"THE CLEANUP IS A SHAM" ... PUT ON A BANNER ON THE ROOF OF MY CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF THE OLD ELMIRA ARENA BACK IN THE 1990s

 

Lanxess, the MECP and Woolwich Township are idiots. All it's going to take is one bit of human or mechanical breakdown and the you know what will hit the fan big time. One serious, toxic air emission, one fire and explosion, one release of health data for either Elmira citizens or downstream, Mennonite farm families; any of that will trigger the simmering public outrage .  Even the upcoming "mandated" 2028 cleanup date may pull the trigger. 

I was advised this week that the long delayed and debated Hawkridge Homes may be breaking ground. Apparently equipment is being mobilized and taken to the site on Union St. across from Lanxess Canada, CCC (Sulco) and the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). Geez what a metaphor for how our politicians view those with modest incomes and assets. Here let us build affordable housing in the least possible attractive locations. Tractor trailer traffic no problem. Middle of the night trains shunting back and forth no problem. Chemical odours and emissions no problem. Fires and explosions, been there and done that therefore no problem. Septic type odours from the STP when the wind direction changes, no problem. Of course it's no problem to the planners, politicians or developers...none of them are going to live there.

Back to my banner decades ago. I was protesting a couple of particular issues such as DNAPLS which were being swept under the carpet. Deceit and dishonesty by Uniroyal Chemical and their consultants and friends was upsetting me. I couldn't believe the brass, the nerve and the blatant lying going on with only a very few citizens attending and speaking up against it. This included Dr. Henry Regier, Esther Thur , Rich Clausi, Susan Bryant etc. At that point I had not extrapolated the deceit and lying going on over some issues as being indicative of the entire plan being focused on appearances not facts.  I stated that the cleanup was a sham but not in my wildest imagination did I believe that indeed that was the big picture. The big plan was simply talk, delay, talk, delay, delay. delay until citizen activists were dead or senile. New, more amenable, more deferential, more "professional" citizens could be coercred into joining the alleged public consultation. Perhaps I should rename TRAC from Totally Rotten and Corrupt to Technical,  Remediation And Cheerleading. It fits well.