A Chilling Prophecy

Today, people have good reason to be concerned about the quality of the land they are living on and the quality of the water they are drinking, not only for health reasons, but financial ones as well.  Governments are continually appearing to reassure us that everything is under control and that environmental protection is being managed as astutely as you would care for your own child. Yet again, as has happened so many times in the past, contaminated water and soil was discovered this past week at two separate residences near Guelph, in Puslinch and Flamborough townships.

The present owners of these properties had no idea they were literally living on land that had been used for 20 years as disposal sites for toxic waste. Both the province and the municipalities involved allegedly knew about the waste but neglected to warn potential buyers.

In previous articles, I have stated that, when combined, incidence of ground water contamination along with other forms of airborne pollution (which must eventually fall to the ground as rain), are cumulatively creating for us a toxic cocktail that we are all forced to ingest whether it be tomorrow or 10 years from now. I also mentioned in an earlier column that in the southern Ontario area it is virtually impossible to find a teaspoon of clean water anywhere. These latest discoveries of contaminated soil and water are two more perfect examples of exactly why clean water (non-toxic) is nearly impossible to find in that area.

They are also two more examples of how serious and prevalent the incidence of poisoned soil and water are becoming.

For those people living in rural areas who are solely reliant on wells, the threat of well water contamination is a very real and profound concern. The question of when and where new, previously undiscovered, toxic waste sites will crop up is anybody's guess. Tracking down the origins of contaminated ground water can be very difficult, especially if (for example), the source of the pollutants was initially discharged 15 years ago and seven kilometers from the point where it sits today. In addition, contaminants that have been in the ground this long are usually also almost impossible to clean up, especially in terms of liquid toxic waste.

Another disturbing fact further exacerbating the puzzling process of trying to locate where pollutants originally came from is that sadly, in some areas, because so many toxic dump sites dot the landscape, the job of knowing where to begin looking is almost not feasible. These contaminants can exist in an almost pure state for many years as they move with ground water.  Some contaminants, as with ground water itself, can move either quickly or slowly from place to place depending on a number of factors. This is sometimes why folks living in rural areas suddenly find toxins in their well water after years of having predominantly pure drinking water.

Tom Gillespie and his wife of Flamborough Township didn't have to look far for the cause of their water problems. Tom discovered eight giant tanks buried on their property with holes in them, indicating that the toxic effluent seeped out into the ground long before he bought the property in 1978. The Gillespies are infuriated that neither the township or the province mentioned anything about the dumping that occurred there in the 1960's.  For 11 years the province has been providing them with bottled water, an obvious admission that something is wrong. Yet this is hardly sufficient compensation for an older couple who have worked hard all their lives, and bought a house in good faith, only to learn that their investment is polluted and worthless. For 11 years they have been waiting for the government to take responsibility for this travesty but have so far met with little co-operation.

In Puslynch township Mr. Steve Nailer and Gabriel Monteith are also demanding the province get them out of the toxic mess that they have found themselves in. All over their property, just below the surface, they have found a thick, greyish black sludge. The curious substance is a waste by-product from an oil refinery which has contaminated the soil and ground water not only on their property, but in the general vicinity as well. The couple had no idea that the area had been used as a toxic waste site. The recent discovery has made them realize that until the property is cleaned up, which depending on the circumstances may be a futile exercise at best, their home and property are worthless. To make matters worse, Ontario law specifies that they may be liable for the clean-up which could cost them as much as $10-million under the new Spills Bill legislation.

Clearly the repercussions and costs of toxic pollution are now no longer strictly environmental (as they were for the most part for many years). Instead, these days toxic dumps are so numerous that their bounteous quantities of chemicals are costing people their health as well as their acquired wealth (i.e. house and property) that they have worked so hard for so many years to attain. These days, people are being directly and seriously affected by pollution, yet it is these same unfortunate incidences that are forcing people to wake up and acknowledge the fact that it is time to get tough with polluters.

Governments must also set stiffer fines and jail terms for those serious offenders. We must all clean up our act... quickly.