Ineos Styrolution said Friday morning hourly benzene emissions above 0.021 parts-per million had been detected at its Sarnia plant, which makes styrene out of benzene.
Ineos Styrolution said Friday morning hourly benzene emissions above 0.021 parts-per million had been detected at its Sarnia plant, which uses the chemical to make styrene.
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“No adverse effects are anticipated with these elevated readings” and “no community action is required,” the company said in a notice posted to the online Sarnia-Lambton Alerts system.
Benzene, a natural component of petroleum, is the simplest organic, aromatic hydrocarbon, according to britannica.com. It is highly toxic and is a known carcinogen; exposure to it may cause leukemia.
The company said Friday monitoring data was being verified and sources of elevated emissions investigated.
“Emissions reduction efforts will be identified and implemented if there is an abnormal operating condition at the site,” it said.
It added the company’s facilities in Sarnia are not the only source of benzene in the area.
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In a statement to residents Thursday, the Aamjiwnaang First Nation band council said it had been notified by Ineos Styrolution the company would be loading rail cars with a mixture of benzene, styrene and ethybenzene Friday morning.
“The purpose of this process is to de-inventory some of the material and decontaminate part of the equipment in the ethylbenzene unit in preparation to take tank MT109 out of service,” the First Nation said.
The company “will continue to monitor emissions and will stop the process if their monitors are reading any levels of benzene,” Aamjiwnaang said.
On April 16, the Aamjiwnaang called for the shutdown of the nearby Ineos Styrolution plant as an air quality monitoring station near the band office recorded high benzene levels and residents complained of headaches, nausea and dizziness.
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It later declared a local state of emergency due to what it described as “ongoing and excessive” discharges of benzene.
On May 1, Ontario’s Environment Ministry said it was suspended Ineos Styrolution’s environmental compliance approval amid continuing high benzene levels despite previous provincial orders for corrective action.
The suspension keeps the already temporarily-closed plant idle until it removes all benzene storage, repairs leaky equipment, installs vapor control measures and comes up with a comprehensive benzene monitoring and community notification plan, the ministry said.
Ineos Styrolution has appealed the suspension.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s May 17 order limiting cancer-causing benzene releases at Sarnia-area petrochemical plants was extended recently for up to two years.
The minister said in a statement Tuesday the interim order was formally extended to ensure Sarnia-area petrochemical plants continue to limit benzene emissions.
It requires any facility that has recorded excess levels of benzene between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, to put in place vapor control measures on benzene storage tanks.
Aamjiwnaang Chief Chris Plain didn’t immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.
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