The Huron Expositor, 1990-07-25, Page 7THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JULY 25, 1990 -- 7
Holmsesville citizens rally against site
BY NEIL COKSIETT
Neighborly wavarsatioa over a
backyard compost heap in Hotlmes-
vilte has led to the formation of a
new tubby group aguunst the Mid
Huron Landfill Sac.
Steve Baker, said a group of
residents of the Godench township
village met at an informal meeting
and "decided we're not going to lot
the issue die."
Art Bell, a fruit farmer in
Goderich Twp., says there have
been 13 casts of cancer in Holmes-
ville during the past 10 yeas. There
are 54 households in the village. In
similarly sized communities - Var-
na, Londesborough, SL Columban
and Dungannon, there have been no
more than three cases of cancer
during the same period.
Bell admits his figures were not
arrived at scientifically, but says
they arc "something to look at."
And Holmesvilk residents are
going to look. Five people met in
Baker's backyard, and decided they
were going to bring citizens of
Holmesville together. They are
incensed with the way they say
their village has been treated by the
Ministry of the Environment
(MOE), and the operators of the
dump - the Mid -Huron Landfill Site
Board.
"One guy said he wouldn't mind
putting in a couple thousand dollars
to hire a lawyer," says Baker, ad-
ding that the group is going to look
at ways of funding a lawyer.
Baker says the landfill site board
has never heard what the people in
Holmesville think.
A public meeting was held
February 16, 1989 between the
dump's operators and area residents
over the continued use of the
OBITUARIES
EVELYN CARDNO
Miss Evelyn Cardno of the
Seaforth Manor Nursing Home died
at home on Wednesday, July 18,
1990. She was 87.
Born in Seaforth, the daughter of
the late George and Elizabeth
Cardno, she was a member of the
First Presbyterian Church and had
worked as a telephone operator in
Seaforth for many years.
She is survived by a sister, Mrs.
Gertrude Baird of Victoria, British
Columbia, several nieces and
nephews, and by friends Bill and
Annis Orren and family of
Michigan.
Friends were received at the
Whitney-Ribey Funeral Home on
Thursday evening, July 19 until 2
p.m. Friday, July 20 when funeral
services were conducted. Interment
Maitlandbank Cemetery, Seaforth.
IRENE ROSE
Mrs. Irene Rose of R.R. 3,
Mitchell died at Stratford General
Hospital on Monday, July 23, 1990.
She was 72.
The former Amelia Irene Brod-
hagen, she was born in McKillop
Township on May 31, 1918, the
daughter of the late Henry Brod-
hagen and the former Celena
Scoins. On October 31, 1941, she
was wed to William L. Rose. Fol-
lowing their marriage, the couple
farmed in Logan Township.
A member of the First Lutheran
Church, Logan Township, Mrs.
Rose is survived by her husband;
son Ron and wife Shirley of Logan
Township; daughter Diane Wolfe of
Mitchell; grandchildren Vicky,
Kevin and Cory Wolfe and Anne
Marie Rose; and great-
granddaughter Tiffany Wolfe. Also
surviving are sisters Ordelia Tren-
towsky of St. Mary's, Helen Rock
of Palmerston, Mrs. Ken (Gladys)
Mackenzie of Clinton, and Mrs. Jim
(Doris) Dinsmore of Zurich.
larxifill site. The mums asked that
thou well waw be tested. They
were told that those who wanted
tests should sign up, and the MOE
would ace that the teats were
completed.
..And of all the people who signed
up, not one has had their water
tented to this day," says Baker. He
says the MOE told him they would
come by his home to March to take
a well water sample. Lata he was
told by a ministry representative
that he was not at home when they
came for tests, and they did not
take a sample.
"March is a long time to be at
home," says Baker. "And after they
mused me they never phoned, and
never arranged for another ap-
pointment."
