The Blue Water Bridge Shocker

I do not recall seeing this story in the Star do you?

The headline on the WDIV-TV website on Friday afternoon was rather dramatic:

"Commuter Alert: Chemical Spill Prompts Blue Water Bridge Closure"

We learned that:

• "The Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron is closed on the Canadian side due to a chemical spill.
  
  Officials in the area confirm there is a major backup in that area and commuters are being told to turn around.
  
  A tanker had a pressure-release valve release causing a chlorine spill onto the bridge on the Canadian side. The spill released a strong odor, causing local authorities to call crews to the scene.
  
  Traffic is backed up on both Interstate 94 and Interstate 69, according to Port Huron police.
  
  Drivers cannot enter Canada from the bridge."

Can you imagine the scope of the disaster if Eddie was successful and we had a tunnel from Highway 401 to the bridge. Can you appreciate the panic of the people stuck in the tunnel if there was a chlorine leak! Clearly it would have to be evacuated and then, before it could re-open, all of the drivers would have to come back and claim their vehicles. It would be absolute chaos for many hours thereby effectively closing down the border.

Can you imagine what would have happened in the almost 100 year-old DRTP rail tunnels if they were converted for trucks. I do not even want to think about it.

But you know what is more interesting is the sound of silence after the event:

• Where was Brain Masse denouncing the transport of hazardous goods over the Blue Water bridge
• Where was Greg Ward, the Ferry Company owner and a transporter of dangerous goods across the border saying things like "Worldwide, most major acts of terrorism involve trucks with hazardous materials. The Blue Water Bridge is publicly owned and trucks traversing it don't come under the strict scrutiny that the trucks we carry do. If something bad happens with one of these trucks carrying hazmat on the bridge ... if a catastrophe were to take place ... everyone would be screaming, 'How did we allow this to happen?' Funny, Greg used that exact quote except he said "The Ambassador Bridge is privately owned" where I inserted the BWB language in its place
• Where was Transport Canada with its new Bill C-3 legislation taking responsibility for the fact there seemed to be a lapse in emergency readiness that caused major difficulties at a border crossing
• Where is Ambassador Michael Wilson saying in relation to Sarnia as he did about Windsor "Equally, we also need reliable infrastructure in place in case, god forbid, there is another major event that may affect our access across the border."
• Clearly with the shift of the auto business eastward, the BWB is becoming a vital border crossing. Where is Senator Kenny saying about Sarnia/Port Huron, as he did in relation to the Ambassador Bridge, that the area is "of such strategic importance to both Canada and the United States that fixing it requires war-time urgency."
• Where was the Windsor Star

Accidents will happen and there will be problems when they do. The incident at Sarnia proves my point that what is taking place in Windsor about the Ambassador Bridge is all a fraud designed to take over the Bridge Co.'s business. If it had been Windsor instead where the incident occurred.....well you know what would have happened! The wailing and hand-wringing would have been disgusting.

What we have heard politicians and bureaucrats say for years about the Ambassador Bridge and the need for a new crossing is all sanctimonious BS! It has cost us millions of taxpayer dollars and years of wasted effort that have ruined our region.

You know what...I almost hope that the Bridge Co. sues. I can hardly wait to hear what certain people have to say under oath about what they have done.