Aamjiwnaang & Sarnia Against Pipelines is a Indigenous grassroots collective bringing awareness to environmental racism in Canada's toxic Chemical Valley
- Tweets 1,562
- Following 336
- Followers 632
- Likes 2,249
ALT White text on a red background reads “Emergency Declared in Aamjiwnaang First Nation due to Industrial Pollution” and “Environmental racism in the heart of ‘Canada’s Chemical Valley’”. In the middle is a photo of a playground next to the Band Office and a chemical plant. The Change Course logo is on the left side.
ALT White text on a red background reads “On April 25, Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia, ON declared a state of emergency as levels of the cancer-causing substance benzene spiked in local air due to nearby industrial activity. Band members have been warned to avoid outdoor recreation since April 16th, when extremely high benzene readings were discovered and people began feeling ill with headaches, dizziness, and nausea. According to Aamjiwnaang, the culprit is INEOS Styrolution, a plastics chemical plant located just across the road from the Band Office.” Below is a photo of an empty basketball court with a giant sign reading “high benzene levels”.
ALT A photo of INEOS Styrolution plant, with a stop sign at the entrance. White text highlighted in red reads “Chemical Valley, the collection of oil refineries and chemical plants in and around Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang, has sparked community concern over air pollution for decades. Benzene is a highly toxic air pollutant that is harmful to human health at any level. People in Aamjiwnaang believe air pollution has been killing their families for years.”
ALT Photo of the Ada (Lockridge) Rogers air monitoring station at Aamjiwnaang. White text highlighted red reads “Air monitors have shown that, in general, Aamjiwnaang receives 30 times more benzene than Toronto and Ottawa, and more than 10 times as much as a city in California with a similar mix of heavy industry. Chronic exposure to environmental toxins and industrial pollutants is not acceptable for any community, but Indigenous Nations disproportionately bear this burden. This is textbook environmental racism. Aamjiwnaang deserves better.”
ALT White text in a red speech bubble reads ““I wonder what kind of cancer is living inside my brother, sister and I, just waiting to take over our bodies.” -Aamjiwnaang community member, recalling a sister with stomach cancer, a grandfather with leukemia and a mother with kidney cancer”. The background is a photo of the Aamjiwnaang sign, with a chemical plant in behind.
