HAROLD ALBRECHT (MP) CORRESPONDS WITH THE CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (CIAC)

The topic of course is in regards to Chemtura Canada. CPAC has also been corresponding with MP Harold Albrecht on matters concerning Chemtura. Basically the *Responsible Care verification is upcoming and Chemtura have been refusing to be clear for months as to what their plans are including who will be on the possible verification team. In the past Chemtura (& the CIAC) have stacked this team in Chemtura's favour and still had difficulties. The last verification indeed required a "do over" in order for Chemtura to get verified.

Recently a CPAC member located Minutes of a CIAC meeting on-line in which both a Chemtura rep and a former CPAC member misrepresented the facts. The CIAC had been notified by the CPAC Chair and then Mr. Albrecht got involved. Personally I'm hardly holding my breathe for a loyal Tory backbencher to do anything at all about Chemtura's local sordid behaviour. Similarily the CIAC seem to feel they are better served with Chemtura as a member than they are tarnished by their membership. Let's see exactly how long that attitude continues.

GRAVEL PITS ARE COSTING WOOLWICH TIME, GRIEF AND BIG MONEY

Last Thursday's Elmira Independent carrys two stories regarding local gravel pits. They are "OMB costs reach $452,000" and "Winterbourne residents advocate against Jigs Hollow Pit application". The first article indicates that Woolwich Township spent $376,538.20 fighting the proposed Hunder Pit at the Ontario Muncipal Board. The second article is in regards to the still ongoing attempts to operate the Jigs Hollow Pit nearest to Winterbourne. Sonya Sommerville and Jan Huissoon both gave presentations at Woolwich Council highlighting the dangers of a below water table gravel pit. This below water table condition is a new one as the original plan and permission was only for an above water table gravel pit. Woolwich Township had wisely in hindsight put a holding provision on the original approved application, making any change to below water table a trigger to bring the whole matter back before Council. Personally I am doubtful that this Council will be as careful regarding gravel pits approval as the last one was. Time will tell.

IS MARK BAUMAN GOING TO REVERSE HIMSELF & SUPPORT CHEMTURA'S EAST SIDE "INVESTIGATION"

Why do I think that Councillor Mark Bauman is yet again going to be caught talking out of both sides of his mouth? Could it be his publicly stated position that an independent investigation of the Stroh property is required? To date Mark has not advised CPAC or SWAT as to what he thinks about Conestoga Rovers "East Side Surficial Soil and Groundwater Investigation Plan" dated January 2015. To date I have posted comments twice this month here describing errors and flaws in the report.

There are many ways to fudge technical reports and Conestoga Rovers being the professionals they are, know them all. The most blatant and yet difficult to catch would be the initial fudging of either soil or water samples at the source. Composite sampling seems to me to be one such way while pretending to be collecting more "representative" samples. While the analysis is carefully done by independent labs (allegedly) with strict chain of custody protocols, the taking of samples in the field, not so much. This is a glaring weakness in the already grossly strained credibility gap surrounding Conestoga Rovers and their client Chemtura, Canada.

Fudging of the Conclusions of technical reports is one of the easiest methods to better "adjust" any negative findings that an impartial analysis of the data would provide. CRA are masters of this and I have so stated for years in my critiques of their reports. Perhaps another easy way to predetermine that you don't have a problem is by the initial "Work Plan". If you can scope or limit exactly what you are looking at in order to minimize negative results then you are three quarters of the way home before you even write your final report stating that there is no problem.

CRA's "East Side Surficial Soil and Groundwater Investigation Plan" is a crock. Chemtura and the M.O.E. skipped the January 2015 public CPAC meeting even though I had partially presented the case at Woolwich Council indicating they had excavated in the wrong place for the alleged GP1 remediation. I advised that further details and documentation would be provided at the January 29/15 CPAC meeting. No show by the guilty parties. Again at the upcoming CPAC meeting (February 26/15) there will be discussion about CRA's proposed "Investigation Plan". I don't expect Councillor Bauman to be present but if he is I fully expect he will reverse himself and suddenly see wonderful things in this horribly inadequate and intentionally flawed plan.

PLAYING THE GAME: THE USE AND ABUSE OF POLITICAL POWER: ARE MARK & SANDY IN BED WITH CHEMTURA?

Is there a legitimate reason that citizens generally hold lawyers and politicians in less esteem than used car salesmen? If I could think of a better comparison I would because in my opinion the percentage of ethical used car salesmen is probably ten times higher than for lawyers and fifteen times higher than for politicians.

Good politicians in bed with the powerful must talk out of both sides of their mouths. They must constantly be selling bad decisions as good ones to the public. They must be reinterpreting issues so as to avoid the reality and focus on the unlikely. Out of necessity they must discredit honest and good people. Most of it they do prior to any confrontation and behind the scenes. Such as experienced politicians leading a new Council down the garden path.

