NEWS CLIPPINGS written by ANDREW WATTS
WAINFLEET
from THE WELLAND TRIBUNE , EDITORIAL , MARCH 07, 2007
WELLS ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF PROVINCE'S WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS
RE: JAMES WALLACE'S COLUMN, PROVINCE NEGLECTS WELL WATER QUALITY, THE TRIBUNE, FEB. 5.
IT GETS INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE ANY IMPARTIALITY IN MUCH OF THE MEDIA'S REPORTING.
IT OFTEN APPEARS THAT SOME, PARTICULARLY POLITICAL COMMENTATORS, MERELY CALL A LOCAL PUBLIC SECTOR OFFICE TO ASK FOR INSTRUCTIONS AS TO WHAT TO WRITE. JAMES WALLACE'S ARTICLE ON WELL WATER QUALITY A GOOD EXAMPLE.
THE EXPERTS HE QUOTES ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH EXERTING EVEN MORE GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER EVERY CITIZEN'S DAILY LIFE, YET HE DOES NOTHING TO ASK A SINGLE QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE PROVINCE'S WATER QUALITY BECAME A CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN THE FIRST PLACE?
THE ANSWER TO THAT OF COURSE IS DECADES OF NEGLECT IN MAINTAINING THE PROVINCE'S WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, TO THE EXTENT THAT THOSE SAME INFRASTRUCTURES ARE CAUSING AS MUCH CONTAMINATION, AND MORE, THAN THE ALLEGED PROBLEMS WITH WELLS.
IN FACT THE PROVINCE'S INFRASTRUCTURES ARE SO BAD THAT LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE PROVINCE APPROVE THE DUMPING OF RAW AND UNTREATED HUMAN WASTE DIRECTLY INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEIR SYSTEMS ARE SO OLD AND NEGLECTED THEY CAN NO LONGER FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY.
THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS IT WILL COST TENS OF BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO BRING THESE SYSTEMS UP TO AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD.
THE EXPERTS JAMES WALLACE QUOTES SHOULD ALL BE AWARE OF THIS. IT WAS A PART OF THEIR WATER QUALITY REPORTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. WALLACE READS THIS NEWSPAPER.
CAN HE RECALL JUST HOW MANY BOIL WATER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN IMPOSED PROVINCE-WIDE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS?
ALL BY MUNICIPALITIES INCAPABLE OF GUARANTEEING THE QUALITY OF THEIR MUNICIPALLY-SUPPLIED WATER.
AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, HE INSISTS ON USING WALKERTON AS A REASON FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO SUPPLY MORE WATER.
THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE DOING ISN'T IT, WHICH CAUSED THOSE DEATHS AND ILLNESS?
IT MOST CERTAINLY WASN'T WELLS. I WONDER HOW MANY DEATHS MR. WALLACE CAN SHOW, FROM HIS RESEARCH, WERE CAUSED BY CONTAMINATED WELLS?
THERE IS A GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION PROBLEM, MR. WALLACE.
THERE ARE ALSO MANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO MAINTAIN EFFICIENT WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS ON AN INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCE BASIS FAR MORE SUITABLE FOR RURAL AREAS.
THE HISTORY OF ONTARIO'S DILAPIDATED INFRASTRUCTURE IS BY FAR THE BEST ARGUMENT OF ALL TO KEEP GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR AS FAR AWAY FROM IMPOSING THESE SORT OF DECISIONS AS POSSIBLE.
ANDREW WATTS WAINFLEET
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
WELLAND TRIBUNE EDITORIAL - NOVEMBER 24, 2006 UPDATEDNIAGARA REGION HAS WATER WOES
THE TRIBUNE HAD A STORY ON PAGE A3,
THE HEADING "REGION DUMPED SEWAGE INTO CREEK."
LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF CONFIRMED THAT THE PRACTICE OF DUMPING RAW AND PARTIALLY TREATED SEWAGE INTO BOTH LAKE ERIE AND THE NIAGARA RIVER, FROM THE REGION'S WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, WAS AN ACCEPTED AND NORMAL WAY OF DEALING WITH SEWAGE BACKUP, PARTICULARLY AFTER HEAVY RAINS.
THERE WAS NO MENTION OF TRYING TO REDUCE OR PREVENT THIS, JUST AN ASSURANCE THAT THE WASTEWATER SERVICES STAFF WOULD TRY TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNTS THEY WERE DUMPING MORE ACCURATELY IN THE FUTURE, IN FACT THE REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT DIDN'T EVEN CONTAIN DATA ON DISCHARGE VOLUMES.
ALL OF THIS REPORTED WITH NO HINT OF CRITICISM.
WAINFLEET RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO A BARRAGE OF CRITICISM OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS OR MORE FOR NOT ACCEPTING THE REGION'S BIG PIPE SOLUTION TO ITS LAKESHORE'S ALLEGED CONTAMINATION PROBLEM.
I HAVE YET TO SEE ONE NEWSPAPER REPORT THAT HAS ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS OF THE RESIDENTS WITHOUT IMPLYING THAT THE REGION'S ACTIONS ARE OF MORE RELEVANCE.
AS IN THIS STORY, I HAVE YET TO READ ANY CRITICISM OF THE REGION, ITS POLITICIANS OR ITS UNELECTED STAFF.
SO I GUESS DUMPING SEWAGE INTO OUR LAKES IS FINE, AS LONG AS YOU ARE THE REGION.
DO ALL NEWSPAPERS REALLY BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE CAN'T GET IT WRONG?
