Imperial Oil to pay hefty fine for 2021 oil spill that sickened residents

One of Canada’s largest oil companies, Imperial Oil, has been ordered to pay a $1.125 million fine for a 2021 slop oil spill that sickened nearby residents.

One of Canada’s largest oil companies, Imperial Oil Ltd., has been ordered by Ontario to pay $1.125 million for a slop oil spill at its Sarnia, Ont. site in April 2021 that sickened nearby residents.

The fine, levied by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, is the most substantial penalty under the Environmental Protection Act on public record since 2007.

It is part of a recent push 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 large facilities within a 25-kilometre radius. Many of those who live alongside it, particularly members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation to the south, which is surrounded by industry, have worried the 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-long leak in a steam line that eventually bored a hole in a nearby slop oil line, releasing 1,150 litres of slop oil on the ground.

Slop oil is a waste product that typically consists of a mixture of crude oil, water and waste solids. It contains various contaminants, which may include hydrogen sulphide. If leaked into the ground or air, it can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, as well as cause headaches and dizziness.

At 3:52 p.m. on that Thursday afternoon, a resident called the Ministry’s Spills Action Centre hotline to report a strong odour and a headache. Members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, which is located roughly one kilometre downwind of the refinery, posted on Facebook about a “terrible” smell, like “burnt rubber.”

Court documents indicate a dozen people reported, “some or all of eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and nausea… that restricted their movements and activities, and caused them concern for their health and safety.”