MORE M.O.E. CORRUPTION EXPOSED

Could it have been even worse than we thought at the time of the sweetheart deal? What you ask could be worse than agreeing to leaking in-ground storage of toxic wastes? Do not forget that both the Ministry of Environment as well as Uniroyal could see the shutdown of the Elmira wellfields coming. In the mid 80s the west side ponds were emptied and their contents put into the "consolidation" pits namely RPE4 and RPE5. Then lo and behold by August 1990 after the drinking wells were shut down the Ministry suddenly decided that those two east side pits were contaminating the municipal aquifer. No wonder Uniroyal Chemical were upset. Bad enough the Ministry wanted them to clean up the off-site Municipal Aquifer but they also wanted them to move the same wastes for a second time.

More infuriating was the fact that they both had agreed upon a strategy to give the appearance that the east side pits were not affecting the Canagagigue Creek. Also had they concocted a method to essentially by-pass both shallow and deeper aquifers entirely? What if they had agreed to Interceptor Trenches on the east side that would divert the grossly contaminated shallow aquifer plus leachate from the east side pits, via gravity flow, southwards and eastwards onto their neighbour's land? These trenches would have then discharged into the Stroh Drain which best estimates determine was constructed around 1985. The Stroh Drain then travels south through both the Stroh and Martin properties and discharges into the Canagagigue Creek.

While undoubtedly some accomodation had to be made with Stroh thirty plus years ago, what of the Martin family? From their property they have a small natural creek flowing and winding gently southwards until it discharges into the larger Canagagigue Creek. Were they even informed when their natural creek was augmented by the contaminated groundwater from the low lying wetlands along the border of the Stroh and Uniroyal properties? If as suspected this Stroh Drain also accepts Uniroyal's contaminated groundwater directly via some form of trenches or pipes, would they have been so informed?

The Martin family have a large in-ground swimming pond on their property. It is partly fed by groundwater but it is also augmented directly by a pipe from the same natural creek flowing through their property. I am extremely doubtful that they would have ever agreed to augmenting their swimming pond water with contaminated groundwater directly from Uniroyal Chemical.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment are aware of these allegations regarding possible Interceptor Trenches and to my knowledge have done nothing to investigate them. They are currently, painfully slowly, at least going through the motions to investigate the Stroh Drain.

Can you imagine the uproar thirty years ago if it had come out at the Environmental Appeal Board hearings that the Ontario M.O.E. agreed to a surreptitious collection and by-pass of Uniroyal's contaminated groundwater that went through two neighbour's private properties, including enriching one of the neighbour's swimming ponds? Is it possible that this was the stick that Uniroyal beat the M.O.E. into submission with?

ESTHER THUR SPEAKS TO THE EAB & THE ONT. M.O.E. BETRAYS ELMIRA

Esther Thur spoke to the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) hearing in early May 1991. The title of the article in Bob Verdun`s Elmira Independent was ``Long-time resident recounts 50 years of pollution adversely affecting Elmira``. Roddy Turpin of the Elmira Independent wrote the article and was the only reporter present for the entirety of the EAB hearings. Esther gave detailed accounts of chemical odours at nights, local currency (paper money) actually smelling of Uniroyal chemicals, inedible tomatoes, and fumigations of the next door Elmira Furniture Co. (later Roxton Furniture) by Uniroyal resulting in windows being closed and men having to go home ill from the fumes.

In the fall of 1991 Stan Berger and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment betrayed the trust of Elmira and Ontario residents. They actually manipulated the rules in order to shut down the other parties and the entire EAB hearings. By revoking the August 1990 Control Order that was the basis for Uniroyal Chemical`s appeal to the EAB, the M.O.E. claimed that the EAB no longer had jurisdiction. The timing was exquisite in that while the M.O.E. had presented their case none of the other parties had, prior to the summer recess. Because of this the M.O.E. got to see Uniroyal`s case privately and obviously determined that it was too damaging and demonstrated their culpability too grossly for public consumption.