A real politician must always be in character. No matter how outrageous and ridiculous their position they must continue selling the lie. Win or lose they will always insist that it was for the benefit of the public. For example when was the last time you heard any politician at the federal level admit that the past numerous free trade agreements sold Canadian manufacturing and workers down the toilet and over to Asia?

One of the honest Woolwich politicians repeated the lie he was told, to me. He stated that because CPAC wasn't working the new Council were trying out new things in order to fix CPAC. Do you think that Mark for example would tell this Councillor that the destroyer of our groundwater was personally offended at repeatedly being exposed as a liar by CPAC & SWAT? Not likely. Keep in mind that here in these pages I call a spade a spade. At public CPAC meetings the CPAC Chair appropriately would not tolerate the "L" word hence I don't use it. All the claims by Sandy and Mark that CPAC are rude or abusive are blatant lies. Yes I have little tolerance or respect for Chemtura and the Ontario M.O.E. nor should I. I, however am not a CPAC member and with the likes of Mark and Sandy ruling the roost probably won't be. That is to the everlasting shame of the local Council allegedly insisting on cleaning up their groundwater.

Mark and Sandy are in bed with Chemtura. Whether jobs, corporate donations, tax revenue, threats or other reasons honest or otherwise they are tucked in nicely with Chemtura. Hence on Chemtura's behalf they are attacking the character and credibility of the best CPAC this Township has ever had. This is why over the last couple of weeks I've gone on the offensive, single handedly. I have lodged formal complaints against the township with the Ontario Ombudsman and I have also contacted the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs... . I have also in e-mails and here spelled out my opinion, based upon the facts as I know them, that Sandy and Mark are purposely undermining CPAC both at Council and in the Elmira Independent last week. I find their behaviour cowardly, disgusting and reprehensible.

TWO DISHONEST WOOLWICH COUNCILLORS ARE INFLUENCING THREE HONEST ONES

First off let me say that the third honest Councillor I am referring to is Larry Shantz. I need to clarify by stating that I assume people are honest until proven otherwise. I've met Larry on a couple of occasions and I would describe him as affable, sociable and pleasant. The fact is I don't know butkus about his honesty, backbone, intelligence etc..

Patrick Merlihan and Scott Hahn I believe are the other two honest individuals on Woolwich Council. I've talked to Scott on a few occasions and while once in writing he got his back up about my written comments he was straightforward and direct. Further discussions between us have been thought provoking and interesting. I have high hopes for his continued career in municipal politics provided he can stomache the lying and deceit that goes with it. My apologies to past Councillor Bonnie Bryant who I am about to quote. She advised me that in the last four years she had been lied to more than in her entire life. She did not elaborate as to whether the lying was from fellow councillors, staff or the public.

My opinion of Patrick is based upon knowing him most indirectly through the pages of the Woolwich Observer. Yes I have spoken to him also only on a couple of occasions but I must say that similar to Scott, as my Ward One Councillor, he is very approachable and we have communicated by e-mail. Patrick is a co-owner of the Woolwich Observer. On the negative side their lack of coverage of CPAC over the last decade has been a disservice to the residents of Woolwich. On the plus side they have an Editor (Steve Kannon) whom I view as truly extraordinary.

Hypocrisy abounds. I have been accused by truth challenged, axe grinding individuals of singlehandedly leading CPAC by the nose. This includes in a poorly written, rushed to print book, sardonically renamed "The Saga of Susan" by a well informed friend of mine. These lies in the book have included some by Bill Bardswick, the recently retired Director of the West Central Region of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.).

Woolwich Mayors are full time and well paid to be so. Councillors on the other hand have outside jobs to support them as their Council jobs pay poorly and hence are by necessity part time. Being only part time, delegating of responsibilities is vital. Hence the ward system. Interesting that the biggest proponent of change for CPAC (other then Chemtura) is the Councillor for St. Jacobs, Mark Bauman. He is being listened to along with the Mayor because he has been a CPAC member for three years and has many terms of Council under his belt.

Bauman and Shantz are deceiving Council. They are providing inaccurate and false information regarding the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC). Mark is definitely doing this intentionally in order to help Chemtura and the M.O.E. survive the shocking recent revelations of the MTE Consultants Report and the discovery of the Stroh Drain. Mark with full support and gratitude of Chemtura and their corrupt regulator (M.O.E.) is beginning the process of returning CPAC to its' former role as a concession granting cheerleader for them. Sandy has a magnificent future as a politician with the package she presents as a friendly, honest, pleasant but experienced at leadership, individual. That is the problem. I no longer believe that she is honest but naive. She knows exactly what she is doing and for whose benefit and it is not for the benefit of the public. It is specifically to assist Chemtura in their longterm goal of avoiding an expensive cleanup prior to their abandoning the Elmira site. Chemtura have a horrid environmental reputation south of the border (see yesterday's post) and have sucessfully stalled and delayed here for twenty-five years. Thank you very much Mark Bauman. You have been a significant part of that for a very long time.

