A TOTALLY DIFFERENT (NON-ENVIRONMENTAL) POSTING TODAY

 You mean there's more to life than Uniroyal/Lanxess? There's more to life than the Canagagigue Creek, pollution and corruption? Apparently so.  There's even more to life than the outrageous coverup that's been underway by our politicians and other authorities for the last three decades plus. Family is the obvious choice as well as provincial/federal politics and even current events such as the horrific recent killing of an OPP officer who apparently was going to the assistance of a driver whose car was in the ditch. 

So what is my topic today? Gun control in Canada. We've had it in one form or another at least since 1935. My understanding is that handguns in Canada have all by law been registered here for the last 87 years. Not only registered but some form of firearms license has been mandatory for as long as I've been old enough to own long guns. My recollection is that my very first rifle was purchased from Canadian Tire over fourty years ago. I know during the late 90s the Liberals mandated a long gun registry and that rifle was registered . I also recall that my father bought a used single shot .22 calibre rifle from a fellow employee of Uniroyal Chemical when I was just a kid. So that was likely more than sixty years ago. I inherited that rifle when my father passed and it too was registered courtesy of the Liberal Party of Canada. I even recall the name of the former owner and Uniroyal employee and I'm sure it will ring some bells locally. His name was "Spot" Fulcher. I have no idea where the nickname "Spot" came from. Not bad eh I've actually swung even this post around to Uniroyal Chemical.

So courtesy of federal legislation a couple of very old rifles have presumably both been registered and then later fallen out of any registry when the Conservatives got back in federally.  I can guarantee this : neither of those rifles has ever been used illegally or for any activity other than shooting tin cans or paper targets with an appropriate backstop. Meanwhile we have a 25 year old kid with a substantial history of anti-social behaviour including assaults on police officers who has been facing both firearms charges and assault charges for some time. He was out on bail and failed to attend court last September which further bought him a warrant for his arrest. Over two moths later and he still hadn't been tasken into custody. Oh and all his firearms were in his possession illegally. What the hell! Did our vaunted firearms laws do anybody any good whatsoever? I think not. And that's the rub. Laws are obeyed by most Canadians and ignored by most criminals. So keep on passing laws politicians but ignore the followup. i.e. the enforcement etc.

UNIROYAL & CHEMTURA EACH WALKED AWAY FROM UPAC/CPAC ONCE

 Both times our municipal politicians panicked and threw in the towel. This included private concessions despite denials to UPAC/CPAC members. In other words our municipal politicians went behind citizens' backs (yet again) to make private deals with the dirty polluters. The second time namely in late October 2014 was the most blatant and egregious. It occurred shortly after the municipal election when Chemtura knew that Todd Cowan was out and Sandy Shantz in and they were ecstatic. The first time, poor little Uniroyal had their wee feelings hurt by the air subcommittee of UPAC being mean to them! Ron Ormston, Susan and Pat had the nerve to suggest that Uniroyal really weren't trying hard enough. Can you imagine that? Just because four families were having their lives and health attacked by middle of the night emissions from Uniroyal (1998-2000), UPAC actually criticized Uniroyal Chemical suggesting that they knew full well what they were emitting in the middle of the night and that it needed to stop immediately.

It was occasional actions like this from UPAC, Pat & Susan which had forged my confidence in UPAC and Susan. I never really trusted Pat McLean and it certainly turned out for good reason. She was nothing but Bill Strauss's right hand man whether on or off Woolwich Council. The second walking resulted in Chemtura and the Ontario Ministry of Environment privately insisting upon the removal of CPAC members especially including the Chair Dr. Dan Holt and myself.  It was an outrageous and self-serving demand which only the most corrupt and stupid municipal Council would ever abide by. Of course Sandy and Mark Bauman gussied it up with serious lying about CPAC members which the previous Council had appointed.

THE ELMIRA CLEANUP - A LITANY OF INTENTIONAL COST CUTTING, COST SAVING, NATURAL ATTENUATION, SPREAD IT FAR & WIDE (Dilution & Distribution), PHONEY & SHAM INVESTIGATIONS COMBINED WITH JUNK & PSUDEO SCIENCE LIBERALLY ADDED TO THE MIX

