Eco-Warriors Unite

We have been actively involved in meetings and creating transparency through records requests on this. We have done private water testing on multiple site locations downstream of this site and in the tidal creeks behind.   

Water quality sampling conducted downstream from the Caesarstone site in Richmond Hill reveals a significant impact on the tidal marsh following recent flooding and stormwater containment bypass. While chemical screenings for volatile organic compounds and most heavy metals remained below detection limits, the presence of industrial activity is clearly reflected in the physical and mineral makeup of the water:

• Extreme Sediment Loading: Total Suspended Solids (TSS) were recorded at 1,800 mg/L, a level that drastically exceeds typical background levels and industrial benchmarks, consistent with an influx of fine silica dust or "quartz flour" from cutting operations.

• Industrial Markers: The detection of Zinc (0.0242 mg/L) at the primary site—which was absent in other samples—serves as a chemical fingerprint linking the runoff to industrial processes rather than natural tidal turbidity.

• Ecological Risk: These elevated solids can smother the marsh floor, damage fish gills, and disrupt the base of the aquatic food chain in this sensitive ecosystem.

• Data Integrity: It is noted that several parameters (pH, TDS, and TSS) were analyzed past their technical holding times due to flood-related logistics, meaning these high values should be viewed as conservative estimates of the actual peak concentrations. 

Things noted in surrounding areas around site were, entire cypress groups found to be dead, lack of wildlife,  and what appeared to be dead zones and tidal creeks void of life. All water testing results can be found here https://coastalcommunitiesunited.com/docs-and-summaries-cont 

We found elevated arsenic levels closer we got to site, high levels of heavy metals, very high levels of total dissolved solids, and acidic PH levels that would not sustain marine life. Looking at history of other quartz production pollution, we theorize that the hydroflouric acid wash, along with quartz and silica particles, has entered the waterway greatly affecting the surrounding aquatic life. The ESA  done by Westwin had listed arsenic levels at 21xs the legal limit. It also found concentrated methylene chloride, a DANGEROUS carcinogen to humans on the verge of being banned. An anonymous complaint to EPD in 2020 cited major silica and quartz contaminating of the wetlands and clean air and clean water act violations. Our results have led us to theorize that same conclusion. We found elevated Arsenic the closer we got to site, acidic PH levels that would not sustain marine life, and high levels of total dissolved solids. Referencing other quartz sites, this leads us to believe there is heavy quartz and silica contamination along with likely hydroflouric acid wash contamination from surfacing quartz. The EPD did no testing and closed the complaint. EPD let caeserstone self regulate, yet didn't provide oversight to even that as through record requests we uncovered they held active stormwater permits and no one at EPD realized they hadn't even submitted reports for for years while vacant. We need more accountability and an end to these systemic failures from those enlisted to protect.