Aamjiwnaang First Nation is informing its members legal action has been filed against INEOS in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
In a letter from chief and council, the First Nation said the action "concerns the safety and technological inadequacy of the INEOS styrene production facility, which has sat immediately against our community's property line for decades."
It said the focus in pursuing this action is the "wellbeing of our community – our people, our land, and our future."
Aamjiwnaang declared a State of Emergency in April of 2024, due to high benzene emissions, and the declaration is still in effect.
During this time, Aamjiwnaang members have endured emergency evacuations, closures of community buildings and infrastructure, restrictions on the ability to deliver services to members, and interference with the First Nation's traditional practices and celebrations.
"These conditions are not normal, and they are not acceptable," it said. "For years, our Environment Committee and Aamjiwnaang Leadership has raised concerns about the age and condition of the INEOS facility and called for investment in safer, modern technology. Those concerns were never meaningfully addressed."
Aamjiwnaang said an annual report filed by INEOS Quattro Holdings Limited in April 2025 noted INEOS had already decided to permanently close styrene monomer production at the Sarnia facility for "economic reasons".
"This was before Aamjiwnaang declared its State of Emergency," it said. "That decision was not publicly disclosed at the time it was made. Aamjiwnaang did not cause this closure. The facility's fate was determined by INEOS, not by our community."
INEOS announced the decommissioning of the facility in June 2025, and then its permanent closure six months later.
Aamjiwnaang said it has never sought to push industry out of this region.
"What we have always asked for, and will continue to demand, is that industry operate responsibly, safely, and with full respect for the rights and wellbeing of Aamjiwnaang, and that our nation be included as a partner in decisions that affect us," continued the letter.
The First Nation is seeking compensation for the harms their nation and members have suffered, protection for its people from ongoing and future harm, and restoration of the natural environment across its territory.
The public will continue to be updated as the matter progresses.