The new Control Order (Nov. 4, 1991) followed a private, two party agreement (sweetheart deal) in October and referenced the two east side pits (RPE 4 & 5) for clean out. As well hydraulic containment on-site in all aquifers was ordered. That of course never happened. Similarly DNAPLS were to be removed as a contaminant source beneath the western ponds or lagoons. That at best only partially happened with excavations at RPW-5 and TPW-2 a couple of years later. The 1992 deadline for the east side pits excavation was violated however when you are professional liars lacking in ethics and morals; you simply change and rewrite your own Òrders`at will.

There was incredible anger and disgust with both the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Uniroyal Chemical, most appropriately by the other parties with the exception of Nutrite. We of course learned several years later why they were just as happy to see these hearings end as they hoped to continue to conceal their gross Ammonia contamination of the Upper Aquifer and the Municipal Upper Aquifer. Alas for them, they were eventually outed when it served Uniroyal`s purposes near the turn of the century (2000).

Hence while Uniroyal were paid (directly & indirectly) by the M.O.E. to accept 100% of the blame for the destruction of the Elmira Aquifers; there were significant other contributors including Nutrite (Ammonia), Varnicolor Chemical (solvents & maybe NDMA), probably Borg Textiles (chlorobenzene), multiple gas stations (Gord`s, Voisin`s, another beside the former Steddick Hotel) and maybe Sanyo although the evidence is highly circumstantial and lastly one which certainly affected the North wellfield.

Not bad when a provincial government ministry intentionally lies to the public simply to cover up their own culpability, deal making and maybe possibly even local corruption. Afterall it wasn`t as if the Ontario M.O.E. have never been accused or convicted of corruption before. Dochstader in Sarnia (formerly Elmira) and MacDonald as well in Elmira, regarding Varnicolor Chemical come to mind. How many others I wonder who were never caught. Could this have been what the M.O.E. were afraid that Uniroyal were going to spill when their turn came to present to the EAB.

WHAT BOB VERDUN BROUGHT TO WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP

The following article was published in Bob Verdun's Elmira Independent on May 6, 1991; twenty-six years ago tomorrow. The title of the article was "Former Uniroyal employee highlights effects of Canagagigue creek pollution". The sub-title was "Fish and wildlife almost non-existent". The former employee was Ken Reger who testified at the Environmental Appeal Board hearing on May 1, 1991. Mr. Reger worked at Uniroyal from 1957 to 1968. He was also a trapper along Canagagigue Creek from about 1945 to 1988.

Quoting Ken Reger: "The muskrats in the Uniroyal area were always smaller and thinner, and upon skinning, they always had a strong chemical smell to the flesh". Ken went on to describe the "backwater" which is just south of Church St. on the east side of the creek on Uniroyal's property. "Uniroyal has built up the east side of the shore land adjacent to the east side of the backwater with oil-of-aniline sludge, which contained benzenes, to a depth of up to approximately 18 feet deep. This was taken from one of two sludge ponds south of Shirt Factory creek and west of the Canagagigue creek (the main Uniroyal site)". "Some of the sludge would slide into the backwater." "At one time, there were 20 muskrat houses on the Canagagigue creek, but now there might be about four, he said." "The few carp that are there, as they love backwater, are approximately half the weight of the same length of carp found a mile upstream," near the Woolwich reservoir.

Furthermore Ken Reger testified "Over the years, numerous spills of finished products occurred, usually by overflowing storage holding tanks. This spilled product, along with gravel, was shovelled into open-head 45 gallon drums and put into the drum heaters. The heated product would be siphoned off the gravel and redistilled. The remaining gravel and product in the drums was usually dumped in the town dump (near the south end of the Uniroyal property), as it was a gooey mess."

Finally Mr. Reger stated there were "many pure herbicide spills due to overflowing of tanks.". "When it became too soupy to walk in more road gravel would be spread there and periodically a front-end loader would take this, usually to the town dump, and fresh gravel would be spread in these areas."

This testimony is very relevant to this day. These areas described by Ken Reger have long been minimized by Uniroyal and their successors as either having primarily municipal waste in them (ie. the town dump) or as being hydraulically contained.

