INEOS Styrolution’s Sarnia site has consistently operated within the regulatory limits set by the MECP Petrochemical Industry Standard.1 Since 2019, additional measures have been introduced at our Sarnia site to go beyond the Petrochemical Industry Standard (PCIS) for benzene. On each occasion, INEOS Styrolution has worked cooperatively with the MECP to comply with the limits specified in Provincial Officer’s Orders.2
“It is concerning to see misleading and false statements about our site being non-compliant. The people who work for our Sarnia site, live in the community with their children and families. This is not just some faceless entity. These are real people who care about the community in which they live,” says Brian Lucas, Representative, INEOS Styrolution.
The INEOS Styrolution site in Sarnia does not produce benzene, which is a by-product of gasoline production. The INEOS Styrolution facility plays a critical role in Sarnia by converting benzene from local refineries into styrene monomer, an important base chemical vital for many essential industries, such as construction, electronics, and medical sectors, amongst others. The site's integration into the Sarnia industrial complex exemplifies long-term cooperative manufacturing.
The new benzene emission limits, set out in orders received from the MECP on April 18, 2024, and May 1, 2024, and ECCC (Environment and Climate Change Canada) on May 17, 2024, and now new regulations declared by the MECP on May 31, 2024,3 without prior notice, significantly decreased benzene emission limits by 90%. This regulation and the ECCC order apply solely to INEOS. Despite our history of compliance, confirmation that our monitors recorded no emissions outside our previously prescribed limits, and being shut down since April 2024, we continue to receive new orders and notifications about emissions at our idle plant.
Recently, INEOS Styrolution invested $50 million to maintain and modernize the Sarnia plant and further reduce emissions below MECP limits in place at the time of 580 µg/m3 (0.19 parts per million) over an hour and 320 µg/m3 (0.1 parts per million) over 24 hours. Throughout this process, we have collaborated with the MECP, which understood and approved our plans and timetable.
However, since April 2024, new limits of 90 µg/m3 over an hour or 30 µg/m3 over 24 hours have been imposed retrospectively, without prior notice, consultation, justification, or adequate implementation time. These sudden regulatory changes are concerning and without due process. Further, these latest orders require our site to conduct non-routine transfers and cleanings that will force us to exceed these newly established limits.
We are very concerned by the ongoing issuance of duplicate and conflicting orders from various branches of the MECP and the ECCC, which demand unsafe timelines that would contribute to higher emissions. We will not jeopardize the safety of our employees, neighbours, and community. It is unconscionable for the MECP and ECCC to demand compliance with unsafe timelines and, essentially, the forced breaching of their own newly imposed regulations on our company. Despite our history of compliance, our company is being relentlessly targeted by Canadian Government agencies.
To illustrate: if this approach to regulation was applied to speed limits on Canada’s highways. We have been driving at 30 kph, under the speed limit for the highway. Without notice the limit is changed to 10 kph and the law is applied retrospectively to the past six months, and your license is taken away.
To provide context on emissions, consider benzene concentrations commonly found in everyday environments. Benzene is not only a byproduct of refineries; it is also present in cleaning products, vehicle emissions, and more. Vehicle emissions are a significant source of atmospheric benzene throughout the world. Studies show that concentrations around gasoline stations in Canadian cities average 439 µg/m3 over an hour in the summer and 1,383 µg/m3 over an hour in the winter. 4 Everyday activities, such as using certain household cleaners, paints, and construction materials, can emit benzene at levels far exceeding the new limits placed on our facility. These examples illustrate that the newly imposed benzene limits on our site are more stringent than many common sources of benzene exposure in daily life. 5
Lucas states, “We support responsible emission reductions with due process. While the site is idle and diligently working on their current orders, we cannot reason why the MECP and ECCC continues to pile on new and conflicting orders with unsafe and infeasible timelines?”
INEOS Styrolution will always prioritize safety over speed. The site will remain closed until we can ensure compliance with the dramatically reduced limits.
END
Sources and references
1 Petrochemical Industry Standard, Version 3.0 published by the MECP in June 2020 pursuant to O. Reg. 419/05
2 Provincial Officer’s Order No. 8348-BFPLCD dated September 5, 2019 (as amended on September 24, 2019), Provincial Officer’s Order No. 4331-BV3JDW dated November 5, 2020, Provincial Officer’s Order No. 1-358096039 dated April 18, 2024, and Provincial Officer’s Order No. 1-208079516 dated May 3, 2023
3 Provincial Officer’s Order No. 1-358096039 dated April 18, 2024, Director’s Order No. 1-358096039-1 dated May 1, 2024, Interim Order Respecting Releases of Benzene From Petrochemical Facilities in Sarnia Ontario issued by ECCC dated May 16, 2024 and Ontario Regulations 206/24, 207/24 and 208/24 promulgated by the MECP on May 31, 2024. https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-8755
4 Study/Reference No 6: Canada report: Screening Assessment Report Template (canada.ca)
5 Study/Reference No 4: 2010 World Health Order (WHO) Study: Benzene - WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Selected Pollutants - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
About INEOS Styrolution
INEOS Styrolution is the world’s leading styrenics supplier, with a high-performing portfolio of styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS and advanced styrenic products. With more than 90 years of innovation in materials science, INEOS Styrolution is focused on customer satisfaction with differentiated solutions that provide a competitive edge as well as investments in technology that enable closed loop recyclability for styrenics while reducing our carbon emissions. INEOS Styrolution applications can be found in many everyday products across multiple industries: including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging, and toys/sports. Operating 17 production sites in nine countries, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of INEOS Group Limited and employs approximately 3,000 people. Sales were 4.5 billion euros in 2023. www.ineos-styrolution.com
About Sarnia Site
The Sarnia styrene facility was built by the Canadian Polymer Crown company in 1943 with a capacity of 50 MMlbs/yr. Over the years, the site continued to expand its footprint under different ownership structures to ultimately be wholly owned by INEOS in 2014. The site has a nameplate capacity of 430kta of styrene monomer and employs ~80 employees and a large number of contractors.
Media Contact (EMEA / APAC)
Dr. Ralf Leinemann
ralf.leinemann@ineos.com +49 69 509550-1366
Media Contact (AMERICAS)
April Ludwikowski
april.ludwikowski@ineos.com 1-331-212-5757