 Where to start. The November 4, 1991 Control Order was never honestly followed.  DNAPLS on site were not removed. Full hydraulic containment in all aquifers was never even close to being achieved. Each and every investigation was inadequate, superficial and or the conclusions did not reasonably flow from the data presented. Junk science included intentional sampling from unlikely areas knowing that the results would be bogus. Sampling routinely suffered from locational biases such that the company and consultants sampled where they wanted to do future work not necessarily where the greatest concentration of contaminants were. Constant, never ending groundwater leakage from all aquifers has helped flush Uniroyal contamination both downstream and downgradient in various aquifers. Shallow aquifer hydraulic containment at best barely covered 1/4 of the site discharge to the Canagagigue Creek. Sediment sampling often consisted of open shovels versus proper closed core samplers. Method Detection Limits often exceeded the health criteria of either provincial or federal regulations thus hiding exceedances by pretending that they were Non-Detect (N.D.).  Initial DNAPL investigations included Brian Beatty using outdated criteria (10% Solubility Rule) by quoting another hydrogeologist out of context (i.e. Stan Feenstra). Fancy names such as Optimization were bandied about to pretend that their cost cutting efforts had something to do with efficiency. They didn't. Distraction, Delay and Obfuscation were employed gratuitously to keep citizens confused and compliant. Other sources were both denied and ignored as long as possible including Nutrite (Yara) and their Ammonia contributions to the Municipal Aquifers (MA). Varnicolor Chemical's various solvent contributions to the MA were also denied and kept hidden. Other sources such as former landfills have been kept very well hidden including refusing to supply UPAC/CPAC with written reports upon request. Thank you Woolwich Township for that. Varnicolor's Lot 91 "cleanup" was a disgrace because it was surrounded on three sides by Landfill Creek and the Canagagigue Creek which washed away the sins of both Varnicolor and the Ontario Ministry of Environment. Other contaminant sources around town including multiple gas stations as well as textile industries, manufacturing industries, trucking industries were all kept on the downlow so as not to further degrade the image of the Ontario MOE. Lastly more trees were killed in order to produce the most ridiculous consultant's reports possible over the decades. Neither municipal nor regional money was made available to UPAC or CPAC (RAC/TAG) to do proper peer reviews on the plethora of junk science reports produced by CRA and GHD over the decades simply because our politicians had their sweetheart deals in place and did not want to rock the boat. These sweetheart deals were never in the public interest. 

Other than that everything was just about O.K.!

WOW AMAZING GOOD FORTUNE FOR CHEMTURA OR WERE PAT & SUSAN WORKING ON THEIR BEHALF?

 I've reviewed the four incredible DNAPL reports by Jaimie Connolly (MOE) and Wilf Ruland (independent-eh sort of). Jaimie's were dated April 3, 2006 and  May 2, 2008 while Wilf's were each a couple of weeks afterwards of each of Jaimie's namely April 21, 2006 and May 15, 2008. In one sense I could take a cheap (but very appropriate) shot at Wilf for the timing of his two reports. Being able to beat the Ministry of Environment to the punch really isn't a big accomplishment but twice in a row following them seems odd. Or... my guess is that Wilf and Jaimie were the lone serious objectors to the never ending and on-going DNAPL coverup.  Wilf has never impressed me with his backbone. In my presence I have seen him bend over backwards, contort himself grotesquely and almost literally kiss his own ass rather than offend Conestoga Rovers, Uniroyal/Chemtura or the Ministry of Environment. However... when the MOE (i.e. Jaimie C.) are strongly criticizing Chemtura/CRA  and Wilf is not alone, then apparently things change. WOW do they ever! 

Both hydrogeologists have spanked Chemtura/CRA regarding their multiple failures pertaining to DNAPLS and LNAPLS. Both have criticized Chemtura for refusing to do some source removal of DNAPLS at specific locations both on the east and west sides of their property. Specific locations and waste pits/ponds are singled out and named including the evidence pointing to both residual and free phase DNAPL presence. Jaimie repeatedly hammers Chemtura for not stopping the flow of contaminants dissolved or otherwise through known "windows" between the Upper Aquifer (UA) and the Municipal Aquifers (MU & ML). He also points out contaminant flow from the MU to both the Municipal Lower (ML) and then into the Bedrock Aquifer (BR).

So exactly how did Chemtura get lucky (i.e. "amazing good fortune")?  These four letters from Jaimie and Wilf were given to CPAC (2011-2015) via Todd Cowan's Woolwich Township council/administration. Apparently Pat McLean as Chair of CPAC back in 2006-2008 didn't feel the need to distribute them to all CPAC members at the time which included me.  Susan Bryant suggested that I did not have e-mail at the time hence they weren't sent to me. Really? No fax, no snail mail, no personal handing them over at a CPAC meeting prior to my Pat & Susan induced boot from CPAC by Woolwich Council in February/March 2008? As for the two very timely May 2008 letters I was attending CPAC public meetings constantly even when not a member. They were NOT on the Agenda nor were they ever publicly discussed. As I said "amazing good fortune" for Chemtura because I would have roasted those lying scum if I had known which makes me ask the obvious question:                                                                               "DID PAT & SUSAN ACT ON THEIR OWN FOUL MOTIVES OR WERE THEY ASKED NICELY ($$ or otherwise) BY CHEMTURA & FRIENDS?

