Sarnia company faces charges in spill - thetimesherald.com

Any form of spill would cause contamination to the ground & air as well. Therefore, local authority is to check on these constantly....

Sarnia company faces charges in spill
Royal Polymers may pay millions if it's convicted

By CHRIS SEBASTIAN Times Herald

CHARGES FILED: Sarnia's Chemical Valley glows at night. One of its companies, Royal Polymers, is being charged for a spill into the St. Clair River.


ONLINE

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

# For details on the ministry and for details about other environmental-protection enforcement, visit www.ene.gov.on.ca.

The Ontario government has charged Canadian chemical company Royal Polymers Ltd. with violating several environmental laws relating to the August 2003 chemical spill into the St. Clair River.

If convicted, the Chemical Valley petroleum company could face fines of more than $12 million Canadian.

Royal Polymers Ltd. spilled almost 300 pounds of toxic vinyl chloride monomer into the river during last year's massive U.S. and Canadian blackout.

Company officials said equipment failed during the blackout.

No one reported illness or injury related to the spill.

The leak was the first in a chain of unrelated spills from a few companies during a yearlong period. The Royal Polymers spill, as with about six after it, caused U.S. and Canadian water plants to temporarily stop drawing drinking water from the river.

It's the first company to be charged by the Ontario Ministry of Environment for the latest spills. The first court date is Jan. 14 in Sarnia. Read More....
Sarnia company faces charges in spill - thetimesherald.com