INEOS says Ontario plant at centre of government orders to reduce toxic emissions to shut earlier than planned
A southwestern Ontario chemical plant under government orders to reduce emissions in the wake of health complaints by members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be decommissioned earlier than planned.
INEOS┬аStyrolution previously said it would permanently close the plant before June 2026, but hadn’t ruled out restarting operations before that date.
In a news┬аrelease on Thursday morning, the company said a restart wasn’t possible.
“Ultimately, the conclusion of the assessment was that temporarily restarting the site is not operationally feasible or economically justifiable,” said chief executive officer┬аSteve Harrington.┬а
Nearby Aamjiwnaang First Nation continues to be under a state of emergency that began in April┬аafter air monitors recorded excessive amounts of benzene earlier this year. Earlier this month, there was a partial evacuation of the First Nation┬аafter the company┬аworked to remove┬аbenzene from a nearby tank.┬а
Both the provincial and federal governments ordered the company to reduce emissions of the chemical, which is a byproduct from nearby oil refineries that’s shipped by pipeline to INEOS and stored in tanks.
Benzene is used to create styrene, which is then used for plastics.┬а
WATCH |┬аWhy people in Aamjiwnaang left their homes over air quality concerns:
INEOS previously disclosed that it could cost up to $50 million to meet the new government regulations on emission levels.┬а
The company did not give a specific date for decommissioning the Sarnia plant,┬аbut said it expects to complete the process early in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“We are now focused on conducting a┬аsafe, responsible┬аand compliant closure process, and supporting our employees, contractors, customers┬аand partners, including offering transition support for impacted employees,” said Harrington.┬а
The operation┬аemploys about 80 people┬аand hires┬аcontractors in the area for work onsite.┬а
The┬аfacility dates back to 1943, with a number of different owners taking over the plant.┬аINEOS┬аtook┬аover the operation in 2011.