Watergate fallout

I have been one tired city hall reporter over the past few days. Council was in camera until after midnight on Wednesday night (or should I say Thursday morning) deciding what to do about Khan's email, and the last few days of the week were spent chasing this story from all angles. Check out the follow-up stories here and here for an update.

Yesterday, we learned that Jim Harnum, senior director of Environment and Sustainable Infrastructure, is suing Abdul Khan for libel.

We were emailed a copy of a letter from Harnum's lawyer, and it sounds like he means business. Here is a partial transcript:

Dear Mr. Khan,

On December 9th, you published a grave libel of Mr.Harnum. You have published these false words to the world. Your entire publication is libellous of Mr. Harnum, but I will, for the purposes of this letter, concentrate on a few of the more outrageous allegations.

The letter then summarizes Khan's allegationsabout Harnum's knowledge of the potentially carcinogenic material in Hamilton's drinking water, lead levels in Lynden's drinking water, and Khan's claim that Harnum "stole cash from the City of Hamilton."

The letter continues:

I will not catalogue the other libels.

Counsel will tell you that damages are at large (sic) in libel actions. The damages could be immense.

This letter will be referred to in the court proceedings instituted by Mr. Harnum.

Yours very truly

Julian Porter 

Comments

[Mark-Alan Whittle]

So far that's three guardians of the public trust to come forward in as many weeks over at Cal DiFalco's blog at the link above provided by Michelle.

Seems council has caught a bad dose of the "Tiger Woods Syndrome", eruptions happening on a regular basis.

[Burke Austin]

I am so glad I checked into Hallmarks and checked out the interview with Roger Lambert. I know that Christmas day is upon our doorstep, Merry Christmas everyone, that is part of the reason why Council gave the public a 30 day extension on comment period for the biosolids incinerator project, the city received our request the day before Mr. Khan sent his, yikes
but now have until Jan. 14 to comment. The planned incinerator will be built 100 meteres from our closest home. The cost is unreal, it just doesn't make any sense. We have a health Risk assessment but we are not professionals and have asked for help to understand it but no-one has offered. Roger Lambert we need your expertise! We do know that the levels of Dioxins and Furans, Cadmium, Lead and Mercury that is projected in the plan are all way over the max allowable MOE limits. We have over 300 signatures on a petition and will gather more over the holidays. If anyone can offer any help that would be so good, Community Action Parkdale East 905 545 9856

[D K]

Has anyone looked at or recommended that an alternative to sewage sludge incineration is to use a process known as Super critical Water Oxidation. Check out a product called www.aquacritox.com from SCFI. The product can generate more electricity from the embedded energy in the sludge than it uses to run and has no emmissions because nothing is burned and the by products produced are water, Nitrogen and CO2 and a completely inert mass at approx 10% of the volume put in. No spreading on land , no odour, no emissions, 90% less transport. Worth looking into.