A FEW RAMIFICATIONS OF THE DNAPL COVERUP

 

1)  If they successfully can deny on-site DNAPLS then migrating (gravity flowing) off-site DNAPLS can also be ignored. This includes from Uniroyal's south-west corner (M2) over to the Nutrite site as well as over to beside the Howard St. Water Tower at OW57-32. Finally according to the map from last month's TRAC meeting the major source of chlorobenzene to the Elmira Aquifers is the east side pits and ponds which we know flowed onto the Stroh property. Talk about a "Non Disclosed Work Around". Woolwich and Regional officials aren't just planning on burying DDT and dioxins on the Stroh and Martin farms but likely DNAPLS as well. These decisions will haunt both our downstream Mennonite neighbours as well as the drinking water treatment required throughout Waterloo Region (IUS-Integrated Urban System) for many more decades and even speed up what should have been the unnecessary process and cost of building a Lake Erie Pipeline to Waterloo Region.

2) Focus has been upon how much NDMA has been removed (not enough) from the Elmira Aquifers since 1998 when we should be looking at chlorobenzene. Yes NDMA has a very low and difficult to achieve drinking water standard of .009 parts per billion. Chlorobenzene however has a drinking water standard of EIGHTY parts per billion and they aren't even close especially in the Municipal Lower Aquifer. 

3) Thirty-six years have been wasted (1989-2025) by pretending that DNAPLS don't exist in Elmira whereas every other negligent chemical companies who handled chlorinated solvents have them in spades and know they need to be addressed. This was the main message of Drs. Cherry and Parker in the January 2007 meeting at the University of Waterloo. Funny how sad and despondent Pat, Susan B. and Wilf were when they heard that compared to my attitude of finally let's go after them! It never happened.

The history of the Elmira "cleanup" is the history of Non Disclosed Work Arounds. Every significant decision has been made in private backroom deals with the public excluded. These "Work Arounds" have neither followed environmental law nor any kind of environmental policy such as the Precautionary Principle. UPAC, CPAC, RAC/TAG and now TRAC are merely window dressing to give the appearance of public consultation. Only pre-approved parties plus a few co-opted citizens have been granted full access to all reports, discussions, technical meetings and real decision making. 

CHLOROBENZENE, CHLOROPHENOLS, CHLOROFORM, CHLOROETHANES, DDT, DIOXINS (TCDD), CCL4, MBT, BT & SO MANY OTHER DNAPLS

 

Just as Uniroyal/Lanxess are full of it so is their property in Elmira full of DNAPLS. The list goes on and on and only once did Jaimie Connelly (M.O.E. hydrogeologist) lay down the law on DNAPLS including a number of different Effective Solubilities versus Lab Solubilities. In other words the greater the number of different solvents etc. dissolved in groundwater the lower the actual solubility of the individual solvents including the chlorinated ones. While I'm making nice with the generally corrupt and despicable M.O.E./MECP let me also add that it was M.O.E. hydrogeologist Bob Hillier who first brought a bottle containing Dnapl  to a public UPAC meeting in the 1990s. It had been pumped from well OW88 in the south-west part of Uniroyal where chlorobenzene concentrations were through the roof.

The "Non Aqueous Phase" part of DNAPL (Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid) refers to its' consistency and inability to readily dissolve in water. In other words while it can pour and flow like a liquid it doesn't immediately either mix readily or dissolve in water. Yes some DNAPLS can dissolve more readily in some solvents. To say that the groundwater beneath Uniroyal Chemical is a witches' brew doesn't even begin to cover it. When I think of DNAPLS I think of how mercury behaves from a broken thermometer. Or another metaphor would be the "Blob" found on the bottom of the St. Clair River in the 1980s courtesy I believe of another hero chemical company named Dow Chemical. 

The DNAPL coverup at Uniroyal Chemical started (at least for the public) in the very early 1990s. Back room agreements were made with the M.O.E. and all the other Environmental Appeal Board parties obviously including APTE when you look at Sylvia's behavior towards her own DNAPL critique written by myself, Sylvia and Glenys. I do not believe other APTE co-ordinators had any knowledge of this betrayal as neither Esther Thur nor Rich Clausi had knowledge of it. Susan Bryant was in India at the time. Uniroyal had already effectively disabled APTE the moment one or two leaders agreed on their own to coverup DNAPLS. This coverup continued despite my best efforts at UPAC. There was  a revival around 2006-2007 with Jaimie Connolly and even Wilf Ruland, he who had ten gears for reverse and only one to go forward (remember the old joke about the gearing on Egyptian battle tanks?).  Unfortunately Susan B. and Pat Mc.(CPAC Chair) "forgot" to send me those 2006 letters from Jaimie and Wilf for a couple of years. Oh right Susan B. blamed it on my late switch from FAX to E-Mail.

