Residents, community leaders angry Sarnia, Ont. chemical plant with high benzene levels waited so long to shut down
Residents and civic leaders in both Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang First Nation are upset a chemical manufacturing plant waited so long to shut down after extremely high benzene levels were detected near the site.
The halt in production at INEOS Styrolution on Tashmoo Avenue in south Sarnia didn’t happen until several people fell ill and an order from the province was issued.
“In my heart I knew everybody needed to know,” said community member Ada Lockridge. “We’ve been living like this for so long, it felt kinda natural.”
Lockridge, a long time environmental activist, said extremely high levels of benzene were detected last Tuesday at the air monitoring station that is named after her at Tashmoo Avenue and Churchill Road.
“The sad thing, INEOS didn’t even notify us. They didn’t notify the ministry that this was going on,” said Lockridge.
She said benzene levels from INEOS were found to be 22 times higher than Ontario’s ambient air quality criteria. High levels had been recorded as far back as Easter, with no notification from the company, according to Lockridge.
Benzene is linked to various health impacts, including leukaemia. The elevated levels led to the closure of several buildings on the First Nation, and sent several people to hospital.
INEOS Styrolution is seen in Sarnia, Ont. on April 22, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London) “They were feeling dizzy, and felt like they were kinda drunk or something. Kinda stumbling around, and they didn’t know why,” explained Lockridge.
Aamjiwnaang Chief Chris Plain and council called for an immediate shutdown of the plant. A provincial order followed last Thursday, giving the company one week to create a plan to address benzene levels.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley expressed frustration at INEOS.
“The company has been silent, has not been communicating directly with the city as it relates to the political leadership,” said Bradley. “I thought these days had passed. Communicate, communicate, communicate and not keep information from the public because it creates suspicion, and it creates distrust. And I understand the anger of the Aamjiwnaang of what has occurred and how they found out. That is not acceptable.”
INEOS Styrolution would not speak to CTV News London on camera. Instead the company issued a brief statement saying the health and safety of employees and the community is paramount, and that it’s shutting down temporarily to address a “mechanical issue.”
“We want to be safe and they’ve been getting away with this for a long time, too long,” said Lockridge.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.