&YQPTJOH$BOBEBT $IFNJDBM7BMMFZ "O*OWFTUJHBUJPOPG$VNVMBUJWF"JS1PMMVUJPO &NJTTJPOTJOUIF4BSOJB 0OUBSJP"SFB EXPOSING CANADA’S CHEMICAL VALLEY An Investigation of Cumulative Air Pollution Emissions in the Sarnia, Ontario Area October 2007 An Ecojustice Report by Elaine MacDonald, Ecojustice and Sarah Rang, Environmental Economics On behalf of the Aamjiwnaang Health and Environment Committee and the Occupation Health Clinic for Ontario Workers, Sarnia Chapter ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ecojustice Canada wishes to thank Sharilyn Johnson and the Aamjiwnaang Health and Environment Committee for their assistance in the production of this report. We also wish to thank James Brophy and Margaret Keith of the Occupation Health Clinic for Ontario Workers Sarnia (OHCOW) for their assistance with the research and review of the draft report. Special thanks to Ada Lockridge and Ron Plain. Ada you are an inspiration to us all, and a force to be reckoned with. Ron you are one damn fine activist and thanks for letting us use your photographs. The authors also wish to thank Jode Roberts, Sophie Kohn and Justin Duncan of Ecojustice. Ecojustice wishes to thanks the EJLB Foundation for its generous support. Design and layout Nadene Rehnby, www.handsonpublications.com formerly sierra legal TORONTO OFFICE 30 St. Patrick Street, Suite 900 Toronto, Ontario M5T 3A3 t: 416.368.7533 | f: 416.363.2746 e: [email protected] Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 5 Goals of this Report ..................................................................................................... 7 Description of Land and People ............................................................................. 8 Community Health Concerns ................................................................................. 8 Data Sources ......................................................................................................... 10 How Much Air Pollution is Released in the Sarnia Area? .........................................11 Description of Industrial Facilities ........................................................................11 Total Amount of Air Pollution ................................................................................11 Top Air Polluters .....................................................................................................12 US Sources of Air Pollution .................................................................................. 14 Mercury ..................................................................................................................15 Dioxins and Furans ............................................................................................... 16 Types of Air Pollutants ...........................................................................................17 Criteria Air Contaminants (CACs) ................................................................17 Toxic Air Pollutants ...................................................................................... 19 Health Based Approach ...............................................................................20 Greenhouse Gases ....................................................................................... 22 Pollution Prevention ............................................................................................. 23 Time Trends ........................................................................................................... 23 Air Pollution in the Future .................................................................................... 24 Conclusions ................................................................................................................25 Recommendations ....................................................................................................26 References .................................................................................................................. 28 Appendix: Methodology ............................................................................................29 List of Tables Table 1: NPRI Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Combined Air Releases .......13 Table 2: US TRI Facilities Near the Sarnia Area with the Largest Air Releases ................. 14 Table 3: Canadian NPRI and US TRI Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Air Emissions of Mercury and its Compounds ..................................15 Table 4: Canadian NPRI and US TRI Sarnia Area Facilities with the Largest Air Emissions of Dioxins and Furans ................................................ 16 Table 5: Summary of all Types of Air Pollution from Sarnia NPRI Facilities ......................17 Table 6: Top Five Sarnia Area Facilities with the Largest Air Releases of Sulphur Dioxide ...............................................................17 Table 7: Sarnia Area Facilities with the Largest Air Releases of Volatile Organic Compounds ............................................................ 18 Table 8: Top 10 Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Combined Air Releases of Chemicals Considered Suspected Respiratory Toxicants .................20 Table 9: Top 10 Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Combined Air Releases of Chemicals Considered Known or Suspected Reproductive and Developmental Toxicants .................................................................................20 Table 10: Top Eight Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Combined Air Releases of Chemicals Considered Known or Suspected Endocrine Disrupters ............................................................................................ 21 Table 11: Top 10 Facilities in the Sarnia Area with the Largest Combined Air Releases of Chemicals Considered Toxic Under the $BOBEJBO&OWJSPONFOUBM1SPUFDUJPO"DU ................................................................. 21 Table 12: Emissions of All Greenhouse Gases (Carbon Dioxide Equivalents) from Sarnia Area Facilities ....................................................................................22 Table 13: Trends in Air releases in the Sarnia Area from 2002 to 2005 ..............................24 Table A1: Industrial Facilities within 25 Kilometres of the Approximate Centrepoint (Hwy 40 south of Christopher Road at Aamjiwnaang) that Report to NPRI...............................................................................................30 Table A2: Anticipated Changes in Releases of Chemicals from Facilities in the Sarnia Area from 2006 to 2009 ..................................................................31 Executive Summary Residents of Sarnia and the Aamjiwnaang First NPRI air pollutants. Although these facilities 5IFSFBSFMBSHF Nation face a grave air pollution problem. represent only 2 per cent of Ontario’s NPRI- JOEVTUSJBMGBDJMJUJFT There are 62 large industrial facilities in this listed facilities, they contribute 16 per cent of RVJUFMJUFSBMMZJOUIF border region, quite literally in their backyards. Ontario’s NPRI air pollution – almost as much CBDLZBSETPG4BSOJB Approximately 40 per cent of Canada’s as the entire Province of New Brunswick’s chemical industry is clustered near Sarnia in NPRI releases. BOEUIF"BNKJXOBBOH an area known as “Chemical Valley.” Located 'JSTU/BUJPO*OUIF at the southernmost tip of Lake Huron on the The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted BCPWFQIPUPPG4BSOJB border between Ontario and Michigan, the from Sarnia facilities in 2005 was 16.5 million area has become one of the most polluted tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. This "BNKJXOBBOHDBOCF hotspots in Canada. represents more than one fifth of Ontario’s TFFOPOUIFEJTUBOUSJHIU total industrial greenhouse gas emissions and The United States and Canadian governments more than the Province of British Columbia. both have central public registries that track the quantities of chemicals released into the What is particularly striking about the air environment each year: Canada’s National pollution in the Sarnia area is the amount Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and the of toxic pollutants released. In 2005, the U.S. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). This NPRI facilities in the Sarnia area emitted 5.7 report is the first-ever cumulative analysis of million kilograms of “Toxic Air Pollutants,” air pollution data from these two registries including numerous chemicals associated with and the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. reproductive and developmental disorders and cancer among humans. These toxic air On the Canadian side there are 46 facilities emissions are more than the NPRI releases listed under the NPRI within 25 kilometres from the entire provinces of Manitoba, New of the Sarnia area. In 2005, these facilities Brunswick or Saskatchewan and greater than emitted more than 131 million kilograms of any other community in Ontario. ecojustice Exposing Canada’s Chemical Valley PAGE 5 Sarnia is home to three of the top 10 air toxin. Intertape’s emissions of toluene dwarf polluters in Ontario from 2005: Ontario Power any Canadian facility and are number two in Generation’s Lambton Generating Station, North America. There are also two large coal 5IJTSFQPSUIJHIMJHIUT ranked number three, Imperial Oil’s Sarnia fired power plants, Detroit Edison Belle River TUSBUFHJFTUPSFEVDF Refinery ranked number six and Shell Canada’s and St. Clair River that emitted large quantities FNJTTJPOT TVDIBT Sarnia Manufacturing Centre, ranked number