The 2007 DNAPL meeting at the University of Waterloo between Drs. John Cherry and Beth Parker and myself, Susan B., Wilf & Pat Mc.  should have been the turnaround. Instead months later Pat and Susan B. faked huge concern over a proven flaw(s) in the proposed Ammonia Treatments System that I found and ran by both Susan and Wilf Ruland. Wilf carefully agreed with what I had found and tried at a meeting with Uniroyal/Chemtura and CRA to get some compromise from them. Wilf's ten reverse gears couldn't handle Conestoga Rovers pushback so he dropped it. 

And all the guilty parties rejoiced as they lied their way through another problem that desperately needed to be addressed to properly remediate the Elmira Aquifers. For God's sake why do you think that chlorobenzene's groundwater concentrations have been far, far less successfully reduced than NDMAs in both the Municipal Upper Aquifer and especially in the Municipal Lower Aquifer? It's the damn DNAPLS both on and off site that are greatly delaying the reduction of chlorobenzene concentrations and those DNAPLS should have been properly and professionally addressed thirty-five years ago rather than covered up by all the guilty parties.   

  

 

DNAPL-DENSE NON AQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS - POLITICAL "WORK AROUNDS" TO AVOID COSTS, LIABILITY & PUBLIC CENSURE

 

The term  "non disclosed work arounds" above has been borrowed from a distinguished friend who used it in e-mails yesterday to myself and various others some of whom have ethics and integrity in inverse proportion to their actual authority or power. At least that is my opinion not necessarily his. In fact my friend while immensely talented and knowledgeable does not use his powers to belittle or insult, even the most blatant excuses of humanity, as I do.  For myself call it compensation for having a smaller brain than his.

 Chlorinated solvents are the best known DNAPLS. Chlorine is a heavy atom and one of the distinguishing characteristics of DNAPLS is the first word  "Dense" in their name . It means that their Specific Gravity is greater than 1 which is the specific gravity of water. Hence DNAPLS sink through groundwater. From day one Uniroyal Chemical with support from the Ontario Ministry of Environment have lied about the proliferation of Dnapls both on and off their site in Elmira, Ontario. Chlorobenzene is merely one of dozens of different DNAPLS negigently mishandled by Uniroyal for decades. It and NDMA are the face and focus of the groundwater pollution  here. For Uniroyal and the M.O.E. to ever deny the presence of either free phase or residual DNAPL in, on and around this site is the height of stupidity, brass, contempt and frankly utter lack of ethics or honesty.  Until or unless they ever stop lying I view their word at best as garbage.

There are both rules and laws regarding environmental cleanups. Uniroyal and successors have lied, misled, fudged data, used junk and psuedo science, manipulated citizens and politicians alike in their quest to minimize and reduce both their moral and legal liability. They were told by Dave Belanger of CH2MHILL back in the early 1990s that hydraulic containment i.e. Pump & Treat was the "cheapest and least effective solution" to remediate the Elmira Aquifers. Dr. Richard Jackson publicly at TAG (Technical Advisory Group) described their pilot test of ISCO (In Situ Chemical Oxidation) near W3R pumping well as pathetic and amateurishly done. 

This is the reality of their multi failed cleanup of both our groundwaters and of our surface waters (Canagagigue Creek) not to mention their impressively forever (?) contaminated property. Our municipal, regional and provincial politicians have been worse than negligent. They have been complicit and as a direct result Elmira and area citizens have paid and continue to pay the health price of contaminated air, water and soils. 

And certain a**hole politicians have the nerve to suggest that I have failed to treat them or their fellow health assaulters ( more gently said than murderers) with courtesy and respect when all they deserve is a swift kick out of town never to return.

 

UNIROYAL DNAPL (CHLOROBENZENE) LYING FINALLY BEING PUBLICLY EXPOSED / MECP AT LEGAL RISK ?

