WOW RIGHT WING PRO DEVELOPMENT, ANTI-ENVIRONMENT RHETORIC

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record had an article titled "Fracking can rescue Canada's poorest provinces". This article was written by two gentlemen representing the Fraser Institute a "right-of-centre" think tank. Their thesis is that hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas has minimal risks and maximum gain for Canadians.

For supposedly smart people their arguments are weak. Advising us that "The liquid used in fracking is around 99 percent water and sand, with a smattering of common chemicals" is disingenuous. Yes solvents are "common". Up here in Elmira, Agent Orange is both common and highly toxic. Benzene is "common" and it is carcinogenic as are other "common" solvents. Secondly the 99 percent figure is interesting. Most drinking water standards for "common" solvents are not mentioned as percentiles or 1 part per hundred. They are measured in parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (PPT). Fracking liquids can and do contaminate groundwater well above drinking standards.

We are also advised that risks of seismic activity ie. earthquakes is very low. Exactly how many excess earthquakes causing damage to other peoples' property does the drilling industry deem acceptable? The authors state that "Impacts from casing leakage, well blowouts, and spills of contaminated fluids are more prevalent but have generally been quickly mitigated.". Generally mitigated is an interesting concept. Again how many unmitigated areas of groundwater exist because of fracking? Who pays for the new water sources for affected residents? There have been huge groundwater problems in the U.S. including tap water that can actually be lit with a match.

Sorry but I'm not buying into this mad rush for development of energy resources FIRST and then think about mitigation after the fact. Perhaps for a change the powers that be in this country could stop putting the cart before the horse.

MORE ON NORTHSTAR / M.O.E. SETTLEMENT

Well quoting Tracy Hipel in the Cambridge Times yesterday " ...the settlement is at least something and better than nothing". Tracy attended the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) hearing in Cambridge Council Chembers on Monday as did a reporter from the Cambridge Times. This is why the Times story is superior to the Waterloo Region Record who didn't have a reporter present on Monday. The title of the Times story is "Northstar officials, MOE reach $4.75M remediation deal". Just like the Record I couldn't seeme to get a link to their story.

Mr. Hipel has a photocatalytic oxidation system hooked up to his furnace as well as a shed in his backyard that operates a soil vapour extraction unit which removes and decontaminates toxic vapours from around and under his basement. These vapours including Trichloroethylene, 1,1,1 Trichloroethane and more are courtesy of both Northstar Aerospace and a neighbour (now GE) located on Bishop St. in Cambridge.

The Times also advises us that the $5 million dollar settlement to the residents was not paid when it was due last fall because of Northstar's bankruptcy claim.

In regards to the cleanup costs the Ontario Ministry of the Environment did unsucessfully pursue Northstar through the courts to have them forced to pay for ongoing cleanup and remediation. When that failed the M.O.E. issued a Control Order on Northstar's Directors which they appealed to the ERT .

Quite frankly while I am still appalled at how horrible and extensive the contamination was before it was reported to the M.O.E. back in 2004 or 2005 I am surprisingly feeling at least a little respect for the M.O.E. for their pursuit of Northstar through the courts and the ERT. Yes the M.O.E. are supposed to inspect these facilities and bring them in line BEFORE either environmental and human health disasters strike. In this they failed abjectly. As far as the remediation afterwards the M.O.E. pushed while both municipal and regional politicians ran interference for the company via their usual public relations nonsense about minimal to no permanent environmental and human health damages. That attitude and behaviour was an insult to the environment and the Grand River due to toxic solvents discharged into them by Northstar and to the families of those who passed away prematurely due to the air they breathed in their homes being "enriched" with TCE, TCA, possibly chromium and more.

NORTHSTAR AEROSPACE SETTLEMENT A PRECEDENT

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Settlement reached on Northstar Aerospace environmental cleanup". There was a meeting yesterday morning in Cambridge Council Chambers to continue the appeal of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Control Order demanding the Directors' assume financial liability. Thay all had appealed mostly on the basis that they weren't in direct charge of the affairs of the company. This had seemed a little strange to me as several of them held senior management positions, were Directors on the Board and held stock in the company. Hence the M.O.E. went after them for money required to continue the remediation both on site, off-site and to maintain the vapour extraction systems in some homes. According to the Record the Settlement is for $4.75 million and the Directors will jointly pay that to continue the ongoing remediation. In a statement the Ministry claimed "This is the first time the ministry has held corporate directors of a publicly-traded company personally responsible for an environmental claeanuo after a company has gone bankrupt". If that is indeed so then the M.O.E. have been letting Directors go for a very long time. Over twenty years ago they took a half hearted run at the Directors of Varnicolor Chemical in Elmira but eventually let them off the hook.

CHEMTURA CANADA SEPTEMBER 2013 PROGRESS REPORT

Off-site pumping wells W3 and W5B are pumping far in excess of their target rates. This makes up for the now greatly reduced pumping rate at W4 as they are allegedly pumping the Municipal Lower only and not the Municipal Upper Aquifer. Meanwhile although I pointed out to Jeff Merriman (Chemtura) at the September CPAC meeting that CRA had not adjusted the target rate for W4 on Figure A.3 in the August Progress Report; lo and behold they still haven't corrected it in the September Progress Report.

