HOW WERE THE APTE COORDINATORS SO GULLIBLE ABOUT DNAPLS CONSIDERING EVERYTHING?

 

After I switched over to the Uniroyal Public Advisory Committee (UPAC) from the Varnicolor Liason Committee (VCL) in 1992 one of the first things I did was expose Brian Beatty's ridiculous 10% concentration rule. He had taken  out of context hydrogeologist Stan Feenstra's research allegedly showing  that DNAPLs could be present in the sub-surface anytime that groundwater concentrations of a chlorinated solvent (DNAPL) equalled or exceeded 10% of the compound's aqueous solubility. In fact Mr. Feenstra's research showed that the actual percentage was only 1% not 10% as Mr. Beatty (Morrison-Beatty) claimed on behalf of Uniroyal Chemical. Mr. Feenstra actually wrote me a letter explaining this and criticizing Mr. Beatty for his behaviour.

Mr. Beatty was shortly thereafter "consolidated" by Dr. David Ash of Uniroyal Chemical . I received a nice little award signed by numerous APTE coordinators for my efforts and discovery.  In hindsight I guess I should have taken that award along with me to remind the APTE coordinators at the January 1994 meeting at Sylvia's house but I guess I thought that might be a little tacky. Almost as if I didn't trust their judgement, memories etc. In hindsight I had no idea of the politics and corruption going on with Sylvia and Uniroyal Chemical.  

She had zero interest in debating DNAPLS at that meeting and turned it into a "Do you trust me as your co-leader meeting."  Susan Bryant was in India at the time with her husband. The APTE coordinators basically didn't have a clue about DNAPLS and sided with Sylvia. Rich Clausi, myself and a few days later Esther Thur all left APTE. All I wanted from that meeting was for APTE to stand up and say publicly that DNAPLS are an issue and just because the Ministry of Environment has rolled over to Uniroyal's interests, APTE has not. 

The APTE coordinators essentially in hindsight right there gave up the fight to Uniroyal and the M.O.E.  I knew it was a major screwup by APTE but only later on understood what was going on behind the scenes and how crucially APTE needed to oppose the DNAPL non cleanup plan.