Another Holmesville resident, Ray
Wise, says he was not at home
when the MOE showed up to
sample his water. The tester talked
to Wise's neighbor about his well,
then said he was going for lunch
The Huron County Health unit
will be investigating the amount of
cancer in Holmesville, following
claims by an area fruit fanner that
there are more cases of the disease
in that village than other tartan
municipalities.
Art Bell of RR 2 Ooderich went
to an area doily newspaper with his
claim that the Holmesville landfill
site may be contaminating
groundwater and wells, and causing
cancer.
"What we're short of is time,"
said the Huron County Health
and would be balk later Io taJlt to
Wise. He was never heard from
""We're still completely in the
dark as to our water quality." says
Baker.
The group has many questions
like: How thick is the clay base for
the new dumping arca, and how
thick is it near Hopkuns Creek and
Bridgewater Creek which run near
the site?
Bell and Baker have pictures of
Hopkins Creek that show it is
covered in red scum. Bell calls the
Creek -nothing but a sewer pipe for
the dump." He says he has also
found fish in the creek with boils,
and chunks of flesh missing from
their bodies. The creek empties into
the Maitland River.
"If they ever had to get this site
approved from scratch they would
never get it passed," says Baker. "If
it was an excellent site, there would
be not problem. We'd have to live
with ii"
Baker says the site is simply
convenient, "because it is already
Units Dr. Martin-Boktiout.
"Hopefully by the end of the year
we'll have something."
Bokhout says figures from cancer
research don't indicate an abnormal
cancer problem in Huron County
now, but admits the figures are not
broken down far enough to reflect
the incidence of cancer in a small
community.
He doubts Bell's idea that cancer
is rampant in Holmesville.
"My gut feeling is probably not,
but I can't say that now, said
Bokhout.
classed as a dump under old, laic
rcgulauons. "
Baker says Bell appears to have a
better knowledge of the site than
those opcxau ng a. He told Cones-
toga Rovers and Associates, the
clandfill board's consultant, that
there are three underground spnngs
going through the site, and he even
guesses at their approximate rate of
flow.
-But they laugh at that."
Then contractors were digging up
clay near the site to use in cappuig
the full dumping area, and they hit
water. There is now a pond where
they were digging.
Baker says the dump is starting to
look good, and appears to be well
run.
".But what they're covering up is
10 years of open dumping, when
there was no gate, and anyone
could dump anything they wanted,"
says Baker. And he says it is well
known that local industries did
dump toxic materials liberally.
The men say the MOE and the
landfill board is not testing water
for everything, such as PCBs.
"Because they know if they find
them they are in trouble. What
happens if the ground water is
polluted?" asks Baker.
Ron Farrell of the MOE in Owen
Sound says many of the wells in
Holmesville were tested "a few
years ago," and results were good.
He did not know why wells were
not tested after last year's public
meeting, but that Area Supervisor
Phil Bye could answer such ques-
tions. Bye was not available for
comment before Signal Star's
publication.
Farrell says the citizens can make
an application to the MOE for
assistance in hiring an environmen-
tal lawyer.
Discover
Your
Life
Style
in
Festive
STRATFORD
CITY
CENTRE
HOOFIN' AND A-STOMPIN' - Maxine Elliott of the Seaforth
Manor lust couldn't sit still at the Maplewood Manor's talent show
last Wednesday at Northside United Church, and jigged up a
storm to some lively fiddle tunes. Elliott photo.
She was predeceased by brothers
Nelson, Ross, Roy and Kenneth,
and by one sister, Laura Baillie.
Friends will be received at the
Lockhart Funeral Home, Mitchell
until Wednesday, July 25 at noon
when transfer will be made to the
First Lutheran Church, Logan
Township for funeral services at 2
p.m., Reverend Michael Thurau
officiating. Interment in the church
cemetery. Memorial donations to
the Crippled Children, the Lutheran
Hour or the charity of one's choice
would be appreciated as expressions
of sympathy.
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