LAST EVENING'S TAG MEETING

Well first of all CKCO-TV Kitchener came out to the Technical Advisory Group meeting and filmed it. At the end of the meeting they interviewed both Dr. Dick Jackson and myself (separately). Parts of the meeting and Dr. Jackson's interview was on the late news afterwards. I'm guessing that it will also be on TV at noon today.

TAG members stepped up last evening and sent a strong message to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment on a few different issues. Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach presented a letter to the M.O.E. recommending test pits be dug the length of the Gap, currently unsampled, along Chemtura's south-east corner. This is in reference to the Chemtura East Side Work Plan. He also wants monitoring wells installed there. TAG passed the Motion unanimously to send this along to RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee). Susan Bryant provided a document concerning the Canagagigue Creek and Floodplain Review. She pointed out several weaknesses and or inaccuracies in the report. Her Report via a Motion was unanimously agreed to be sent on to RAC as well.

TAG were not happy with a Notice to Residents sent to downstream landowners along the Canagagigue Creek. This item took up the majority of the time last evening and was appropriately featured on CKCO-TV. The M.O.E. claimed that "The levels of contaminants in most areas of the creek have decreased substantially since we first began monitoring the creek in the 1990s." They followed this with "The highest levels of contamination are buried under layers of sediment in the creek bed.". While the words lie or liars were not used certainly statements that the M.O.E.'s words were misleading and inaccurate were heard during the meeting and on television last evening. Dr. Jackson advised that the M.O.E.'s Notice to residents was "inappropriate and misleading".

TAG passed a Motion that they would first approach the M.O.E. to rectify and change their Notice to Residents and if they refused TAG would approach the Township and or the Region to write up their own Notice to residents to give them a more accurate version of the facts and of the health dangers in the creek.

David Hofbauer gave a report indicating under the Environmental Protection Act "adverse effect" seems to be the determination of when the Ministry (M.O.E.) must act. This "adverse effect" refers to adverse environmental and ecological effects. Human health is NOT the sole factor by a very long shot.

Dr. Jackson indicated that he is pleased with his proposed replacement as TAG Chair after December 31/16. That gives me some hope that TAG will continue on the right path. Dr. Jackson also advised that there will be as planned two different TAG members attending RAC meetings at the start of the new year.

RAC meets next in a public meeting on December 8/16, 4 pm. in Woolwich Council Chambers.

PERHAPS A SECOND CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

Today's Woolwich Observer has a small news item at the top of page 5 titled Hahn case adjourned again. It correctly advises that Councillor Scott Hahn's Municipal Elections Act charges have been adjourned until January 25/17. It further states that the conflict prosecutor Michael Carnegie advised the court that he needs time to review the evidence against Hahn. That is also accurate as the conflict of interest prosecutor had not done so between the September 26/16 court date in which local prosecutor Alex Andres announced the appointing of a new prosecutor and this past Monday's court appearance.

I can advise that prosecutor Michael Carnegie is now actively reviewing the case and evidence in regards to Councillor Hahn's contraventions of the Act. I can also suggest that while the Observer's statement that MECAC "...found the transgressions did not warrant passing the case on to the court." is correct; it is not remotely complete. The Observer have a copy of the Forensic Audit and their failure to point out to the public the specific multiple contraventions of the law by Scott Hahn as well as the serious concerns expressed by the Auditors in regards to the truthfulness or not of Scott Hahn's alleged contributors and family members, is in my opinion a dereliction of their public duty.

While I am the first to acknowledge that overall, Councillor and Observer co-owner Pat Merlihan is one of the better and in my opinion more forthright Woolwich Councillors, nevertheless I have to ask the question. Is his presence on Council and his co-ownership of the Observer affecting the impartiality of the Observer on the Scott Hahn issue? Is this a conflict of interest?

JUGGLING SIMULTANEOUS PRIORITIES

Thank God I'm retired. There are days when being an activist is a full time job. Currently today I am sending e-mails to the media regarding the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting this Thursday, communicating with the conflict Prosecutor out of London regarding Woolwich Councillor Scott Hahn's Election Act contraventions, writing this posting and also attending to family issues today.

Included in the above are trying to update myself on the recent plethora of released, long overdue Ministry of Environment reports and data regarding the Canagagigue Creek. Yesterday I attended a visitation for a recently deceased member of my wife's family. The number I was given and believe is approximately five hundred people showed up over the afternoon and evening to pay their respects. That is one advantage of being a good person while not participating in politics or environmental issues. Those subjects tend to polarize people combined with the media's somewhat fickle approach to citizen activists.

TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP (TAG) PUBLIC MEETING THIS THURSDAY

The Agenda for this Thursday's 6:30 pm TAG meeting is on the Woolwich Township website under Committees of Council. Just click on RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee) and follow the prompts. Item 3.2 is the East Side Work Plan Discussion and this will include a document provided by Sebastian Seibel-Achenbach. Item 3.3 is about the Canagagigue Creek and Floodplain Review and it will include a couple of October 31/16 letters from the Ministry of Environment as well as a document from Susan Bryant.

Most disgustingly we will again likely see how the CIAC (Chemical Industry Assocn. of Canada) enables polluters and other irresponsible chemical companies to obtain Verifcation under the *Responsible Care plan. The CIAC pay for Pat Mcleans sojourns around North America, all expenses paid. Pat while wholly and totally unqualified other than local political connections as well as corporate connections (Chemtura) was the local vote last time around which tipped the balance in Chemtura's favour. No surprise there at all. Scratch my back etc..

