THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT

As expected Mr. Hooker is becoming someewhat less of an admired character as the book "Love Canal" by Richard S. Newman unfolds. That said what I view as one of the biggest sins, that of lying, to date does not seem to apply to Mr. Hooker. He was pro conservation, pro development, pro industry but it appears as if he was up front with both the school board and the City of Niagara Falls in regards to the perils of the chemical dumpsite in the former Love Canal. Also I must conclude that there was quite a branching out of products from the original chloride of lime and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda). One does not end up with Mirex, Dioxins and P.C.B.s in the Hooker chemical dump otherwise.

To date I have read but one reference to Conestoga Rovers namely: "And so, after hiring the respected Canadian firm of Conestoga-Rovers to install a tile drainage system, local authorities felt they were done with the relatively minor Love Canal problem.". That's it so far. There have been a couple of references to toxic wastes creeping through the sewer systems. The impression I had as per yesterday's post was that this mobilization of wastes (leachate?) occurred later on in the process. At least that is the recollection I have from Mr. Quigley of CRA albeit he did not seem particularily happy to be asked questions about Love Canal at a public CPAC meeting.

One of the biggest differences between the Love Canal subdivision and Elmira, Ontario was that a health survey was done very early in the process. Miscarriages and birth defects were front and centre. People, especially children were constantly sick from diseases that were mystifying local doctors. Another difference was the quantity of toxic wastes buried in the Love Canal. They were far less than they are here in Elmira, Ontario on the Uniroyal/Chemtura property.

The Region of Waterloo are far from immune to these environmental crises. While Elmira and the Bishop St. community in Cambridge sufferred due to contaminated groundwater both the homeowners around the Ottawa St. Landfill in Kitchener and those on Ralgreen Cres. were harmed by toxic dumps. Houses were abandoned around the Ottawa St. Landfill and some cleanup as well as relocation occurred at Ralgreen Cres. In my opinion the biggest health disaster by far occurred with the Bishop St. community in Cambridge, Ontario. The Regional Health Department, the City of Cambridge and the Ontario Ministry of Environment all did a spectacular public relations job. Everything else was too little and too late with citizens and residents paying a severe health price to the point that some did not recover.

LOVE CANAL LESSONS HERE?

Firstly I'm not finished reading the book titled "Love Canal". The sub-title is "A Toxic History From Colonial Times To The Present" and is written by Richard S. Newman. The sub-title is certainly being explained in detail through the early parts of the book. Indeed a French explorer first laid eyes on the Niagara Falls area in 1669. In essence we are advised that the entire area from Lake Erie along the Niagara River downstream to Lake Ontario has been viewed as nothing more than a huge economic, business and industrial opportunity since the 17th century.

Currently I am enjoying the primarily positive things being written about Elon Hooker the founder of Hooker Chemicals of Love Canal fame/infamy. I suspect that as the book continues there may be a touch of criticism regarding his waste disposal decisions as well as his branching out from his original products and marketing plan.

I also expect to read about Conestoga Rovers work done here whether on behalf of the residents or more likely on behalf of either Hooker Chemicals or of various governments. Of course the so called resettlement of Love Canal will also be of great interest to me. A few short years back we had Steve Quigley of CRA advise us at a CPAC meeting that the later problems at Love Canal had to do with creeping toxic wastes via the sewer system. Interesting. He did seem a tad defensive on that one.

What I am particularily noticing is the overall social attitudes. It appears that everyday citizens from early on wanted to preserve the falls, the environment and the natural beauty of the area. On the other hand entrepreneurs, business men and industrialists all had great, magnificent plans of all shapes and sizes all intended to magnify their status, fame, wealth and power. Ahh the constant human condition. Not so strangely it appears that all the rules, regulations and laws favoured the latter primarily at the expense of the former. It is no different here with the unholy alliance between those with money and those democratically elected to govern on behalf of everybody, not just the influential.

HAS ONTARIO ABANDONED ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUPS ?

The Council of Canadians have sent out e-mail Notices advising that the Ontario government had turned down recommendations to clean up the mercury in the English-Wabigoon River System back in 1984. The recommendations came from both a scientific Steering Committee as well as from the then Minister of the Environment. Dr. John Rudd a key research scientist on the Steering Committee stated that "In 1984 my colleagues and I reported to the government that Grassy Narrows' fish would remain contaminated for generations if the river was not cleaned up. Our recommendations to clean the river were not followed and our troubling prediction has proven correct.".

The proposed remediation was tested and it was determined that it would reduce mercury levels in fish by tenfold. Despite this a remediation of the river system has not occurred and nearby residents are sufferring health effects due to mercury poisoning. Canada and Ontario are continuing their historical abuse of native peoples and all the apologies in the world can not undo the damage still being done to them.