CASE SUMMARY: EPA FUNDED SITES AND COMMUNITIES IN THE CHEMTURA BANKRUPTCY SETTLEMENTS

I was e-mailed the above titled report. The first sentence is as follows "The 2010 bankruptcy settlements between the U.S. and Chemtura provide for the payment of funds in connection with 18 sites and facilities throughout the country. The payments for these sites will address a wide variety of environmental contamination.".

Indeed these 18 sites are all over the country. Many appear to be landfills in which Chemtura over the years dumped toxic wastes including liquid toxic wastes. Just like in Elmira, Ontario. The corporation however got away with a fire sale. There are some payments to the U.S. government in the low millions of dollars and there are many more literally of two and three thousand dollars only.

The point for me is that their site here in Elmira is no aberration; it is no anomaly. Their claims of historic and accepted waste handling practices of the time are ingenuous. They've been polluting other human beings air and water and soil across the continent for 3/4 of a century. They have always known exactly what they were doing. Yes it is possible that some of the regulators and authorities along the way have played ball with them, to their everlasting shame.

When will our provincial regulator develop some spine and when will our local politicians also follow suit? You would think the local politicians who live here would be the ones to step up but it is a rarity.

TWO MEMBERS OF WOOLWICH COUNCIL ARE MESSING UP BIG TIME

Last Thursday I posted that the Elmira Independent had reported in detail on the January 29/15 CPAC meeting. While Gail Martin did her job in reporting comments by both sides; here and now is the time and place to advise who was speaking truth and who was blowing smoke.

Way too much emphasis has been placed upon my so called interrogation of Jeff Merriman. Way too little emphasis has been placed upon the astounding satellite appearence of what may be some type of groundwater collection trench diverting contaminated groundwater from Chemtura/Uniroyal onto the Stroh property. Talk about incompetent people throwing the baby out with the bath water! The issue is not my alleged lack of polite questioning skills; the issue is whether or not both the M.O.E. and Chemtura have broken every possible environmental law there is by doing such a thing.

Mark Bauman claims that he and the Mayor are not "negotiating" with Chemtura. He claims they are in "discussions". There is nothing to discuss other than the Township's support of CPAC and Chemtura's unconditional return. Why should the party who cut and ran and are still releasing Dioxins and DDT into our creek (the Gig) be receiving concessions from the Township to return to CPAC? These concessions by the way are simply a backdoor method to get rid of yours truly who Chemtura rightly or wrongly view as their biggest threat.

Mark Bauman recently stated at a Working Session meeting of CPAC & SWAT that his opinion was that CPAC's professionalism and manner had been fine for the three years he was at CPAC with the one exception being the October 2014 meeting. Then at the January 29/15 meeting he answered the same question from Chair Dr. Dan by stating "there has been disrespect at the meetings". Note meetings as in plural. Mark you are talking through both sides of your mouth. Mark also stated Chemtura has stopped attending due "..to the behaviour of members of the committee.". That sir is a damned lie! Yes I have little respect or tolerance for the lying of either Chemtura or the M.O.E. but I am not a CPAC member. CPAC members have been professional and respectful in the face of blatant lying and disrespect by both the M.O.E. and Chemtura over the last four years.

Mark who was not present at the October meeting also used the following words to describe CPAC's behaviour namely "badger, interrogate and insult". I called him on that as it was another lie. The Minutes substantiate my position that CPAC were professional and at worst my questions to Jeff while "cordial", as admitted by Jeff, nevertheless were one after the other and were very detailed. My bad!

Mayor Shantz again agreed there was nothing wrong with the questions I asked; but then stated they should not be asked in a way that is not respectful or professional. News flash Sandy! Not all of us are professionals! I am an honest citizen doing my best to expose the lies of Chemtura and the M.O.E.. I am extremely knowledgable on this matter. You are not. I think you should as Dr. Henry Regier suggests quit deflecting and distracting from the important matters. Do you view that as your job discription Sandy?

David Brenneman also opened his mouth with inaccurate comments about deja-vue. Really David? Do you mean me or CPAC? Are you incapable of differentiating between the two? Are you nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Mayor of the moment including the last disgraced one whom you also supported constantly? Your personal self-serving and ingratiating comments to the Mayor are irrelevant to the Chemtura/M.O.E. issues.

Finally Mark again made two more false statements. He stated that "all of us have said things we regret (at CPAC meetings). Speak for yourself Mark. Secondly he stated "We don't want to lose what we've gained by alienating them". Such complete drivel and nonsense. CPAC have not "alienated" anyone. Mark and Sandy however are sucessfully "alienating" CPAC and SWAT with their attempts to divert and deflect the real issues by claiming that Chemtura's and the M.O.E.'s self-serving retreat from public CPAC meetings is even remotely CPAC's fault. Shame on Mayor Shantz and Councillor Bauman. This is the real Mark Bauman who's been hiding in plain sight for years talkng out of both sides of his mouth.