Sarnia chemical production plant won't reopen

Ineos Styrolution will not restart production at its Sarnia plant.

The chemical company has been shut down since April after the nearby First Nation reported members getting sick from elevated benzene levels.

“Since announcing the difficult decision to permanently close our Sarnia site, we have conducted an extensive assessment to determine the operational viability of restarting the site on a temporary basis. Ultimately, the conclusion of the assessment was that temporarily restarting the site is not operationally feasible or economically justifiable,” said INEOS Styrolution’s CEO, Steve Harrington.

Both the province and Ottawa brought in new regulations to reduce emissions.

Harrington added, “We are now focused on conducting a safe, responsible, and compliant closure process and supporting our employees, contractors, customers, and partners, including offering transition support for impacted employees. I want to extend my deepest appreciation to our Sarnia team for their contributions to our business over the years.”