MISCARRIAGES, CANCERS, SUFFERING & DEATH

Tell me why exactly Uniroyal Chemical aka Crompton, Chemtura and now Lanxess were never run out of town? Most people were concerned about their fumigations of Elmira back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Tomatoes from gardens could not be eaten because of their chemical smells and taste. Promised health studies never materialized. Old Order Mennonites along the Canagagigue Creek have asked whether or not their loss of babies and their cancers were caused by Uniroyal Chemical. The answers they received were we do not know. The truth however is related to their exposures. The prevailing winds are out of town. In other words from west to east. These farm families are all downwind of the prevailing winds hence whatever Elmira suffered in odours and toxic air was multiplied many times for them. Then of course is the creek itself. Did they play in or around the creek as children? Did they eat fish from the creek before the fish were all killed off by Uniroyal Chemical? Did they use sand from the creek in their gardens or for their children in sandboxes?

Then of course we have the residents of Elmira drinking their tap water. Their toxic tapwater. Most likely for decades. That combined with the air emissions from Uniroyal made for a truly toxic combination. Did you know that even after the Water Crisis in 1989 that Elmira folks were still drinking tapwater with over 9 parts per trillion (ppt.) NDMA in it? I've long wondered exactly how the Region and Township managed to keep the water flowing even after the North Wellfield was diagnosed with NDMA above guidelines in it. Also of course is the awkward fact that there was a groundwater divide in Elmira whereby some of Uniroyal's contaminated groundwater flowed west and south to Wells E7 and E9 however the rest flowed west and north to the North Wellfield comprised of wells E5, E5A, E6, E2 and E8. Funny how the Ministry of Environment knew enough in their Drinking Water Surveillance Program (DWSP) in the late 80s to only test well E5A, the one farthest from Uniroyal Chemical. The other four wells were between E5A and Uniroyal and hence they drew in Uniroyal's groundwater first and foremost. The other awkward fact is that there was another major groundwater polluter even closer to the North wellfield. One that has never become public. Afterall just because the public drink the water and get sick and die is no reason for them to know details about their neighbours' serious gaffes, is there?

Wells E2 and E8 unsurprisingly became contaminated with NDMA first. Way above 9 ppt.. It was diluted somewhat by the other wells. Then well E2 was pumped to waste ie. pumped as an Interceptor Well. It pumped heavily polluted groundwater from the Municipal Aquifer and discharged it into Canagagigue Creek. Odd how this wasn't an issue at the same time as NDMA in Elmira's Sewage Treatment Plant discharges was. Later on Well E8 was also pumped to waste in an effort to protect the remaining North Wellfield wells. Of course there isn't perfect timing and for a while citizens were yet again drinking NDMA contaminated water above the drinking water standards. This was finally remedied when the recently built pipeline from Waterloo, which had been standing idle for a while, was brought on line.

THE PLAYERS ALL KNEW THE CRISIS WAS COMING

It was no surprise. For a decade Uniroyal Chemical had Morrison & Beatty engineering and technical consultants on retainer. They had monitoring wells installed and hydrogeological reports written describing the aquifers beneath Uniroyal and Elmira. They understood that there was a direct hydrogeological connection between both the north and south wellfield and Uniroyal's property. In 1990 there were discussions at the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) regarding NDMA air emissions at Uniroyal having been going on for thirty years. In 1977 the Ontario Ministry of the Environment tested for and found massive concentrations of NDMA in Uniroyal's waste water being sent to the Elmira Sewage Treatment Plant. Of course that information was kept confidential and apparently didn't upset the M.O.E. enough to put a halt to it. It kind of indicates the hypocrisy of having an entire months long EAB hearing over waste water discharges in 1990 that were lower in concentrations than was discovered in 1977.

In 1984 the Ontario M.O.E. laid their first Control Order on Uniroyal. During the 1980s there was significant cleanup and removal of wastewater lagoons on the Uniroyal site. Some wastes were removed and sent off-site to allegedly secure landfills. We have been advised recently that a former Chemtura employee stated on the record that Uniroyal knew full well a decade before the 19889 Elmira crisis that their toxins had left their property and that the Elmira drinking wells were at risk. Finally after checking I've confirmed that the pipeline from Waterloo to Elmira was actually completed within a year of the November 1989 shut down of the south wellfield. How is that possible considering things like property acquisition, environmental assessments etc. unless those steps had been planned long in advance?

The only ones surprised by the Elmira water crisis were the citizens long kept in the dark. The lies and misinformation have never stopped and the provincial government via their Ministry of Environment are up to their eyeballs in it.