Table A.5 purports to be a "broad scan analysis" of contaminants in off-site wells W3, W4, W5A & B. In reality it is the defined broad scan analysis as per a specific Certificate of Approval. These are not one and the same and there are dozens to hundreds of other chemicals still not being tested for. Rest assurred that any of these chemicals not properly treated in the treatment system are being dumped along with the treated effluent, into the Canagagigue. Of course they aren't being tested for there as well hence it's as if they never existed as far as Chemtura and the M.O.E. are concerned.

As per Table B.1 Lindane is still being discharged from the Chemtura site into the Canagagigue via the MISA 0400 pipe.

Table C.1 indicates that NDEA or n-nitrosodiethylamine (a Chemtura contaminant) was detected in the Canagagigue Creek last month.

Table E.1 indicates the varying thicknesses of Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPL) below Building # 15 on site. This would primarily be Toluene and despite claims to the contrary I don't believe that Chemtura/CRA could not remove it from the natural environment; for a price.

Finaly Figure D.3 indicates the amount of groundwater elevation difference between monitoing points along the Canagagigue Creek. Observation wells UOW 510 and UOW 540 are .1 metre or less below the surface water level of the Canagagigue Creek. Again despite assurances to the contrary I am highly skeptical that this tiny differential guarantees hydraulic containment in this area of the Upper Aquifer.

And the pretend cleanup continues.

WATERLOO SEWAGE SPILL NOW BEING CALLED "MASSIVE".

The Region of Waterloo's "designated deniers" struck out apparently regarding the spill of nearly one million litres of raw human sewage into Colonial Creek and then into the Grand River. Last Thursday's Waterloo Region Record has this title on their most recent story "Sewage station upgrades moved ahead" and the sub-title is "After massive spill, Waterloo council votes for early start on $7.6M project to add safeguards at station".

This is what bothers me. Councils can and do vote for massive money expenditures on LRT among other things while deferring urgent infrastructure expenditures. We are not using the best available technolgies to safeguard our environmemnt when Councils defer their implementation because of less urgent expenditures. Waterloo has now seen the light. How soon will they and other municipal councils forget this lesson?

LAST EVENINGS CHEMTURA PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Firstly last evening was the first CPAC meeting I've missed in years. It was my 64th birthday and my children were home including my daughter from British Columbia. Therefore this posting is later than usual as I've spoken at length to two CPAC members to get their impressions and input from last evening's meeting.

Ron Campbell while remaining as a SWAT (soil, water, air & technical)team member has resigned as Chair of the sub-committee. He is being replaced as Chair by Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach. There is also a new member joining SWAT and I'll let the readers know his name after I've confirmed that he's been formally advised and accepted.

There was extensive discussion in regards to CRA/Chemtura apparently deciding that for technical reasons they cannot go ahead with source removal (ie. In-Situ Chemical Oxidation) at two off-site areas west of the Chemtuura site. CRA etc. are adamant that their rationale is sufficient whereas yours truly having read their formal letter prior to last evening find it to be typical CRA psuedo science.

The Ontario M.O.E. had been asked to check their files in regards to a technical investigation undertaken in the mid 80's dealing with contamination in the Howard St. storm drains of Elmira. Unsurprisingly they, just like Woolwich Township, claim that they have no information on this matter. This issue has been raised repeatedly over the years and essentially ignored or procrastinated by various authorities. The investigation has been documented in a few groundwater reports dealing with contaminated areas in Elmira and all the references have gone to Woolwich Township and others years ago.

Jaimie Connolly was not present last evening to answer questions about acetone allegedly solubolizing chlorobenzene. Similarily there was a question in regards to sand and gravel not absorbing dioxins or DDT. Steve Martindale (M.O.E.) was unable to give firm answers as he readily admits that he is not the expert. Similar to keeping the local abatement office away from the meetings in order to avoid questions dealing with the old Varnicolor Chemical; this is a great strategy by the M.O.E. to avoid answering CPAC's questions.

Further downstream testing in the Canagagigue by the M.O.E. will occur probably next spring. It is not clear to me if this time the M.O.E. will present a Draft Work Plan ahead of time for CPAC's comments or whether they will just bull ahead and screw it up all on their own.

After the public CPAC meeting they went into an in camera meeting to discuss a non environmental matter (personnel) being raised by George Karlos of the Ministry of the Environment. It is not totally clear to me how "personnel" is defined as the committee and its' sub-committee are filled with volunteers. Nevertheless George had some things he wanted to get off his chest privately, unrelated to the Chemtura cleanup etc.and CPAC who have bent over backwards to accomodate all parties and stakeholders agreed to listen to his concerns.

"THE BIG CHILL" - CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO MUZZLE SCIENTISTS

Tuesday's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Scientists speak out in poll". The poll was commissioned by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. It's results clearly show that the federal government have clamped down on their scientists speaking publicly about their findings. These scientists include those in Health Canada, National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture Canada, Natural Resources and Environment Canada.
Apparently the Federal Information Commissioner is also concerned about what is going on. "Federal Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault is conducting a study of how changes in communications policy under the harper government have clamped down on the sharing of government science with the public.".

Clearly governments with nothing to hide do not clamp down on research and science paid for by the taxpaying public. It makes it extraordinarily difficult to trust a government hell bent on natural resource extraction and development; when they advise that they are monitoring associated environmental concerns. How about sharing these reports with concerned citizens, taxpayers and voters.