Our fish in the Canagagigue Creek currently carry Dioxins, DDT, P.C.B.s and mercury in their flesh. It would appear that Ontario and their pathetic Ministry of the Environment value our downstream Old Order Mennonite population almost as much as they value native Canadians.

ALL WATER CRISES ARE PREVENTABLE

The Saturday June 25, 2016 Waterloo Region Record carried a story titled "Flint water crisis was preventable". Indeed it was just as the Elmira Water Crisis was as well as the Walkerton Water Crisis. All three were a direct result of apathy, corruption, profit motive, incompetence and in the case of Elmira and Flint, environmental injustice.

In Flint the water supply was switched from Detroit's water system to the Flint River. The water was cheaper from the Flint River however it wasn't treated to control corrosion inside the lead pipes in older homes in Flint, Michigan. A state task force has concluded that the Flint crisis was a "case of environmental injustice in a poor, majority black city".

Here in Elmira, back in the 1940s the proportion of both Old and new Order Mennonites was higher than it is now. In fact those living directly downstream, along the Canagagigue Creek are still primarily Old Order Mennonites. They do not complain, raise a fuss, initiate lawsuits or otherwise speak out about political or environmental injustices inflicted upon them.

These conditions were ideal for a corporation who located in Elmira looking for a population unlikely to object to their casual and entirely self-serving methods of hazardous waste disposal. In fact make that several corporations as the east side of Elmira was referred to at one time as a mini chemical valley what with Uniroyal, Varnicolor, Nutrite, Sulco and Borg all located up and down Union St..

INDEMNITIES, SWEETHEART DEALS AND FIXES ALL CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Incestuous political relations between levels of government are a must for pro corporate, pro business deals contrary to the public interest to be sucessful. Past Indemnities such as Uniroyal, Varnicolor and Safety-Kleen have been joint measures between Regional and Provincial governments or at least provincial ministries (M.O.E.). Not one of these has been in either the public's or the environment's best interests. Fortunately for the guilty parties involved neither the public nor the environment had a vote in those decisions. Also fortunately for the guilty parties knowledge of these Indemnities only came about well after the fact.

The past Indemnity to Phillips Environmental allowed them to ignore the initial, jointly discussed Control Order laid upon Varnicolor Chemical. It was discussed with the involved public who dragged the corrupt Ministry of the Environment along by the scruff of their necks until they accepted their environmental obligations. Then surrepticiously the M.O.E. backstabbed that very same public by selling out deep investigation of the Varnicolor grossly contaminated property. How bad was Varnicolor's contamination? Quoting Jim Germann of Elmira Pump, the current owners; the concentrations of contaminants in the water table weren't in parts per billion or million they were in ounces per gallon. Do the math and you will understand what Mr. Germann was saying.

The Uniroyal site was and still is horribly contaminated but the M.O.E. gave them an Indemnity only making them responsible for new, unknown contamination as of October 1991. All that was known was forgiven provided they "cleaned up" the Elmira Aquifers and removed the wastes from two east side pits (RPE 4 & 5). Oddly when thousands of gallons of free phase LNAPLS (toluene) were found floating on the water table in 1995 only initial efforts were required and when they were unsucessful the M.O.E. turned a blind eye. Similarily the "newly" discovered likelihood of contamination on the Stroh farm east of Chemtura has caused "investigations" by Chemtura and the M.O.E. but excuses, doubletalk and stickhandling are the order of the day. With CPAC muted by Sandy Shantz only Dr. Dick Jackson has been able to speak with authority on the matter. The same thing goes for the recently discovered ongoing deposition of Dioxins/Furans and DDT in the Canagagigue Creek.

While politicians refuse to acknowledge the truth, dilution remains as their favoutite "cleanup" methodology. This is true between Safety-Kleen and the Grand River, 750 metres downgradient from Safety-Kleen's forerunner (Breslube) as well as on Lot 91 in Elmira. Lot 91 was grossly contaminated with solvents and as well P.C.B.s were found buried in a drum(s).

The latest proposal regarding development on the east side is essentially going to do the same thing. The contaminated Martin and Stroh farms will be buried under a north-south Arterial road, the "Gig" will be at least partially in a culvert and dilution as it always has will slowly over decades or centuries continue to take Uniroyal/Chemtura contaminants downstrem into the Grand River and eventually into Lake Erie.