 

I've recently been posting here about Jesse Wright's of Arcadis incredible revelations at last month's TRAC meeting (June 19/25).  Mr. Wright kept it as low key as possible but between his maps presented on overhead screens as well as his words there are at least SIX "chlorobenzene potential off-site sources". Oh my God and he said this as if it were nothing. Is this why Lanxess are bringing in third party patsies i.e. to share the blame ?  Just like Stantec being involved in the Creek Risk Assessment is the idea to put bodies, companies and layers of patsies between the first class LIARS of yesterday and the revelations of truth today?  

"Chlorobenzene potential off-site sources" could indicate individual companies such as Borg, Sanyo, Varnicolor, Motiveair etc. having illegally spilled and dumped chlorobenzene on their properties. At least that is where the yellow (sort of) rectangles representing off-site locations roughly appear to be. Or maybe it's something else altogether such as what I told CPAC back around 2006 namely that free phase DNAPL had been found one hundred feet below ground surface at OW57-32 beside the Howard St. Water Tower. All the professional liars (MOE, Chemtura, CRA) rushed in to say oh no the evidence isn't conclusive enough. No it's not DNAPL it's dissolved chlorobenzene or whatever else bull**it they could dream up. This included Susan Bryant and other CPAC members at the time. CPAC even then was helping Uniroyal/Chemtura and the Min. of Environment cover up the truth . 

The DNAPL found at OW57-32 could have gravity flowed from Borg or Varnicolor. It could possibly even have gravity flowed underground from Uniroyal Chemical. But nobody wanted to know! Covering up DNAPL with everybody's complicity including APTE's (i.e. Susan Bryant) was the big deal. To admit that there was free phase DNAPL off-site in particular made the chances of a successful pump & treat even lower than they already were. Pump & Treat may work for dissolved contaminants but it is ridiculously slow on DNAPL which could take between decades and centuries to fully dissolve.

Could this also be the evidence needed to finally get a Public Inquiry or equivalent into Ministry of the Environment corruption? How could it be possible not to have detected some dissolved chlorobenzene in and around Varnicolor Chemical after I exposed them in 1990? The answer is easy. More lying by them. Yes they had promised a full horizontal and VERTICAL delineation of the soils and groundwater beneath Varnicolor.  They then totally reneged on that promise. They did not do the deeper soil or groundwater sampling required to find excessive concentrations of chlorobenzene there from either their own dumping or from DNAPL released and gravity flowing from Uniroyal Chemical. There was evidence at CH38 near Sanyo Canada (Industrial Dr. & Oriole Parkway) of excessive chlorobenzene in the groundwater for decades. Excessive in relation to the plume leaving Uniroyal Chemical. 

Sitting back and merely enjoying the guilty parties squirming could be fun. Watching them face legal jeopardy for lying to the public, Breach of Trust and or other possible legal consequences would be better in order to dissuade future bad actors. The question is who will initiate this legal action when all our political actors also have tainted hands?

APTE MESSED UP BIG TIME IN JANUARY 1994 OVER DNAPLS

 

The evidence has been there for many, many years but dogmatic, blatant lying by both the Ministry of Environment and by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess has covered it up. Woolwich Township CAOs and mayors generally have gone along with the program. The free phase DNAPL found at OW57-32 by the Howard St. Water Tower more than fifteen years ago can no longer be denied. Arcadis and their rep spoke about the number of off-site potential chlorobenzene sources within the block of First St., Union St., Howard St, and Industrial Dr. at the June 19/25 TRAC meeting. This block also encompasses the Howard St. Water Tower.

I am sorry for the vast majority of APTE members who will eventually learn that your leaders Sylvia and Susan B. conspired WITH Uniroyal Chemical to coverup the DNAPL situation here in Elmira, Ontario. In exchange for silence on DNAPLS Sylvia and Susan B. were promised (falsely so far) downstream Creek ("Gig") rehabilitation plus permanent spots at the consultation table with Uniroyal and successors.  They sold out their friends, neighbours and colleagues for that plus a little positive recognition from all the local political bodies. As soon as Sylvia and family left Elmira, Susan B. pivoted to Pat Mc., a new wingman if you will. 

