Sir: Referring to an article in The Chatham Voice dated March 7, entitled, “Colby reiterates water is safe to drink.”
Dr. Colby, you state in this article tests by both MOECC and North Kent Wind’s technical experts are comprehensive and have allowed for a science-based evaluation of water quality in the project area. The health hazard investigation has been done and reported. The presence of black shale particles is not unexpected and is consistent with the pre-existing water quality and geology of the area, Colby stated.
Dr. Colby added that unless proven otherwise, the testing done shows the well water is not hazardous to health.
Now my question to you Dr. Colby, if a health hazard investigation is completed and reported, then through the Freedom of Information Act please produce it to me or better yet publish that report and let the public see it in the paper.
Also, did you do any testing at all on the sediments in the water coming from the water wells or are you just taking the findings of MOECC and the North Kent Wind’s technical experts and not doing your own investigation?
You also state a small number of wells went down out of 500. Out of these 500 wells, are they all in the area of Dover and North Kent or throughout the municipality where there is hard clay ground compared to Kettle Point Black Shale area?
You are working as medical officer of health for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, that is for every citizen in this area, and I assume that your job is to investigate what’s going on in this area with the water quality coming from these water wells and also testing the sediment too.
The water wells going down is no coincidence after pile driving started. No degree required at all, just common sense.
There are a few questions, Dr. Colby, that I would like answered.
First and foremost did you test the sediments?
Did MOECC identify and analyze the substances in the sediment that is polluting wells in Dover and North Kent?
Did the findings of the sediment contain Black Shale that contains heavy metals?
If the Black Shale is ingested and releases the heavy metals into your body, what will happen today, a month, a year, two, five or ten years from now? Are these families going to have health problems using this water?
How much Black Shale released or dissolved in the human body can be ingested?
Have you studied and identified if Black Shale can release heavy metals in the body?
How do you treat long exposure of ingesting Black Shale from the water?
Have you done any testing of the sediment at all and if you did please produce these findings.
In the paper a few days ago, a chef from Toronto stated he would not serve any food from the water as it has the sediment and that it would stay in the food after cleaning it with the water.
He also states, he would make dinner for the MPPs while using the water from these wells.
My request to the chef is to serve dinner for council, the mayor, administrative staff that attend meeting and also you, Dr. Colby, prepared from the water from these wells in Dover or North Kent, and also serve tea, coffee or water too. As there is always a meeting before each council meeting and councillors are served food.
My thought is: How many will miss dinner?
These families in Dover and North Kent require good drinking water to their homes with no sediment.
Linda Chevalier
Tilbury
