SELECTIVE EVIDENCE USED IN ELMIRA
A map would be helpful but at the moment I can't provide that. Basically we have a grossly contaminated area of shallow soil and water at Uniroyal/Chemtura and another one at the old Varnicolor Chemical site bounded by First St., Union St. and Howard Ave. In the deeper Municipal Aquifer we have NDMA, Chlorobenzene, Ammonia and dozens of other chemicals. Astoundingly, contrary to most normal distributions of contaminants, Chlororbenzene concentrations rise from Chemtura southwards towards the water tower as does Ammonia. Similarily in the MU, NDMA rises even further south in the vicinity of Oriole Parkway and Industrial Dr. What is lacking is monitoring of the shallow groundwater from Chemtura southwards. By intentionally not doing this, they have sucessfully eliminated the possibility of Borg, Varnicolor or anyone else being implicated for anything other than localized pollution. Furthermore by focusing for twenty years on NDMA and Chlorobenzene (& Ammonia ) we have all but forgotten all the other chemicals which had been found in the south wellfield (E7/E9). These chemicals included Cyclohexlamine, Fluorene, xylene, anthracene and more. Until and unless the Ontario M.O.E. do a real hydrogeological study of Borg & Varnicolor, both shallow and deep, including soil and groundwater monitoring, we will be left knowing that the M.O.E. cut a deal with Uniroyal twenty years ago to accept all the blame for the destruction of the Elmira aquifer. What was Uniroyal/Chemtura's price? How badly did the taxpayers get shafted? Who at the M.O.E. was involved in this coverup? Did this coverup go right to the top? One senior M.O.E. officer got fired for protecting Varnicolor Chemical. Were there other M.O.E. officers protecting Varnicolor or even Uniroyal? Why was Borg given a free pass without a serious investigation? Why to this day, despite a Control Order demanding a deep investigation at Varnicolor, has it never been done? Why did M.O.E. officers lie by initially claiming there were no buried drums of chemicals on Varnicolor's Lot 91?
In my humble opinion these questions deserve honest answers not just for the benefit of cleaning up the Elmira Aquifer but for the benefit of cleaning up the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. A cleanup of the M.O.E. could positively affect the rest of the province and is long overdue.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
A LITTLE TINY TIDBIT OF THE CHEMISTRY BEHIND NDMA
The following is my report presented to (and ignored by) CPAC late last November. I recently came across a very relevant quote on the North Perth Advocate website (the link is on the right side of the page). Aldous Huxley was quoted as follows: "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." I also wish to advise my readers that there will be more posted here in the near future regarding both precursers, breakdown products and other compounds related to NDMA. These include compounds used in and by textile manufacturers, foundries and industries producing surfactants, soaps and detergents, all former (or current) businesses here in Elmira.
CPAC MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 2010
Delegation by Alan Marshall of the Elmira Environmental Hazards Team
The details including scholarly references regarding the following information I am presenting are all on line, both as stand alone reports as well as in summarized form on my Elmira Advocate website.
The Travis-Agardy Report of July 29, 2010, while focusing on Trichloroethylene (TCE) also gives a historical review of synthetic (man made) organic chemicals, their fate and transport in the environment. This report essentially puts the lie to the excuses we here in Elmira as well as the rest of the country have been subjected to regarding the waste disposal methods employed by Safety-Kleen, Chemtura and so many other polluters. This report makes it clear that in ground waste disposal pits as well as lagooning were emphatically rejected as grossly unsafe in the 1800’s. These practices have quaintly been referred to by Conestoga Rovers, Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura as “historical” waste disposal methods which were the accepted practices of the day. The day being in the 1940’s through to 1970. These statements are complete nonsense and rubbish. Numerous documented cases in the last thirty –five years of the NINETEENTH century show that in ground waste pits and lagoons were responsible for numerous poisonings and drinking water contamination in several countries in Europe.
