For decades the on-site pumping rates at PW4 and PW5 (originally PW1, PW3 and PW4) were set at 4.9 litres per second while the total off-site pumping was around 53 litres per second. We were advised that increases in off-site pumping required increases in on-site pumping to prevent the off-site pumping from dragging contaminated groundwater off the Uniroyal/Crompton site and then further contaminating Elmira's municipal aquifers.
Similarly we were advised that decreases in off-site pumping could lessen the requirement of 4.9 litres per second needed to maintain hydraulic containment on site or in other words to prevent contaminated groundwater being pulled off-site by the many pumping wells in the Elmira Municipal Aquifers.
This is but one of the reasons that Mayor Shantz, Chemtura/Lanxess and the Ministry of Environment cheerfully cleaned house (CPAC) in September 2015. They did not want continuity nor consistency. They had made promises and commitments that they were breaking and knew that they would continue to break. It is amazing how blatant professional liars will manipulate and lie even more to avoid getting caught red handed in their initial lies when they want to change course. It's even so much easier not to have to explain these 180 degree changes in procedures at all.
The February 2025 Progress Report shows a total on-site pumping of 2.4 litres per second less than half of what has been required for decades. Meanwhile the total off-site pumping is 57.4 litres per second. Perhaps for one month this would not be a crisis but when it's been going on for the last few years it is. I believe that all guilty parties have thrown in the towel and are intentionally simply going through the "cleanup" motions. In fact they are effectively speeding up the "cleanup" only of the former Uniroyal site by assisting contaminated groundwater to migrate off-site.
To answer the question in the title above I would suggest that they were lying when it suited them and have never stopped.
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