Removal of benzene from Sarnia chemical plant set to begin

Ineos Styrolution says removal of benzene from its Sarnia chemical plant was set to begin Tuesday and should be completed before Oct. 16.

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The work is part of a plan developed with Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Environment, and Climate Change Canada, the company said in a statement.

The provincial ministry announced in May it was suspending Ineos’ environmental compliance approval amid continuing high benzene levels, despite previous provincial orders for corrective action after high benzene emissions.

Aamjiwnaang, surrounded by industrial sites in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley, raised the alarm April 16 amid air monitoring detecting high benzene readings and residents reporting headaches, dizziness and nausea.

In May, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault ordered Sarnia-area petrochemical plants with recorded excess levels of benzene between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, to put in place vapor control measures on benzene storage tanks.

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Ineos announced in June it would close the Sarnia plant, which employs 80, plus contractors, for economic reasons by June 2026. The site makes styrene out of benzene.

“Ineos Styrolution is fully committed to minimizing benzene emissions during the destocking process, with safety as our top priority,” the company statement said.

But it added modeling carried out by the company suggests the destocking plan mandated by the provincial and federal ministries may result in benzene emissions exceeding recently lowered regulatory limits.

Ineos said the First Nation and the ministries have been notified of that possibility.

“We are fully committed to the safe and successful execution of the approved plan, working in close collaboration with our expert engineers, the City of Sarnia fire chief, local authorities, and provincial and federal agencies,” as well as leadership of the First Nation , the company said.

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Aamjiwnaang said in a statement it will monitor emission levels during the process and that “any potential increase in benzene emissions is unacceptable.”

Provincial ministry monitoring vans will be operating in the community during the removal work, the First Nation said.

Aamjiwnaang has recommended residents in some areas of the First Nation evacuate during the removal work and said it has booked rooms at local hotels for those who wish to use them.

Ineos said its modeling indicates an increased potential for emissions exceeding the new hourly limit at the site between Wednesday and Sunday.

“Any elevated emissions are expected to be localized near the site boundary and are not expected to cause adverse effects to the local population,” it said.

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In compliance with provincial regulations, the company will issue community notifications if emissions reach 75 per cent of the new limit, it said.

Ineos said destocking is a routine part of operations at industries in the Sarnia area.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause the Sarnia community and appreciate the understanding and patience shown throughout this necessary process,” the company said.

Ineos previously appealed provincial actions impacting its site to the Ontario Land Tribunal and, with the agreement of all parties, the appeal hearing was adjourned to mid-October for a status update, according to the First Nation.

The company said it initially proposed an alternative plan to keep the site closed, as it has been since April, to allow time to design, build and install advanced abatement technology to reduce emissions ahead of a planned spring destocking, but that proposal was rejected by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

With files from Tyler Kula

[email protected]

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