All of these actions are intended to divert financial responsibility for cleanup from corporations and inflict the consequences of non cleanup upon the public and the environment. And our municipal, regional and provincial authorities are all aware of it and a big part of it.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION ON THE STEPS OF THE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE

The Friday June 24,2016 Waterloo Region Record carried a story titled "Grassy Narrows supporters dump mysterious liquid outside Ontario legislature". How appropriate under the circumstances. A protest spokesperson stated "It definitely looks a lot like mercury, but I can't tell you,". "If this was Grassy Narrows, the government would take 40 years to identify it and clean it up.".

Does anyone see a pattern here? Would mercury in the Don or Humber River in Toronto be allowed to contaminate the watershed as well as into lake Ontario? Would locals or tourists fishing in those rivers and the lake who consumed fish they caught be far enough out of sight and mind that their illnesses and deaths could be conveniently ignored? Not likely. The media and opposition politicians would be all over the Ontario government and their corrupt Ministry of Environment.

Aboriginal communities off the beaten track are allowed to suffer disproportionate environmental consequences while corporations enabled by our governments run circles around the system. Here in Elmira Ontario the Old Order Mennonite community downstream of Chemtura Canada suffer the same consequences of uncaring, hypocritical and corrupt government. There have been health consequences of Dioxins/Furans, DDT and more still being discharged into the Canagagigue Creek yet we get nothing but platitudes, lies and excuses from the M.O.E.C.C.. We the residents of Elmira and Woolwich Township have fought the company, the M.O.E. and local Councils literally for decades trying to get a real cleanup. Never ending studies literally taking decades are the usual result followed by more studies all telling us what we already know.

This merry go round will eventually end. The residents of Grassy Narrows are both desperate and out of patience. Remarkable how the local liars and co-optees even yet still preach patience and process. Neither one have ever achieved results.

CHEMTURA/M.O.E. EXIT STRATEGY DELAYED BY CPAC'S MOVES TWENTY MONTHS AGO

In war there are two things you can count on. Firstly it's always better to be on the offensive and secondly you can count on your adversaries making mistakes. Both have occured here in Elmira. In spades.

The Ministry of Environment's major blunder was in reopening the can of worms known as the Canagagigue Creek. Thank You George Karlos, formerly a senior M.O.E. bureaucrat. His statement was that they were testing soils and sediments to reassure citizens that everything was fine. What an idiot. Thank You again Gorgeous George.

Sandy and Mark can backstab and undermine individuals both privately and publicly who are in their way. They too however have overeached with their attacks upon CPAC members appointed by the previous Council. Each and every member on CPAC have more integrity in their little fingers than Mark and Sandy combined, ever have, or ever will. The knowledge base on CPAC (now Citizens Public Advisory Committee) puts all previous CPACs to shame even when they had two excellent air emissions persons.

Then we have Sandy and Mark's strange one year contract with Dr. Richard (Dick) Jackson of Geofirma. Dr. Jackson has turned out to be the real deal in spades plus he's no wallflower or pushover. He has clearly and concisely set out his case for major chamges and improvements necessary to get the cleanup of the aquifers on track as well as to investigate the Stroh farm soils and groundwater. In no uncertain terms he's also advised as to what needs to be done in the Canagagigue Creek downstream of Chemtura.

A common strategy among politicians wishing to rid themselves of either volunteers or employees doing too good of a job is to disrespect them either privately or publicly. This disrespect can be either tacit or explicit. This was similar to Mark and Sandy's strategy with CPAC. They probably hope that they can get Dr. Jackson to refuse to have his contract as TAG Chair renewed, one way or the other. His experience, presence, credentials and ethical professionalism make Chemtura, their consultants and the M.O.E. all look barely third rate.

Back in the late summer and fall of 2014 CPAC took some major moves that have borne fruit. Two years earlier they had hired Dr. Gail Krantzberg (McMaster) as a consultant and she did a fabulous job in putting Chemtura/CRA's inadequate pump and treat strategy for remediating the Elmira Aquifers, into proper prespective. In 2014 they hired MTE Consultants to examine the off-site properties on Chemtura's eastern and southern borders. The results were extraordinary and Chemtura, M.O.E. and their fellow travellors have been on the defensive ever since.

It is my belief that but for CPAC's efforts and moves that the partners in pollution combined with their political pets would have essentially shut down all public consultation whatsoever, even their perverted interpretation of it. Chemtura and the M.O.E. desperately want a way out, preferably with at least a pyrric victory. They are looking for a face saving exit strategy even one as desperate as paving over and covering up the contaminated east side lands. Next they'll want to encapsulate the Canagagigue Creek in a corrugated steel culvert the whole five miles down to the Grand River. What they will never do is admit their lies to the public from the early 1980s to the present day.