Further technical reports including “Contaminated Earth and Water: A Legacy of the Synthetic Dyestuffs Industry” clearly indicate that the next step in avoiding public condemnation and legal ramifications involved avoiding on site waste disposal by locating on significant rivers in order to dump, dilute and disperse toxic wastes downstream. This report and many others delve into the history of the synthetic dyes industry. They include references to bladder cancer being diagnosed as early as the 1890’s in the workforce at Hoechst Dyeworks in Frankfurt Germany. They refer to Azo dyes as being particularily problematic both as environmental pollutants and as the cause of health issues amongst dye workers. Certain Azo dyes indeed have been prohibited because they produce specific banned amines in their wastewater. Azo dyes have two Nitogen atoms joined by a double bond . Amines are a Nitogen and Hydrogen combination. Finally I’ve also found references to various methods of wastewater treatment that incredibly enough include the addition of DIMETHYLAMINE to the wastewater. Any follower of the pollution history of Elmira will already know that everything I’ve just described is screaming out the word N-Nitrosodimethylamine or NDMA. The synthetic dyestuffs industry ‘s products were used extensively in Elmira, much closer to the south wellfield than Chemtura are located. I am of course referring to the former Borg Textiles on Howard Ave. Between late 1989 and mid 1991 before a deal was cooked up, Uniroyal Chemical went so far as to offer to pay for a hydrogeological study focused on “other sources” of the NDMA contamination in Elmira.
Much to the shame of every party here in this room we have the knowledge of free phase Chlorobenzene , several hundred yards off the Chemtura site, without any public response or followup to my discovery and presentation of this information here at CPAC. We also have gradually building evidence and knowledge of a major pollution threat at Borg Textiles which may explain the historically high NDMA readings at well CH38, downgradient from Borg . Either or both of these probable sources will grossly, negatively impact an already compromised, behind schedule and frankly extremely unlikely cleanup of the Elmira Aquifer by 2028, much less ever.
Alan Marshall Elmira Environmental Hazards Team
November 22, 2010
The following is my report presented to (and ignored by) CPAC late last November. I recently came across a very relevant quote on the North Perth Advocate website (the link is on the right side of the page). Aldous Huxley was quoted as follows: "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." I also wish to advise my readers that there will be more posted here in the near future regarding both precursers, breakdown products and other compounds related to NDMA. These include compounds used in and by textile manufacturers, foundries and industries producing surfactants, soaps and detergents, all former (or current) businesses here in Elmira.
CPAC MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 2010
Delegation by Alan Marshall of the Elmira Environmental Hazards Team
The details including scholarly references regarding the following information I am presenting are all on line, both as stand alone reports as well as in summarized form on my Elmira Advocate website.
The Travis-Agardy Report of July 29, 2010, while focusing on Trichloroethylene (TCE) also gives a historical review of synthetic (man made) organic chemicals, their fate and transport in the environment. This report essentially puts the lie to the excuses we here in Elmira as well as the rest of the country have been subjected to regarding the waste disposal methods employed by Safety-Kleen, Chemtura and so many other polluters. This report makes it clear that in ground waste disposal pits as well as lagooning were emphatically rejected as grossly unsafe in the 1800’s. These practices have quaintly been referred to by Conestoga Rovers, Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura as “historical” waste disposal methods which were the accepted practices of the day. The day being in the 1940’s through to 1970. These statements are complete nonsense and rubbish. Numerous documented cases in the last thirty –five years of the NINETEENTH century show that in ground waste pits and lagoons were responsible for numerous poisonings and drinking water contamination in several countries in Europe.
Further technical reports including “Contaminated Earth and Water: A Legacy of the Synthetic Dyestuffs Industry” clearly indicate that the next step in avoiding public condemnation and legal ramifications involved avoiding on site waste disposal by locating on significant rivers in order to dump, dilute and disperse toxic wastes downstream. This report and many others delve into the history of the synthetic dyes industry. They include references to bladder cancer being diagnosed as early as the 1890’s in the workforce at Hoechst Dyeworks in Frankfurt Germany. They refer to Azo dyes as being particularily problematic both as environmental pollutants and as the cause of health issues amongst dye workers. Certain Azo dyes indeed have been prohibited because they produce specific banned amines in their wastewater. Azo dyes have two Nitogen atoms joined by a double bond . Amines are a Nitogen and Hydrogen combination. Finally I’ve also found references to various methods of wastewater treatment that incredibly enough include the addition of DIMETHYLAMINE to the wastewater. Any follower of the pollution history of Elmira will already know that everything I’ve just described is screaming out the word N-Nitrosodimethylamine or NDMA. The synthetic dyestuffs industry ‘s products were used extensively in Elmira, much closer to the south wellfield than Chemtura are located. I am of course referring to the former Borg Textiles on Howard Ave. Between late 1989 and mid 1991 before a deal was cooked up, Uniroyal Chemical went so far as to offer to pay for a hydrogeological study focused on “other sources” of the NDMA contamination in Elmira.
