Relief welcomes federal order to fix benzene leaks after pollution at a plastics factory

OTTAWA – Feelings of hope and relief flooded the Aamjiwnaang First Nation in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday after the federal government decided to enforce stricter air quality standards at a styrene plant that has been emitting dangerous levels of benzene for years.

“We're optimistic,” said Cathleen O'Brien, the environmental coordinator for Aamjiwnaang, an Anishinaabe community in the middle of Canada's so-called Chemical Valley.

“For many people it’s a lifelong problem.”

More than 40 percent of Canada's chemical industry is concentrated within approximately 40 square kilometers in and around Sarnia. From the band office in Aamjiwnaang, dozens of petrochemical storage tanks and smokestacks can be seen in almost every direction.

The order, signed Thursday by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, is based on Canada's Environmental Protection Act and would affect any chemical manufacturer in Sarnia that has benzene pollution of more than 29 micrograms per cubic meter of air between March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2023. and February 29, 2024.

The only plant that exceeds this level is Ineos Styrolution, a styrene manufacturer whose factory is located opposite the band office in Aamjiwnaang.

“The situation had to be corrected,” Guilbeault said in an interview. “As the Government of Canada, we take our responsibility to protect the health of Canadians very seriously.”

The contract requires the company to install vapor control systems and fully enclosed vent systems on benzene storage tanks.

The order is similar to regulations Ottawa is currently implementing across the board on chemical pollution, but which are not expected to come into effect until the end of next year.

Guilbeault said the emergency order expedites these regulations for Ineos because the solution is needed now. “The ball is now in the company’s court.”

The interim order is valid for two weeks based solely on Guilbeault's signature. An extension of up to two years is being discussed in the Federal Cabinet.

Benzene pollution from the Ineos plant in Sarnia has been a problem for years. Ontario's Ministry of the Environment has issued four orders setting benzene levels since 2019, including the most recent compliance order in April.

On May 1, Ontario suspended Ineos' operating license until the company demonstrates compliance with several conditions, including repairing leaking equipment, installing full vapor control on vessels containing benzene, and implementing a comprehensive benzene monitoring plan and a community Notification system.

O'Brien said the federal order supplements the provincial order, even though it is very similar.

The company did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. In a statement earlier this month, Ineos denied that it had measured benzene levels above the permissible limit and that the company had temporarily shut down for maintenance and to fix a mechanical problem.

Benzene is a clear, usually colorless liquid that is a component of crude oil. Styrene, made through a chemical process using benzene, is a lightweight plastic used in everything from car parts and food containers to toys like plastic building blocks.

Ineos, a German company, began shutting down its styrene plant in Sarnia on April 20, four days after Aamjiwnaang detected a massive increase in benzene levels using air monitors in and around the band office. Levels peaked at 115 micrograms per cubic meter of air on April 16, measured by a Clean Air Sarnia and Area Monitoring Network air monitor near the band office.

Within 24 hours, this exposure would be 22 times higher than what is considered safe. At the time, community members complained of dizziness, headaches and nausea and the band declared a state of emergency. The band office itself was temporarily closed.

In 2020, the provincial government launched a project to check levels of benzene and other pollutants in Sarnia. The findings, released earlier this year, said something needed to be done to reduce benzene pollution, particularly around the Aamjiwnaang band office.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared benzene a carcinogen and there is enough evidence to show a link between leukemia and lymphoma.

About 1,000 people live in Aamjiwnaang.

“Every person here is affected by the loss of someone to leukemia or another form of cancer,” O’Brien said.

“It has affected many generations. Under current city planning regulations… you would never build a refinery about 300 meters from where people spend more than eight hours a day and another 400 meters from where they live. “That just wouldn’t happen.” So it’s more of a legacy problem that we’re dealing with.”

Some of Aamjiwnaang's recreational areas, including the baseball field, lie in the shadow of the Ineos storage tanks. From home plate it is about 300 meters to the southern edge of the complex.

Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defense, called the federal emergency order a positive step. “The order will require these facilities to upgrade their benzene storage facilities, which will address a long-standing community need.”

Sean O'Shea, government relations and campaigns specialist at Ecojustice, said there must be a long-term solution for Aamjiwnaang and that the Ineos Styrolution plant must remain closed until the community feels it is safe to reopen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2024.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press