INEOS Styrolutions, the Aamjiwaang First Nation and the federal and provincial environment ministries have come to an agreement of how to meet the new federal benzene storage rules.

May 1 – more than two weeks after high levels of benzene in the air sickened members of the the Aamjiwnaang First Nation – the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, pulled the company’s Environmental Compliance Approval certificate shutting the plant down.

The order required the removal of all benzene storage from the site.

The province also ordered installation of full vapour control equipment which was later mirrored by the federal government which announced an interim order May 17.

May 15, lawyers for INEOS Styrolutions filed an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal which now hears cases regarding MECP orders. It called the MECP orders “crippling.”

But in late August, the company, regulators and Aamjiwnaang came to an agreement of how to meet the regulations, and the company withdrew its appeal of the orders.

August 29, INEOS Styrolution submitted a detailed Suspension Plan, including winterization measures, which received approval from the MECP Director, the company said. “The plan was developed in collaboration with the AFN, MECP and ECCC and aligned with their requirements. “The plan will now be implemented, including regular communication with the AFN, community, and regulatory authorities on benzene emissions.”

INEOS is still concerned about the time frame it has to complete the work. It expects to start removing benzene Oct. 1 and completing the job by Oct. 16 “despite raising concern that modelling based on the plan clearly shows that there is likely to be elevated benzene emissions during destocking.”

The company asked for a longer time frame, however Environment Climate Change Canada would not agree.

The company will appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal Oct. 16 to update the province and Aamjiwnaang officials on its progress.

INEOS plans to close the Sarnia site June 2026 saying the site is “no longer economically viable.”