Much to the shame of every party here in this room we have the knowledge of free phase Chlorobenzene , several hundred yards off the Chemtura site, without any public response or followup to my discovery and presentation of this information here at CPAC. We also have gradually building evidence and knowledge of a major pollution threat at Borg Textiles which may explain the historically high NDMA readings at well CH38, downgradient from Borg . Either or both of these probable sources will grossly, negatively impact an already compromised, behind schedule and frankly extremely unlikely cleanup of the Elmira Aquifer by 2028, much less ever.
Alan Marshall Elmira Environmental Hazards Team
November 22, 2010
Saturday, February 5, 2011
SAFETY-KLEEN EXPANSION GATHERS STEAM
I am slowly receiving documents that were promised to me at the Mediation meeting with the Ontario Municipal Board last month. These include a Stormwater Management Report and a Geotechnical Investigation Report. There were no huge surprises as this data merely confirmed suspicions that I already had. For example it seems as if both on site creeks and man made drains have been moved about, on and near the Safety-Kleen site, more or less as desired by either Safety-kleen or their neighbour Forwell Sand and Gravel. One of these documents from the Grand River Conservation Authority even suggests that the location of the Breslau Drain is inaccurate on their documents and hence they the GRCA will change their documents to reflect the reality. Unexplained is how this happened.
In regards to development of this contaminated area, a number of boreholes were drilled to determine soil conditions for construction purposes. Page one of the Geotechnical Report has the following to say: "No boreholes were completed in the center area of the site, to avoid excavation of the contaminated soils in the known plume." Wow, one must at least respect their brass and honesty in this respect. Overall it appears as if the buildings and Storm Water Pond are being carefully built to avoid the worst contaminated areas which will then be covered with gravel and asphalt and or concrete. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND syndrome is alive and well. Fourty plus years of waiting and allowing these contaminants to leach and drain into the Grand River apparently isn't good enough for this company or the Ministry of the Environment. The partial and minimal cleanup proposed will ensure that this leaching and draining continues on. This is the dirty little secret of most MOE cleanup plans. They rely on natural degradation, dilution and downstream dispersal paid for by the health of the natural environment, human health and taxpayers money.
I am slowly receiving documents that were promised to me at the Mediation meeting with the Ontario Municipal Board last month. These include a Stormwater Management Report and a Geotechnical Investigation Report. There were no huge surprises as this data merely confirmed suspicions that I already had. For example it seems as if both on site creeks and man made drains have been moved about, on and near the Safety-Kleen site, more or less as desired by either Safety-kleen or their neighbour Forwell Sand and Gravel. One of these documents from the Grand River Conservation Authority even suggests that the location of the Breslau Drain is inaccurate on their documents and hence they the GRCA will change their documents to reflect the reality. Unexplained is how this happened.
In regards to development of this contaminated area, a number of boreholes were drilled to determine soil conditions for construction purposes. Page one of the Geotechnical Report has the following to say: "No boreholes were completed in the center area of the site, to avoid excavation of the contaminated soils in the known plume." Wow, one must at least respect their brass and honesty in this respect. Overall it appears as if the buildings and Storm Water Pond are being carefully built to avoid the worst contaminated areas which will then be covered with gravel and asphalt and or concrete. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND syndrome is alive and well. Fourty plus years of waiting and allowing these contaminants to leach and drain into the Grand River apparently isn't good enough for this company or the Ministry of the Environment. The partial and minimal cleanup proposed will ensure that this leaching and draining continues on. This is the dirty little secret of most MOE cleanup plans. They rely on natural degradation, dilution and downstream dispersal paid for by the health of the natural environment, human health and taxpayers money.
Friday, February 4, 2011
PROVINCIAL VERSUS MUNICIPAL POLITICS
Tomorrow's Woolwich Observer (out today) describes the Cultural Heritage Landscape designation proposed for West Montrose that was discussed at Tuesday evening's public meeting held in Woolwich Council Chambers. In particular I enjoyed Steve Kannon's editorial (pg. 12) particularily his analysis of where the gravel pit application(s) are currently at. Steve suggests that under the current arangements, there is little in the way of incentive or positive outcomes which would encourage municipalities to readily accept, much less encourage local gravel extraction. He is absolutely correct. The norm is for the municipalities costs to rise via road maintenance, their citizens quality of life to fall and the environment, here in Waterloo Region that often being the Grand River to suffer negative consequences. Why then do local councils so routinely agree to gravel pit applications albeit with token unenforced "conditions" put on them? The answer is in the old political maxim " Lower tiers of government should not provoke or antagonize higher tiers of government". The reasons for this include higher levels of government (Provincial/Federal) tending to remember who's been naughty versus who's been nice at grant allocation time. Secondly any municipal politician with higher ambitions wanting a party nomination to run provincially or federally had better play nice with these folks ahead of time. For the last number of decades our municipal politicians here in Woolwich have played ball with their provincial counterparts to the extreme detriment of the local citizens. At long last we have a Council who may actually put the interests of Woolwich citizens ahead of their own and ahead of their provincial counterparts.
