Imperial Oil must pay a hefty fine for the 2021 oil spill that made residents sick

One of Canada’s largest oil companies, Imperial Oil Ltd., has been ordered by Ontario to pay $1.125 million for an oil spill in Sarnia, Ont. a place in April 2021 that made local residents sick.

The fine, imposed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, is the heaviest fine under the Environmental Protection Act made public since 2007.

It’s part of a recent effort by the provincial and federal governments to crack down on petrochemical companies that pollute in Sarnia.

The area is known as Chemical Valley: there are 62 major facilities within a 25 kilometer radius. Many of those who live next door, especially members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation in the south, which is surrounded by industry, worry that emissions from these plants are making them sick.

According to an agreed statement of facts filed in the Ontario Court of Justice in Sarnia, the April 15 Imperial oil spill occurred as a result of a three-month leak in a steam line that eventually holed a nearby oil pipe. , releasing 1,150 gallons of sloppy oil onto the ground.

Slop oil is a waste product that typically consists of a mixture of crude oil, water and solid waste. It contains several contaminants, including possibly hydrogen sulfide. If it gets into the ground or air, it can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and cause headaches and dizziness.

That Thursday afternoon at 3:52 p.m., a resident called the ministry’s Spills Action Center hotline to report a strong odor and headache. Members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, which is located about a kilometer downwind of the refinery, posted on Facebook about a “terrible” smell, like “burnt rubber.”

Court documents show that a dozen people reported “some or all eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and nausea… that limited their movements and activities and caused them to have concerns about their health and safety.”

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Imperial Oil and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks conducted air monitoring in the area after the leak was discovered, but found no elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide, benzene or gas vapor.

Due to the spill and its impact on the community, the ministry charged Imperial for the leak under the Environmental Protection Act, and on September 16, 2024, the petrochemical company pleaded guilty.

The court fined Imperial $900,000, imposed a $225,000 victim penalty and gave the company 90 days to pay. The maximum fine a company can face for these types of violations is $6 million for an initial conviction and $10 million for subsequent convictions. Imperial Oil reported this $4.9 billion in net revenues for full year 2023, compared to $7.34 billion in net revenues in 2022.

Proceeds will go to Lambton County, where Imperial is located – and not to Aamjiwnaang First Nation, which a ministry spokesperson said was near the odors.

“If spills or environmental disasters occur in Chemical Valley, it is clear that the residents of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be directly affected,” said Chief Janelle Nahmabin.

“There have been cases in Canada where agreements have been made between the local municipality and a First Nation regarding the sharing of funds resulting from environmental fines. This would definitely be beneficial for Aamjiwnaang as many are aware of our fight against the environment.”

The victim surcharge will go to the Ontario Victims’ Justice Fund to support services for crime victims.

“We regret this incident and accept the fine imposed by the court,” said Kristina Zimmer, public affairs manager at Imperial Oil. “Imperial has since made changes to its equipment maintenance plan by adjusting the criteria used to prioritize repairs to reduce the risk of the same incident happening again.”

Over the past year, Aamjiwnaang First Nation has been exposed to elevated levels of carcinogenic benzene that the Ontario government says was emitted from another neighboring factory, INEOS Styrolution, prompting a declaration of a state of emergency and an evacuation order.

Just this week, some community members were again temporarily relocated due to renewed concerns about benzene exposure. INEOS has said it plans to close the factory by June 2026 and that it has not breached emissions limits that came into force last spring.

Imperial Oil was also fined $647,909 in 2021 for nine separate sulfur dioxide leaks two years earlier.

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Canada’s Toxic Secret: A disturbing trend of spills and spills in the Sarnia area

In 2017, following a Global News investigation into concerns that leaks and spills from industrial plants were sickening the people of Aamjiwnaang, the Ontario government launched a multi-million dollar health project to investigate the possible link between air pollution and public health.

The final report, released earlier this year by the Sarnia Area Environmental Health Project found an increased risk of cancer, especially leukemia, due to exposure to air pollution. The report also found that acid gas flaring, which can cause spikes in sulfur dioxide levels, could pose health risks to people with breathing difficulties.

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