Air Emissions Permit Amendment for Imperial Oil Sarnia Refinery
Official title: Imperial Oil Limited - Environmental Compliance Approval (air)
Imperial Oil wants to add new pollution control equipment at its Sarnia refinery and get a temporary exemption for smokestack opacity. The refinery emits various pollutants including benzene, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Ontario's environment ministry is deciding whether to approve these changes.
Why This Matters
Live in Sarnia or nearby? This refinery's emissions affect your air quality. The new equipment could reduce some pollutants, but the opacity exemption means more visible smoke from 2028-2032. Sarnia's Chemical Valley already has some of Canada's highest industrial pollution levels.
What Could Change
If approved, Imperial Oil can install three vapour combustors and a thermal oxidizer to burn off waste gases. They'd also get a four-year pass on smokestack opacity rules for their CO Boiler. The ministry could approve, modify, or deny the permit amendment.
Key Issues
- Should Imperial Oil get a temporary exemption from opacity rules for its CO Boiler stack?
- Are the proposed vapour combustors and thermal oxidizer adequate for controlling emissions?
- What are the cumulative air quality impacts in the Sarnia area?
How to Participate
- Review the proposal details on this consultation page. Note that some supporting materials may only be available in person.
- Submit your comments through the Environmental Registry by December 19, 2025. You can also email enviropermissions@ontario.ca or call 1-800-461-6290.