This will be Dr. Jackson's last TAG meeting due to his retirement on December 31/16. He will have one more RAC meeting to attend on December 8/16. He will be missed as he called a spade a spade and would not tolerate the heavy duty bullshit spewed forth by the Ontario M.O.E.. He particularily let Terri Buhlman of the M.O.E. know what he thought of her excuses, her stickhandling and her evasion of the facts.

JANUARY 25/17 WE FIND OUT IF THE CROWN WILL PROCEED WITH CHARGES AGAINST COUNCILLOR HAHN

First point of interest for me was the statement both in a prior to court meeting with the out of town Prosecutor and then in court itself that this new Prosecutor in this case is a conflict of interest Prosecutor. I was advised that anytime a local politician is charged with an offence it goes to an out of town Prosecutor. I am somewhat surprised by this. Secondly I have been promised that there will be no more adjournments; that the Prosecutor (Mr. Carnegie) will advise the court on January 25/17, 9 am. whether or not his office is prepared to proceed on the Election Act charges or not. This is good news I believe for all concerned.

For a person who has repeatedly been disappointed in our judicial system; its' processes, delays, priorities and final outcomes I am nevertheless cautiously optimistic with what I heard today. I believe that this case is black and white and that is based upon MECAC public meetings as well as the two Financial Statements produced by Scott Hahn as well as the August 11, 2015 Forensic Audit produced by Froese Forensic Partners.

CHARGES GOING AHEAD, CHARGES DROPPED OR ANOTHER ADJOURNMENT?

Accountability and transparency are supposed to be the hallmarks of democracy. Unfortunately here in Woolwich Township we seem to have neither. What we have is a good ole boys and girls club. The system and all its' components are insular with an us versus them mentality. This extended to the farce which is known as MECAC (compliance audit committee). They went through the motions pretending to protect the public interest while blatantly running interference for guilty local politicians. They then solemnly ran through a list of excuses/reasons for not proceeding on to court in Councillor Scott Hahn's case. None of their excuses/reasons were legitimate criteria for denying a judge the appropriate opportunity to determine Mr. Hahn's culpability regarding his multiple, proven contraventions of the Municipal Elections Act as per the Forensic Audit done by Froese & Partners.

I will be attending court this morning and will post here the results when I get back. I have been advised that the media will be present so probably there will be something in either the local papers this week and or on television.

THE DRAFT OCTOBER 13 TAG MINUTES ARE OUT

I reread my posts here of October 14 and 15 in order to compare my thoughts of the TAG (Technical Advisory Group) meeting immediately afterwards compared to the Draft Minutes released earlier this week. Generally they are very close and that pleases me. Nevertheless I feel it is worthwhile to directly quote some comments by TAG members here again albeit from the official Draft Minutes. Keep in mind that these Minutes as well as Agendas are on the Township of Woolwich's website under RAC (Remediation Advisory Committee).

Regarding the hypocritical "Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest" early in each meeting's Agenda, Lisa Schaefer the "Recorder" has indicated that allegedly the Municipal Act only requires pecuniary interest to be declared and not other conflicts of interest. Whether or not this is accurate it is still improper and inappropriate for two TAG members to be sitting on this committee allegedly representing citizens when they both have been beneficiaries, financial and otherwise, of Chemtura's and fellow travellers
largesse.

I am some concerns with Dr. Jackson's and TAG's concerns regarding well OW-14. To my knowledge it is situated differently than the explanation in the Minutes would indicate. This is a typical example as to why the public should be routinely allowed to speak and ask questions in order to clarify possible errors for everyone's benefit.

Lisa has indicated that a member of the public (moi) stated that the ridge is 2.5 metres higher than the lowest area of the Stroh Drain. In fact the highest point of the ridge is 2.5 metres higher than the ground surface of the Stroh Drain. The water surface of the Drain is another metre lower and the bottom of the Drain may well be one or two more metres lower yet.

Overland flow of water would result in the trapping of pesticides and dioxins/furans (and much more) in the first fifteen centimetres of soil. Overland flow of waste water loaded with solvents is a different matter. The hydrophobic compounds would have penetrated the soil much deeper as indicated in recent discoveries of PCBs eight feet below ground.

TAG clearly indicated again that sediment transport sampling needs to be done. They also are stunned by the M.O.E.s dogmatic approach to ignoring exceedances of criteria both in the floodplain and in the creek sediments. The M.O.E. seems to be claiming that they need conclusive proof that there has been a negative effect on human health only. This is bizarre when one understands that the M.O.E.'s mandate is in regards to "adverse effects on the environment. This environment means water, air, soil, and all life form not just humans.

Now the quotes I mentioned earlier; "Further, at the last RAC meeting, the MOECC was clearly made aware of the TAG concerns regarding the lack of urgency they have with providing reports on a timely manner and taking any action."

This next quote is a humdinger: "TAG discussed the potential that the Township has exhausted all technical arguments and run into a wall of public policy and bureaucratic lethargy and as such, the only path forward is a media strategy or going to the Environmental Commissioner, which does not report to the MOECC but to Queen's Park.".

Further: "TAG also discussed whether a technical advisory committee was beneficial anymore to the Township as a technical case to the MOECC does not seem to move the need for action forward. Perhaps a group who focuses on public policy is what is needed going forward.".

Lastly: "TAG is concerned that the MOECC is stating that suspended sediment sampling does not help manage the problem. Federal law mandates that the Provinces monitor pesticide contamination and it is not at MOECC's discretion to decide whether or not to monitor suspended sediment.".

Readers: All of this bolsters the elephant in the room. That elephant is that the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change are fundamentally corrupt. Where do you think that corruption comes from other than from most senior provincial politicians. As our political parties are bought and paid for, they have their ministries doing their bidding all the while pretending to be working for the public interest.