Aamjiwnaang First Nation members say industrial benzene emissions in Sarnia, Ont., area made them ill [Video]

Christine Rogers says she won’t go back to work until something is done at a neighbouring chemical plant.

The 40-year-old lives and works on Aamjiwnaang First Nation, along the shores of the St. Clair River, next to the southwestern Ontario city of Sarnia, and says she and other family members started noticing symptoms of illness earlier this week.

Rogers spoke after the First Nation’s band councillors and its chief pleaded with governments to shut down INEOS Styrolution, in the wake of data indicating high levels of benzene in the air.

On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’s “sure” the Ministry of the Environment is “already acting on it.”

“They’ll send folks down there to measure air quality and we’ll find out,” he told reporters.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin confirmed that compliance officers have been conducting site visits at INEOS and a mobile air monitoring unit is in place.

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