 

THIS IS WHY I POST HERE ABOUT ELMIRA, ONTARIO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Yesterday I did some looking back as in exactly one year ago to see what I was posting about. My goodness what a trip down memory lane.  It turns out that last Christmas I was posting about multiple DNAPL letters written by Jaimie Connolly and Wilf Ruland. Now there is quite a history around these letters however first let me say this. I have not recently written about either the contemptible Hawkridge Homes approval on Union St. across from both Lanxess Canada and from Sulco (CCC) nor have I posted about the apparently done deal at the former Paleshi Motors/U Pull It recycling/Bolender Park Landfill. 

Hawkridge first: All credit and kudos should go to Ron Koniuch (sp.?) of CCC for his and the company's efforts over not just years but at least a decade and a half or more attempting to stop a residential subdivision from being built literally across the road from heavy chemical industries.  This credit and kudos do not extend to Lanxess who dropped the ball possibly along with Chemtura and bailed on the fight. What the hell. It was Lanxess who have always been the greatest physical threat to nearby residents as well as to incoming families, not Sulco (CCC). Sulco have long ago sincerely embraced the *Responsible Care ethic  whereas Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura/Lanxess will embrace anything to polish their environmental image and possibly save them a nickel in cleanup costs.

After the Woolwich Council initiated departure of a thriving and well run business by Frank Rattasid we now have a much worse situation. Thank you past Woolwich Council for this. Hundreds of tractor trailers will be parking, entering and leaving the property at all hours of the day and night. Diesel exhaust fumes, noise and possibly fuel spills will follow. None of this was necessary. I think Woolwich Observer that you need to update your readers as to both the new reality as well as to the politics behind it.

I do suggest that readers go back via the Archives section of this Blog (right side) and check out some December 2021 postings. My recollection also is that there was an admission by Susan Bryant at TAG back then along the lines of ...no Ramin Ansari's (Lanxess) comments about all parties being satisfied with the DNAPL resolution was not fully accurate. There is also the slight problem about these DNAPL letters disappearing way back when. By disappearing I mean basically the very supportive of my position on Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLS) two letters each from Jaimie C. (MOE) and Wilf R. (private hydrogeologist) were not made readily available to either myself or the public prior to my DNAPL (not Ammonia Treatment System) removal from CPAC in 2008. Very, very convenient Pat and Susan you pair of manipulative back stabbers and worse.

Eventually all the facts will become public knowledge and Uniroyal/Lanxess and fellow travellors will be held in appropriate contempt by all. Even by those who personally benefited along the way.   

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL (Yesterday)

FURTHER YET TO BE CLARIFIED DISGUSTING REVELATIONS ON THE FORMER UNIROYAL CHEMICAL SITE (ELMIRA)

 Some of these revelations literally took decades to come to light. This is primarily due to intentional obtuseness if not outright obfuscation by the guilty parties. Please check out the "anonymous" comment posted on my last Thursday Elmira Advocate posting. The reference to "...oldtimers north-east of town..." talking about the oozing and flowing of liquid wastes onto the Stroh property is both interesting and revealing. There are lots of folks older than I who knew, saw and remember the bad old days. Lanxess may wrongly think that all these "oldtimers" are gone but they are not. 

I particularly found the reference to flowing onto the Stroh property and then flowing into the gravel pit to be interesting. Which gravel pit? Ahh but that is the question. Uniroyal and their hired guns, Conestoga Rovers, seemed to have no problem making a particular gravel pit (GP-1) get up and walk to wherever they wanted it to be. An examination of various maps produced by CRA/Uniroyal over the decades is illuminating. Also illuminating are other maps produced in the 1980's, earlier and later by outside parties that seemed to have a different opinion about various gravel pits on and off the Uniroyal property. Keep in mind that the Stroh property itself has a gravel pit. 

These very convenient and self-serving relocations of gravel pits are the stuff of corporate fantasies. This is yet one more reason why properties that are directly attached to public aquifers and public rivers, creeks and streams (and air) should not be treated by our governments as some sort of sancrosanct, inviolable, a man's home is his castle bullsh.t. Furthermore our "captured" public regulators (MOE/MECP) should also not have a monopoly on attending contaminated sites whether private or public (DND-Dept of National defence) etc. This makes "creative" solutions way to attractive to polluters. We learned early on that Varnicolor Chemical was literally hiding behind the lies of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in Elmira. They counted on the long culpable MOE not to further damage their own reputation by either pointing fingers or by admitting to their own lack of control of Elmira polluters. 

Uniroyal and fellow travellors have long claimed that overflowing Uniroyal east side liquid wastes flowed directly into their favourite position of GP-1 (gravel pit 1) which was on the west side of the high NW to SE diagonal ridge of land. They simply redrew maps of the gravel pit to where it suited their narrative best. Their narrative was never going to be that they intentionally or otherwise caused/allowed their toxic wastes to flow directly onto their neighbour's property. Especially not in large quantities and over a period of decades (1945- 1970 approx.). 

How utterly convenient when governments are so accommodating to the fantasies, wishes, preferences and desires of industry. Even polluting industry.