APTE swallowed Sylvia's nonsense hook, line and sinker at the January 1994 co-ordinators' meeting in which Rich Clausi and I presented our DNAPL evidence and APTE DNAPL report which had been  prepared by Sylvia, myself and Glenys.  Sylvia turned it into a popularity contest versus a factual DNAPL examination. That was easier for the co-ordinators to decide on hence their co-leader (Sylvia) took the day immediately demanding that I be kicked off the Uniroyal team at the public UPAC meetings. I have to believe that Uniroyal was so proud of her.

Indeed Rich and I made an error in presenting Pat Potter's angry letter demanding what the hell Sylvia was doing saying nice things in writing about Uniroyal. Pat had received a copy that was sent to the CCPA (Cnd. Chemical Producers Assoc'n) by Sylvia. Sylvia simply suggested to the co-ordinators that constant criticism needed some positive reinforcement here and there. It was a weak response but it worked and now the issue could be redirected as an attack on Sylvia which was not the purpose of the meeting.

APTE you got snookered even worse than I did as I still believed in Susan B. when she got back from India and worked with her for years afterwards, just not as an APTE member. 

ONE OF THE REASONS TRAC ARE USELESS AS TI*S ON A BULL

 

They have no lengthy history and the only one who does is both dishonest and getting old. Not a crime (old) but possibly a reason why she doesn't speak up although I believe it's more the former than the latter. On both June 30 and July 1, 2025 I posted here about the astounding DNAPL turnaround presented by Arcadis on behalf of Lanxess. At the 50 minute 38 second mark of the  June 19/25 TRAC video on the Woolwich Township website we are both shown on the screen and verbally advised by the speaker for Arcadis that the orange/yellow squares and dots are potential off-site sources of chlorobenzene. 

A month has gone by since that TRAC meeting and of course NOTHING has been released to the public about this transformative information. Nor is it likely to happen. Too many past lies by Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess for Lanxess to admit that as recently as last fall their consultants GHD were still lying about the presence/absence of other sources of chlorobenzene. Also sure as heck nobody wants to admit to the presence in our aquifers for years of free phase DNAPL and how that has impacted (slowed) the cleanup of our groundwater. 

So TRAC simply let this drop. They are too ignorant of the past DNAPL arguments, discussions and coverups to realize how significant this is. Meanwhile of course don't expect our corrupt Min. of Environment (MECP) either to speak up and clarify this huge issue.

NICE TO SEE A FRIEND RECEIVING ACCOLADES

 

It doesn't happen nearly often enough. Of course the unworthy also receive accolades. There was a time when I was young and naive when I thought groups like the GRCA were the real deal. Please. Yes there are undoubtedly individual professionals and technicians doing good work who think that the whole organization is on the up and up. Their nickname of the Grand River Construction Assoc'n may only have come after a few misguided plans went awry. Plans such as approving solvent tank farms on the infamous Varnicolor Chemical Lot 91 site in Elmira. Other approvals of buildings far too close to the river for any kind of safety. Now at the same time there have been success stories of downstream residents being given timely warnings of impending floods. Perhaps my angst with the GRCA is mostly due to who the decisionmakers are (local municipal politicians) and to the fact that they have been totally useless here in Elmira either speaking for or advocating for reduced chemicals present in the Canagagigue Creek. They roll over just like all the others.

The Region of Waterloo hand out environmental awards. So do every other dirty polluter within a hundred miles. Ask yourself why the Region of Waterloo have always avoided naming names. Names like all the big polluters who have ruined our groundwater in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira etc. The Region want these large, powerful corporate entities onside for things like political donations and support for large community events. Think ION etc. The politicians support and protect the polluters in exchange for the same support back. That support will also be needed when the Region suddenly announce how much worse the groundwater is then they ever imagined hence the Lake Erie Pipeline is required now.  Constant lying to the public is what governance has become. 

This lying has reached it's zenith up here in Elmira. Imagine total failure in the Elmira cleanup yet all these lying parties are bragging about how great their pump & treat has been and now decades too late they are going to make it even better. This is the "magic bullet" that Dr. Dick Jackson (Sept. 2015-Jan. 2016) warned us about. It does not exist. Yes there are lots of good technologies but they've never been used or even honestly attempted here. It's all gamesmanship and nonsense and all the good little boys and girls are gobbling it up.

Meanwhile the newbies like Nathan and Hadley pretend that they have the answers. Neither has a clue and how could they as to what's gone on for the last thirty-six years that they were nowhere to be found.