Canada is asking chemical plants to check pollution after leaks hit indigenous communities

Last month, the Aamjiwnaang First Nation declared a state of emergency due to chemical releases at German company INEOS Styrolution's plastics production plant that sent at least 10 people to the hospital.

The order requires some petrochemical production facilities to implement vapor control measures, particularly those that exhibit limit concentrations of benzene above 29 micrograms per cubic meter during any of the two-week sampling periods from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024.

“It is simply unacceptable that the people of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Sarnia are experiencing ongoing issues with poor air quality,” Guilbeault said in a statement.

“Indigenous peoples have a right to a healthy environment and are all too often affected by polluting industries.”

The Aamjiwnaang First Nation has a population of 1,000 and is surrounded by industrial facilities. The Frankfurt-based company, a unit of the private INEOS Group, closed its facility on April 20.

The First Nation community said the order will help protect air quality in Aamjiwnaang.

According to research from the University of Toronto, about 40% of Canada's petrochemical plants are located in the Sarnia region, known as the “Chemical Valley.”

(Reporting by Saadeq Ahmed; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Disclaimer: This report is automatically generated by the Reuters news service. ThePrint assumes no responsibility for the content.

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