitment". Author Gary Whetung wrote eloquently about the Grassy Narrows community near the English-Wabigoon River system and the devastating effects of intentional mercury poisoning by Dryden Chemicals Ltd. This assault upon their mental and physical health was inflicted by the disposal of waste mercury, part of the paper production process. 

Uniroyal Chemical purchased their Elmira, Ontario property in the 1940s which sits on both sides of the Canagagigue Creek approximately five miles upstream from its' discharge into the Grand River.  At one point the Creek was almost devoid of all life from the dumping of toxic chemicals by Uniroyal both directly and indirectly into the Creek. To this day successive municpal, regional and provincial governments have pretended to want to clean up both the Elmira Aquifers and the Canagagigue Creek. It has mostly been lots of talk and particularly regarding the Creek, very little action. Uniroyal knew full well that the downstream neighbours would not raise a stink over the mess and stink that they Uniroyal would send to them.  The name of the game has been Delay, Delay & more Delay combined with Lie, Lie and more Lies.

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