Tomorrow's Woolwich Observer (out today) describes the Cultural Heritage Landscape designation proposed for West Montrose that was discussed at Tuesday evening's public meeting held in Woolwich Council Chambers. In particular I enjoyed Steve Kannon's editorial (pg. 12) particularily his analysis of where the gravel pit application(s) are currently at. Steve suggests that under the current arangements, there is little in the way of incentive or positive outcomes which would encourage municipalities to readily accept, much less encourage local gravel extraction. He is absolutely correct. The norm is for the municipalities costs to rise via road maintenance, their citizens quality of life to fall and the environment, here in Waterloo Region that often being the Grand River to suffer negative consequences. Why then do local councils so routinely agree to gravel pit applications albeit with token unenforced "conditions" put on them? The answer is in the old political maxim " Lower tiers of government should not provoke or antagonize higher tiers of government". The reasons for this include higher levels of government (Provincial/Federal) tending to remember who's been naughty versus who's been nice at grant allocation time. Secondly any municipal politician with higher ambitions wanting a party nomination to run provincially or federally had better play nice with these folks ahead of time. For the last number of decades our municipal politicians here in Woolwich have played ball with their provincial counterparts to the extreme detriment of the local citizens. At long last we have a Council who may actually put the interests of Woolwich citizens ahead of their own and ahead of their provincial counterparts.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
ELMIRA SEEMS TO BE POPULAR FOR GREEN COMPANIES AND WANNABEES
Today's posting is primarily in regards to a green company here in Elmira, namely Wind Simplicity. My comment on "wannabees" is in reference to local companies who may or may not be "green" but certainly their operations have become problematic in one way or the other. Local examples would include Varnicolor Chemical, Scavenger Recycling, Rothsay Concentrates, Terra Care, Sunfire and Flametech. Recently we've seen a geothermal technology company in town as well as an expansion at the Elmira Stove Works into solar panels. These last two are excellent examples of what we'd like to see more of.
Yesterday's Elmira Independent carries an article titled "Wind Simplicity wins provincial recycling award" written by Chuck Kuepfer. Apparently their wind turbine design is different and superior to others on the market, hence their provincial award. Again this is the kind of innovation that we would all like to see Elmira and area become famous for rather than some of our older and dirtier technologies such as Chemtura.
Today's posting is primarily in regards to a green company here in Elmira, namely Wind Simplicity. My comment on "wannabees" is in reference to local companies who may or may not be "green" but certainly their operations have become problematic in one way or the other. Local examples would include Varnicolor Chemical, Scavenger Recycling, Rothsay Concentrates, Terra Care, Sunfire and Flametech. Recently we've seen a geothermal technology company in town as well as an expansion at the Elmira Stove Works into solar panels. These last two are excellent examples of what we'd like to see more of.
Yesterday's Elmira Independent carries an article titled "Wind Simplicity wins provincial recycling award" written by Chuck Kuepfer. Apparently their wind turbine design is different and superior to others on the market, hence their provincial award. Again this is the kind of innovation that we would all like to see Elmira and area become famous for rather than some of our older and dirtier technologies such as Chemtura.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
CULTURAL HERITAGE LANDSCAPE DISCUSSION & MEETING
This occurred last night at 7 pm. in the Woolwich Council Chambers. There was an excellent turnout from my former neighbours, the residents of West Montrose and area. Woolwich Staff began by describing the background to the CHL designation. They then further described many elements of the area which indeed qualify it as deserving of the Cultural Heritage Landscape designation. Finally their conclusion and recommendation to Council is that the West Montrose area should be so designated.
There were seven speakers from the audience who all enthusiastically endorsed staff's report and position. At the same time Councillor Bauman and Mayor Cowan as well as three of the speakers expressed the need to know unequivocally that the CHL designation while having major significance towards new "development" would not affect either on farm building nor individual residential additions or improvements. In my opinion staff clearly answered this by differentiating between existing homes and farm businesses versus new "development" be it industrial, aggregate or residential.
I am hopeful that last night's meeting will see this CHL designation go ahead with nearly unanimous support of the local residents.
