UGH! NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS ARE FOR THE IMPERFECT AMONG US. OR THOSE LACKING IN TYPICAL MALE OVERCONFIDENCE

 

I read somewhere recently that one of the male gender's most endearing features is their overconfidence in their ability to quickly pick up extremely technical knowledge and then apply it instantaneously in an emergency. The example given was that twice as many males as females were convinced that in an emergency (eg. unconscious pilot ) that with a very brief few pointers that they could successfully land the airplane. Now the writer was female and she diplomatically did refer to this as an "endearing trait" of men. Hmm I sense that others of both genders might not interpret that scenario exactly the same. 

I think back thirty years to Stephen Quigley and Allan Deal of Conestoga Rovers (CRA) so confidently predicting that their expertise then would result in the smooth landing of the Elmira Aquifers past the line of the Ontario Drinking Water Standards etched in stone on the landing strip. Along with them was David Ash, Jeff Merriman and Dwighte Este all of Uniroyal Chemical. Mostly names from the past who appropriately took a hike after a while.

Regarding others making New Year's resolutions, I am cool with that. Regarding myself I am conflicted.   Yes in my most serious moments of reflection I can find an error or two over the decades, maybe even more. But... I take my word very seriously despite lying little shits like Robert Re..... oops this is part of my possible New Year's Resolutions and I'm already about to cross the line. O.K I take my word seriously enough that I don't want to lie even to myself. If I make a resolution I'm stuck with it. Hence problem solved by simply not making any resolutions.

Over the last seven or eight years I have expanded my list of crappers here in Elmira and area. Prior to that (approx.?) I believe that I focused strongly on the polluter (Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura), their consultants (CRA), and the Ont. Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.). It is my recollection that I did not strongly hammer Woolwich Township, GRCA, Region of Waterloo, Woolwich councillors etc. That expansion whether I'm totally correct or not on the 2016-2017 timeframe occurred as I began to understand the depth, the deceit and the malice behind  our authorities enabling the polluters' escape from accountability. 

So I was toying with the idea of backing off on my public educational campaign to expose ALL the guilty parties particularly the political ones. I considered making a Resolution to that effect based upon three friends and colleagues well intentioned advice. Maybe I will regret not doing it and maybe I won't.  

TWO RESPONSES TO YESTERDAY'S NEW YEAR'S DAY MESSAGE TO LANXESS, GHD, MECP & WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

 

Firstly I believe that Sandy is ecstatic at the possibility of being honoured by being the one to dedicate the Uniroyal Chemical/Lanxess Canada cancer wing at Grand River Hospital. Now it is also possible that she may be somewhat confused as to why she was so nominated for this (dis)honour. I further expect that her guides, advisers, minions etc. will quickly get her up to speed. No Sandy, polluters and their corporate successors are not honoured by honest, intelligent, decent human beings for their refusals and failures to make the public interest whole again. Once your puffery and propaganda are removed  Lanxess and you will be treated much more appropriately. Perhaps you, just like your two sidekicks, Pat Mc. & Susan B. will also get the heck out of town for good. I am thrilled to have lived long enough to see that occur and maybe, just maybe I'll see your departure as well. 

The two responses were a pleasant surprise and consisted of the one pointing out that there is a more complete and factual book on the subject of "Elmira's Water Woes: The Triumph of Corruption, Deceit and Citizen Betrayal". Yes they are in fact referring to my 2019 book which can be found at www.waterlooregionadvocate.blogspot.com  The other response referred to righteous outrage and moral culpability for which I very much appreciate the author's words and sentiments.   

NEW YEAR'S DAY 2025 - TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF INCESSANT LYING BY UNIROYAL/CROMPTON/CHEMTURA/MECP WITH NO CONSEQUENCES

 Starting as early as 1992 Conestoga Rovers and Uniroyal Chemical were talking about pump & treat i.e. hydraulic containment as the route forward. Yes they were also looking at and lying like dogs about DNAPLS (dense non aqueous phase liquids) not being on their site which has been disproven on a number of occasions. The lying about DNAPLS has continued to the present day whereas the lying about achieving drinking water standards in the Elmira Aquifers started to slow around 2017 and indeed since then Lanxess have grudgingly admitted that it isn't going to happen. Their lies have been more focused on excuses as to why it won't happen versus the reality that much more source removal was required as was much more groundwater pumping both on and off site. The latter was admitted in November 2012 by CRA and Chemtura but never implemented. 

 It is now 2025. Three skinny years until the mandated deadline.  Mandated...what a joke. The Ontario Ministry of Expanded Corporate Pollution (MECP)  are in the process of writing a new Control Order or whatever Mickey Mouse new name they want for the document. No penalties, no sanctions, no fines, no jail time, not even public denunciation from the MECP for the gross failure of the polluter, their consultants and their corporate successors. I believe that they the corrupt regulator (MOE/MECP) should also be facing consequences for their gross failures as well.

Polluters with deep pockets aren't even subject to moral suasion in this province. Where is the outrage that Uniroyal Chemical could destroy a former trout creek permanently with hefty downstream loads of dioxins, DDT compounds and so much more virtually untouched and unremoved to this day? Where is the outrage that they could lie without consequences for twenty-five years about cleaning up our drinking water aquifers by 2028? Elmira citizens including myself publicly criticized those lying filth, one corrupt technical report after another for decades and not so much as Thank You, you were right, It's not being cleaned up properly.  Our incredibly compromised authorities from Woolwich Township to Regional Government, GRCA, MECP etc. have been deeply in bed with the polluters and their fellow travellors since the beginning. Our corrupt authorities have enabled this pollution, this lack of cleanup and this  false narrative that it was nobody's fault from the beginning. Many of our authorities hands are dirty whether from personal benefit by supporting Uniroyal Chemical and friends or dirty/bloody from being complicit in the unnecessary destruction of people's health and lives. 

Cancers are rampant among us and do you seriously think that Uniroyal's toxic chemical additives to air, surface water, groundwater and soil have not taken their toll locally? Perhaps as a token of our "gratitude" we should name a cancer wing at Grand River Hospital after the company. It would be fitting if it was dedicated by say Woolwich  mayor Sandy Shantz who has put her personal stamp upon greasing the wheels for Lanxess Canada's smooth landing in 2028.