An upcoming event to celebrate the opening of NOVA Chemicals’ Rokeby Site has been postponed in light of a state of emergency currently in place at Aamjiwnaang First Nation.
“NOVA has been closely following developments related to the INEOS Styrolution facility in Sarnia and its impact on the local community and our Indigenous neighbours,” spokesperson Julia Iacovella told The Journal this week. “Out of respect for local residents and Aamjiwnaang First Nation, we have made the decision to postpone Wednesday’s event.”
The event, originally scheduled for May 1, was to have directors, senior leadership, elected officials and community stakeholders on hand to officially open NOVA’s second Advanced SCLAIRTECHTM technology (AST2) facility.
The $3-billion polyethylene plant on Rokeby Line in St. Clair Township will make plastic pellets for the manufacturing of a wide range of plastic products and will have the capacity to produce approximately one billion pounds of polyethylene plastic a year, Rob Thomson, Nova’s VP of Manufacturing East, told The Journal last year.
Local industry has been under scrutiny as Aamjiwnaang First Nation representatives made headlines in Ottawa as part of last week’s fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) global plastics treaty talks.
Councillor and Environment Committee member Janelle Nahmabin spoke at a number of events, including a press conference held to highlight the disproportionate impacts of plastics pollution on frontline Indigenous communities.
“It makes sense to postpone,” Nahmabin told The Journal on Tuesday. “What I’ve struggled with for many years is, why the area hasn’t been rezoned to stop further development.
“It’s not unseen to everyone around here that Aamjiwnaang is surrounded by industry. The city and mayor encourage development and we’ve never sat down with the city council, even though we’ve requested this.
“I pray things change.”
Nahmabin says they were given a platform in Ottawa in the wake of ongoing benzene levels that have shuttered the community and prompted the Chief and council to declare a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, more than 100 organizations, civil society groups and frontline communities have signed an open letter in solidarity with Aamjiwnaang, calling on the federal government to take “immediate steps to ensure the Ineos Styrolution plant in Sarnia, Ontario is closed until such a time that Aamjiwnaang First Nation is satisfied that Ineos Styrolution is able and willing to meet the community’s demands and health-based air quality standards.”
The INEOS Sarnia site announced a temporary shutdown April 20.
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has not responded to multiple requests for comment, but media reports say INEOS was issued a compliance order by the province on April 18. According to Global News, four provincial orders have been issued against INEOS in the past five years, to address its benzene emissions, but the ministry has never issued a fine to the company’s Sarnia site.
"At INEOS Styrolution, the well-being of our employees and the community remains our top priority. We recognize and acknowledge the concerns voiced by our neighbours of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada,” noted a statement from the company issued over the weekend.
“Throughout this process, we are diligently collaborating with local agencies to thoroughly assess all relevant data and comply with prescribed emission limits. We are committed to operating responsibly and transparently, and we will work to keep our community informed of our maintenance progress.”