Sludge Watch ==> Sludge Tacklers of Pelham urge neighbours to test well water

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

The St. Catharines Standard
Ontario

August 9, 2006

Neighbours of berm urged to test water in their wells

Magge Riopolle

People living close to a controversial sludge berm are being asked to test 
the water in their wells to ensure there is no contamination.

The Sludge Tacklers of Pelham (STOP) community group met at the Lions Hall 
Tuesday evening to inform resi-dents of progress in their fight for the 
removal from the Church Street property of the berm of paper sludge 
originating from Abitibi Consolidated .
While there haven't been a lot of solutions coming from the Ministry of 
Environment, the committee is doing what it can to compile data, keep the 
issue in the forefront and encourage residents to assist.

"We all need to work together," said STOP member Carolyn Botari. "We want 
residents with drilled wells to get a water test bottle ... fill it 
according to the instructions and drop it off at the public health 
department."

The testing, she told residents, is free. And it's necessary because if the 
wells are tested now and show no contamination, but a year later sample 
results have elevated levels of E. coli or other bacteria created from the 
sludge, then at least there will be documentation, she said.
STOP also hopes residents will provide donations so other tests can be 
conducted.

Those tests include core samples to determine the depth of clay in the soil, 
migration testing to see if the contamination is flowing offsite and water 
tests that will be conducted in conjunction with the Niagara Peninsula 
Conservation Authority. The committee also wants to conduct sound tests to 
determine if the berm is deflecting sound back to the residents.

STOP's Randy Desnoyers said since the first contamination problem emerged, 
with black sludge filling ditches on the CP Rail property, the size of the 
berm has tripled to 60,000 tonnes, by the committee's estimate.

Mayor Ron Leavens told residents that in his discussions with the provincial 
Environment Minister Laurel Broten, he made sure the issue was clear.

"Stop calling it a berm," Leavens said. "It's an unlicensed landfill and 
it's not paper fibre biosolids, it's sludge. The responsibility lies with 
the ministry."