IF WASTEWATER SERVICE CANNOT RUN THEIR EXISTING SERVICES EFFICIENTLY, PARTICULARLY AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN BADLY MAINTAINED FOR DECADES NOW AND IS UNFIT FOR ADDITIONS OR EXTENSIONS, HOW CAN ANY SERIOUS REPORTING CONTINUE TO IGNORE THESE FACTS WITHOUT QUESTION?
IMPOSING A BROKEN SYSTEM ON A RURAL COMMUNITY THAT JUST DOESN'T WANT IT MAKES NO SENSE.
FOR NO ONE IN THE MEDIA TO EVEN SERIOUSLY QUESTION THIS BIG PIPE PROJECT, EVEN LESS.
ANDREW WATTS
WAINFLEET
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
WELLAND TRIBUNE EDITORIAL - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2006
TALK TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN WAINFLEET ...
RE: MATTHEW VAN DONGEN, LOCAL/REGION ARTICLE, TRIBUNE OCT. 13, PAGE A5
MR. VAN DONGEN, IN MANY REPORTS, HAS NEVER ADDRESSED ANY OF THE MANY LEGITIMATE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY THOSE MOST AFFECTED BY THIS WAINFLEET WATER/SEWAGE DEBACLE, THOSE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN WAINFLEET.
THIS PROJECT IS INSPIRED TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY BY THE UNELECTED REGIONAL STAFF WHOSE OPINIONS HE OBVIOUSLY BELIEVES ARE BEYOND CRITICISM.
MR. VAN DONGEN! APART FROM THE RECENTLY APPROVED EA REPORT, PRODUCED ENTIRELY BY THE REGION'S PRO-PROJECT STAFFERS, CAN YOU SHOW ME ANY PROVINCIAL REPORTS ON GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AND WATER QUALITY THAT ACTUALLY STATE THAT FAILING SEPTIC TANKS ARE THE PROBLEM?
YOU WILL FIND LITERALLY HUNDREDS ON THE RELEVANT PROVINCIAL WEBPAGES WHICH MOSTLY CLAIM AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF IS THE MAIN CULPRIT.
I'VE YET TO FIND ONE THAT EVEN MENTIONS FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS.
THE WASTE OF $65 MILLION WILL DO LITTLE OR NOTHING TO PREVENT LEACHING AND CONTAMINATION INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AND LAKE ERIE.
THE ILL-ADVISED BOIL-WATER ADVISORY (BWA) COVERS AN AREA OF WHICH ABOUT 80 PER CENT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY EA REPORT, NOR HAD TEST DRILLING AND INSPECTION OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND WELLS CARRIED OUT. WHATEVER THOSE AT THE REGION DO WILL NOT COVER THESE 1,200 HOMEOWNERS.
AS I SEE IT, THE ONLY WAY 80 PER CENT OF THIS AREA CAN HAVE THE BWA EVER LIFTED IS BY THE YET ANOTHER UNELECTED REGIONAL STAFF MEMBER ADMITTING THE DECISION WAS WRONG!
WAINFLEET DOES HAVE A PROBLEM, AS DO MANY OTHER PROVINCIAL RURAL AREAS. FORCING US TO BE CONNECTED TO SYSTEMS ALREADY RECOGNIZED AS UNABLE TO SUPPORT ANY FUTURE EXTENSIONS, THIS BY THE EXPERT PANEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEAN WATER ACT CURRENTLY PASSING THROUGH PARLIAMENT, DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
THERE ARE MANY ALTERNATIVES, ALL BETTER THAN THE REGION'S PROJECT AND FAR BETTER SUITED TO A RURAL SITUATION. ALL COST LESS AND MOST I'VE HEARD OF ARE TRIED AND TESTED.
REGIONAL STAFFERS ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT ALL THE TIME. THIS TIME THEY COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG, FOR WAINFLEET RESIDENTS, ANY OTHER SIMILARLY AFFECTED RURAL COMMUNITY, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND CERTAINLY NOT FOR THE FUTURE GOOD OF ANYONE.
ANDREW WATTS
WAINFLEET
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "WAINFLEET: STILL UNDER THREAT"
MAY 06 , 2006
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "WHAT TOOK SO LONG"
APRIL 15 ,2005
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "WHAT READERS SAY"
NOV. 26 ,2005
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "WHAT READERS SAY"
AUGUST 20 ,2005
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE BY ANDREW WATTS APRIL ,2005
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE BY ANDREW WATTS MARCH ,2005
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "WHAT READERS SAY"
JUNE 8 ,2005
Mayor Gord Harry
PHONE: (905) 899-2625EMAIL: gharry@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Evan Main PHONE: (905) 899-2633 or (905) 899-1250 EMAIL: emain@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Patrick Robson EMAIL: probson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderwoman Barbara Henderson PHONE: (905) 386-0977 EMAIL: bhenderson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Rudy Warkentin PHONE: (905) 899-1358 EMAIL: rwarkentin@township.wainfleet.on.ca MPP -ERIE-LINCOLN TIM HUDAK , MPP PHONE: (905) 382-0322 FAX : (905) 382-0315 EMAIL: timhudak@niagara.net MPP JOHN MALONEY PHONE: (905) 788-2204 FAX : (905) 788-0071 EMAIL: malonj@parl.gc.ca PROJECT MANAGER , Regional Niagara BOB STEELE EMAIL: bob.steele@regional.niagara.on.ca
They are listening and know we aren't going away!
Here's hoping for some changes to the problems .