ANCIENT HISTORY OR STILL RELEVANT?

Health studies of Elmira residents were promised and never delivered. A serious and professional study of all sources of contamination was promised and never delivered despite CH2MHILL's work on behalf of the Region of Waterloo. The consulting firm delivered the answer the Region wanted which along with the Ministry of Environment squarely blamed Uniroyal Chemical alone. These professional truth twisters didn't even blink around 2000 when they no longer could ignore Nutrite's 80% contribution of the ammonia in the Municipal Upper Aquifer. Meanwhile Ken Seiling had publicly fingered both Nutrite and Varnicolor as potential contributors including naming them in a lawsuit. A year ago (May 2016) we received the first proof that Varnicolor had contributed multiple solvents to our drinking water aquifer. Unsurprisingly the M.O.E. and unfortunately the current company on the Varnicolor site, Elmira Pump, have as yet not made the final Risk Assessment available to me or the public. It seems as if that action is inevitable as they are trying to receive a Certificate of Site Condition from the M.O.E.. in order to develop part of their site (commercially).

Meanwhile lest we forget Uniroyal Chemical before they had their sweetheart deal and Indemnity from the Ministry of Environment (M.O.E.) had publicly offered $1 million towards a study of all the sources and contributors to the Elmira drinking water destruction. They, the Region, and personnel from the Environmental Appeal Board hearing all expressed skepticism that Uniroyal were the sole contributors to the destruction of our drinking water. Finally the M.O.E. had a number of detections of industrial solvents in the south wellfield prior to the "discovery" of NDMA in the water.

The final story here in Elmira is not yet written. Be patient. It will be.

P.S. There is a good video documentary being edited and finalized. It too will be informative.

CHEMTURA CANADA PROGRESS REPORT - MARCH 2017

The disinformation continues. Page 7 we are advised that off-site pumping wells W5A, W3R and E7 contained the limits of the NDMA plume in the Bedrock. This is more confidently claimed the last couple of years as their Schematic of the Conceptual Site Model has been amended to show less and less aquitard (low permeabilty zone) between the Municipal Lower Aquifer and the Bedrock Aquifer particularily at E7 in the south end of Elmira. How is this remotely possible with the major aquitard (LAT) between pumping well W3R and the Bedrock Aquifer?

Speaking of the Bedrock Aquifer CRA (GHD) still claim that while NDMA is present above drinking water standards allegedly it is not contaminated with Chlorobenzene. Balderdash! Both the Municipal Upper (MU) and Municipal Lower Aquifers (ML) are contaminated well above drinking water standards with Chlorobenzene including in areas in direct contact with the Bedrock aquifer. In other words there is a huge window between the Municipal Aquifers and the Bedrock with zero impermeable or even semi-impermeable aquitard protecting the Bedrock Aquifer. Let us also not forget the ability of DNAPLS to gravity flow to the lowest points possible. There is evidence of free phase DNAPLS being found 100 feet below surface at OW57-32R many years ago plus nearby groundwater readings of chlorobenzene in both the MU and ML have historically indicated DNAPL nearby.

My question at the end of the first paragraph can not be answered by a company who cuts and runs from public consultation. Refusing to allow the informed public to ask questions at TAG and RAC meetings is simply to protect the polluter (Chemtura) from embarassment at being publicly caught out in various and sundry lies. Those who are allowed to ask questions (RAC & TAG members) have been vetted by both Chemtura and Woolwich Township as less likely to ask hard, embarrassing or undiplomatic questions.

Figure D.3 in this report indicates inadequate containment of the Upper Aquifer on-site. Figure D.7 indicates an honest (?) admission of the extent of the Upper Aquifer (UA3) on the east side of the Chemtura site. This contradicts various text where they indicate the Upper aquifer either doesn't exist or is extremely limited on the east side. Similarily Figure D.8 does the same thing for the Municipal Upper Aquifer (MU) on the east side of the site. Figures D.10 and D.11 show Chlorobenzene contamination in the Municipal Lower Aquifer (ML) but not in the directly connected Bedrock aquifer directly below. Highly unlikely.

These always cheerful, pro Chemtura Progress Reports continue unabated. Somewhat like their contamination.