This occurred last night at 7 pm. in the Woolwich Council Chambers. There was an excellent turnout from my former neighbours, the residents of West Montrose and area. Woolwich Staff began by describing the background to the CHL designation. They then further described many elements of the area which indeed qualify it as deserving of the Cultural Heritage Landscape designation. Finally their conclusion and recommendation to Council is that the West Montrose area should be so designated.
There were seven speakers from the audience who all enthusiastically endorsed staff's report and position. At the same time Councillor Bauman and Mayor Cowan as well as three of the speakers expressed the need to know unequivocally that the CHL designation while having major significance towards new "development" would not affect either on farm building nor individual residential additions or improvements. In my opinion staff clearly answered this by differentiating between existing homes and farm businesses versus new "development" be it industrial, aggregate or residential.
I am hopeful that last night's meeting will see this CHL designation go ahead with nearly unanimous support of the local residents.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
AN EPIPHANY MOMENT: COULD WE HAVE VAPOUR INTRUSION IN ELMIRA?
In the last year and a half plus I've written articles and presented them at public CPAC meetings as well as here in the Elmira Advocate (since last May), dealing with "other" sources of contamination to the Municipal Aquifer. For many years my understanding was that the Municipal Aquifers flowed mostly southerly in Elmira and the Upper Aquifer (UA) flowed to and discharged into Canagagigue Creek. Although technically correct what has since become clearer is that the UA has a groundwater divide. In other words as the surface of the ground dips and slopes towards the creek so does the underlying UA. Further away from the creek the UA also flows in a southerly direction as does the deeper aquifers. The significance is that if Varnicolor or Borg or any other sources south of Uniroyal (Chemtura) have contaminated the deeper Municipal Aquifer (MU) they've firstly contaminated the shallower UA. This shallow contamination with solvents of many kinds is what can possibly cause vapour intrusion into the basements of homes or businesses.
Cambridge literally has several hundred homes with this problem, all downgradient in the shallow aquifer (UA). There the culprit is Trichloroethylene (TCE) which is a very volatile solvent. Here we did have TCE in the groundwater courtesy of Varnicolor Chemical. Whether all the other solvents from Varnicolor or possibly Borg could volatolize into a gas and then move through the soil into basements would need to be tested. The fact is that we have many shallow wells south of Uniroyal and Varnicolor but they are NOT routinely tested. I've recently examined the Annual Monitoring Reports for 1996 (A.M.R. #15), 2000 (#19) and 2009 (#28). None of these have had the shallow wells from Howard Ave. south or southwest tested.
My conclusion is that when we finally get around to this testing, if indeed there are solvents in the shallow aquifer, then the obvious next step is to take air/gas readings in the basements of businesses and houses nearby. Maybe we'll get lucky, maybe not.
In the last year and a half plus I've written articles and presented them at public CPAC meetings as well as here in the Elmira Advocate (since last May), dealing with "other" sources of contamination to the Municipal Aquifer. For many years my understanding was that the Municipal Aquifers flowed mostly southerly in Elmira and the Upper Aquifer (UA) flowed to and discharged into Canagagigue Creek. Although technically correct what has since become clearer is that the UA has a groundwater divide. In other words as the surface of the ground dips and slopes towards the creek so does the underlying UA. Further away from the creek the UA also flows in a southerly direction as does the deeper aquifers. The significance is that if Varnicolor or Borg or any other sources south of Uniroyal (Chemtura) have contaminated the deeper Municipal Aquifer (MU) they've firstly contaminated the shallower UA. This shallow contamination with solvents of many kinds is what can possibly cause vapour intrusion into the basements of homes or businesses.
Cambridge literally has several hundred homes with this problem, all downgradient in the shallow aquifer (UA). There the culprit is Trichloroethylene (TCE) which is a very volatile solvent. Here we did have TCE in the groundwater courtesy of Varnicolor Chemical. Whether all the other solvents from Varnicolor or possibly Borg could volatolize into a gas and then move through the soil into basements would need to be tested. The fact is that we have many shallow wells south of Uniroyal and Varnicolor but they are NOT routinely tested. I've recently examined the Annual Monitoring Reports for 1996 (A.M.R. #15), 2000 (#19) and 2009 (#28). None of these have had the shallow wells from Howard Ave. south or southwest tested.
My conclusion is that when we finally get around to this testing, if indeed there are solvents in the shallow aquifer, then the obvious next step is to take air/gas readings in the basements of businesses and houses nearby. Maybe we'll get lucky, maybe not.
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