This trench visible from both aerial photographs and satellite images of the Uniroyal/Lanxess site in Elmira, Ontario was the subject of dispute way back in 2014. Yours truly had discovered the Stroh Drain approximately in May 2014 and some time after that began carefully examining satellite images and aerial photographs. The images are very clear that a manmade excavation from the surface had occurred over a large distance on the east side of the Uniroyal Chemical site. I coined the term Interceptor Trench to describe what seemed to be pretty clearly was an attempt to divert contaminated groundwater away from it's natural flow westwards towards the Canagagigue Creek on site.
The Trench is located on the west side of the east side toxic waste pits known as IR-2, RPE-1, RPE-2, RPE-3, RPE-4, RPE-5, BAE-1 and RB-1 and RB-2. It appears to run from north to south initially while then turning towards the south-east. This corresponds to the slope of the surface of the ground hence gravity flow would take liquid contents (groundwater) from the Uniroyal property over to the Stroh property. There is a sub-surface corrugated steel pipe facing north-south that discharges directly into the north end of the Stroh Drain. It is my opinion that likely the buried Trench joins the corrugated steel pipe and discharges into the Stroh Drain, Ditch & Berm (SDDB) where it then continues southwards through the Martin property, both past and into their dug swimming pond. This pond was used by generations of children and if I am correct then this bypass was an abomination.
Firstly there were drawings submitted to the Environmental Appeal Board showing an Interceptor Trench proposed to remove the need to excavate the two Consolidation Pits known as RPE4 & 5. Uniroyal was adamant about not agreeing to excavate and truck the toxic contents off-site whereas the Ministry of Environment, under intense public pressure wanted it done. Also recent examination of the photos also indicates the peculiar route this alleged Interceptor Trench has taken. It neatly encompasses toxic groundwater from the five major east side pits and from RB-1 & 2 and BAE-1 as well as skirts TPE-2 (a temporary pit) . This path as shown in the various photos etc. is both difficult and deliberate.
The fact that the Min. of Environment refused to demand a clear explanation as well as some exploratory minor digging to prove or disprove the likelihood of some kind of potentially illegal diversion onto one neighbour's property (Stroh), likely with consent, and onto the second neighbour's property (Martin), likely without consent, is shocking and heinous. This citizens is government corruption and I suggest it makes the recent Doug Ford Greenbelt scandal look like small potatoes in comparison.
whose drain is it really? it is a gravity flow drain to drain and flush chemicals and waste from its sources into the floodplain and into the Canagagigue Creek/river. It became "a drain" in the 50's and was obviously also very cost effective...(would have cost peanuts to clear the path) however by the 80's someone figured out that that the aforementioned still allowed the soil and subsoil on the Stroh farm to hold overflow contamination so the drain was turned into "a ditch" to speed up the process and make it more effective and also to protect inflow into the Stroh farmland. Was the older drain with a slower and less volume flow less or more risky to the well-water table than the resulting deeper and faster flowing ditch that is there now? A connected critical issue is the consideration for and condition of the well-water on the old Stroh farmstead house and barn which used to be just on the other side of the drain/ditch. Did the drain/ditch work efficient enough to save the well-water under the old Stroh homestead from being reached /contaminated? Obviously proper testing for contamination under completely transparent conditions is absolutely required and anyone and everyone who does not agree immediately must have a reason! This crisis/dilemma is real simple. Even an uneducated person would know this! Anyone and everyone that would oppose this becomes automatically GUILTY! and by simple basic reasoning, even those that would pretend to be neutral or unbiased or "on the fence" are automatically guilty if they do not agree with the proper open and transparent testing.
ReplyDeleteI have a longterm gut feeling that these real potential HOTSPOT areas Mr. Marshall has so carefully pointed out have already been tested by the guilty and that is EXACTLY why there is such resistance to real testing and transparency in those exact spots! It is completely mind-boggling that real INDEPENDANT testing is not ordered for these HOTSPOTS under public and transparent conditions. It would be so simple and yet it is the very one thing that in fact has NOT BEEN DONE, and is the one thing that has been the most resisted by those involved all these years.
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