Aamjiwnaang First Nation declares state of emergency over benzene levels

Aamjiwnaang First Nation in southwestern Ontario has declared a state of emergency over the"ongoing and excessive" discharge of benzene from a nearby industrial facility.

The declaration was made in a letter released Thursday evening.

"While declaring a local state of emergency is a serious measure, Aamjiwnaang is doing so in order to assist in our preparedness and ensure we have adequate resources at our disposal in the event that further action is required," the letter states.

The letter didn'tmentiona requirement for community members to leave their homes,but includeda contact number for people to call if they feel unsafe in their homes andneed accommodations.

Preliminary datafrom an air pollutant monitorin the community showed elevated levels of benzene a carcinogenassociated with leukemia in the area's air several times this week.

Aamjiwnaang's declarationcomes just over a week after the communitysounded the alarm about benzene emissions.

The First NationblamesINEOSStyrolution, a plastics chemical plant locatedin Sarnia, Ont., just across the street from the First Nation's office.

Aamjiwnaang shuttered itsoffice last week, saying several people had fallenill with symptoms such asheadaches, nausea and dizziness.

Last weekend, INEOS announced plans to temporarily shut down its facility for maintenance and address a mechanical issue. The company faces several orders from the Ministry of the Environment related to benzene levels, including an order to have a planby May 17 forinvestigatingand addressing them.

The company has been ordered to come up with a procedure by May 3 to immediately notify affected members of the public when benzene discharges exceed certain thresholds.

CBC Newshas reached out to the company for comment.

Darren Henry, an elected councillor for Aamjiwnaang, said earlier this week that the communityneeds real answers.

He saidthe recent events have been "abhorrent" for the First Nation.

"Let's find out what happened, where, why it happened.Let's be assured that the proper equipment is put in place andproper procedures, so when they start up again they won't cause that impact to our community, or any other."