Alan Ouya, 22725140

Richard Mackie GEOG 328

2nd April 2017

Chemical Valley - Constructing

Canada

Introduction

This paper aims to analyze the effects that Canadas petro-chemical industry
has had on indigenous people. I will argue that First nation communities have
been specifically targeted as sites for the expansion of harmful chemical plants,
in lieu of predominantly white communities. In this instance I will be focusing
on Sarnia, Ontario, and the First Nation reserve Aamjiwnaang in an area known
as Chemical Valley. I will analyze the Chemical Valley using 3 levels of source:
Primary, Secondary and Analytical, through which we will be able to build a
greater understanding of the plight of the residents, as well as the systemic
issues in Canadas economic and political systems. I will do this by first provide
relevant background information, and then dive into the analysis.

Background

Sarnia is a medium sized city located on the southern shores of Lake Huron in
southern Ontario. AThe Aamjiwnaang First Nation Reserve is located on the
southern border of Sarnia; both locales are in Lambton County.

Figure 1: Location of Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang. (Cryderman et al, 2016, p. 786)

An important factor to consider is the geography and relief of the area. Since
Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang are situated in a valley, there is a temperature
inversion whereby cold air in the valley is overlain with a warm layer, resulting
in: dust, smoke and pollutants being trapped within the inverted layer. Figure 2
represents this phenomenon.
Figure 2: Diagram of temperature inversion experienced on coastal cities. Source:
http://isu.indstate.edu/ebermudez/hlth210/lessoneightc.html

Sarnia became a prominent region in 1942 when the Polymer Corporation, a

synthetic rubber producer, settled in the area to produce rubber for the allies
World War II efforts. This was the first step in creating the modern Chemical
Valley. Today, the area is home to 40% of Canadas petrochemical industry in a
25km2 area, with companies such as: Shell, Imperial Oil, Enbridge Pipelines Inc.,
Cabot Canada, and more. In Aamjiwnaang the population had been living there
for the past three hundred years, when their territory covered a vast expanse
of 10,000 acres across the St. Clair River. However, over the years the
indigenous land was dismantled through a series of treaties, reducing their land
to 2,700 acres today while giving ownership of the land to the Canadian
government.

Primary Sources

The discrimination and injustice in Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang is still an ongoing

issue, therefore primary sources are recent. One of the biggest threats to the
people are chemical leaks, of which there are numerous in the area. In 2013
alone there were 3 separate leak incidents, the most prominent was on January
12th; at 2pm, the Shell company issued a CEVCO Code 6, calling for full traffic
control, and residents in Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Froomfield and south
Sarnia to remain indoors. (The Observer, 2013) The action was in response to
a leak of Mercaptan and Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S), two extremely toxic
substances that prevent the brain from using oxygen, resulting in "headaches,
drowsiness, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat" and in extreme cases,
can cause death. (Government of Alberta, 2010) We see how the local
population are exposed to these chemicals, despite the severe health risks.

In response to this leak, the younger population of Aamjiwnaang,

demanding the right to a cleaner environment, staged a large protest. It is fair
to say that, this issue should not have to be debated. We also observed
negligence and implicit racism on the part of Shell, whose spokesperson
claimed that "they're unaware of any long-term health effects associated with
mercaptan" (Observer Staff, 2013) This statement is dismissive and ignorant of
the immediate health effects that the people of Aamjiwnaang faced; firstly
Shell ignores the presence of hydrogen sulphide since both compounds are
released simultaneously in these events (Guidotti, 1996). And the dismissive
attitude of the company, in light of such serious health risks to the population
implies racism, since this issue would not be taken so lightly in a predominantly
white city/ neighborhood.

There was a brief respite in September 2014, when Imperial Oil was fined
$812,500 CAD for the release of hydrogen sulphide, back in February. The
company pleaded guilty for violating the Environmental Protection Act, since
the leak caused people to experience: burning eyes, sore throats, headaches
and dizziness. However, Justice of the Peace Anna Hampson noted: fines
cannot be seen as a licence for illegal activity or the cost of doing business,
(Bowen, 2014) which is the main issue at hand concerning the power difference
between MNCs and First Nations. Companies like Imperial Oil are able to
endanger the health of people at the cost of a fine, which is minimal
concerning that the company made $2.2 billion profit in the same year.

Secondary Sources

The following secondary sources will provide a broader scope of analysis by

having a retrospective view of events and conditions in Sarnia and
Aamjiwnaang. As aforementioned, the people of Aamjiwnaang are plagued by
leaks that are highly publicized due to their uncontrolled nature. However, a
study in 2010 by Eco Health investigated mercury levels in Aamjiwnaang and
discovered that "94 thousand pounds of mercury were released or processed
within the Chemical Valley area... Of these releases, 700 pounds were
emitted into the air, 25 pounds were released directly into water bodies, and
upwards of 93 thousand pounds were disposed of on-site either via
underground injections or into landfills" (Cryderman et al, 2016) Needless to
say, mercury levels in the soils were far beyond safe levels in the area which
poses a serious threat to the people's health and livelihood, in the sense that
the mercury seeps into the St. Clair river and contaminates Lake Huron, hence
jeopardizing the income of many farmers on the reserve. (Booth, & Skelton,
2011, p. 694)

The industrial development of Sarnia had much more sinister implications

before ground was ever broken on the site. The first impact comes from the
announcement of the new development, which immediately divides the
community, whereby some people support the industrial development, on the
promise that it will provide a new source of income for the local population,
whereas others saw the expansion of the industrial area as a threat to the
community. (Booth, & Skelton, 2011, p. 695) Subsequently, construction of the
industrial area displaces First Nations from areas that they traditionally hunted
and gathered in, areas that they trapped in, and areas where they practiced
cultural and spiritual activities. (Booth, & Skelton, 2011, p. 693)

It has also been revealed that the presence of the petrochemical

industries has affected the gender balance in Aamjiwnaang. More specifically,
researchers have determined that toxins released from the factories are
gender skewing, by affecting hormone production in women, causing more girls
to be born, than boys. Between 1994 and 1998 the number of male births
dipped noticeably. And during 19992003 they dropped even more. Of 132
births in that period, only 46 were males. Normally about 105 boys are born for
every 100 girls. (Webster, P. 2006) This could become a real issue in the
future, as the gender imbalance could cause negative relations within the
community.

Analytical Framework

The lens of environmental racism helps to explain why the petrochemical

corporations chose Sarnia as their site for production. The first reason is simply
institutional racism, whereby "minorities pay a great price in terms of their
health and overall quality of life in exchange for economic development,
resources extraction, and industrialism," (Vlez, 2014) showing how the
individuals in Aamjiwnaang are chained by golden shackles, on account of the
economic value of the petrochemical plants. Secondly, the cheap land prices
and low average income of a peripheral town, such as Sarnia, are prime
locations for corporations and businesses. Companies can move into these
areas cheaply, and entice low-income residents to work on their factories (or
tolerate living next to them) in spite of dangerous health conditions. In contrast
to high-income cities whose residents would have no need for a petrochemical
factory. Thirdly, is the lack of political power that the residents of Aamjiwnaang
have in staving off the advancement of these Multi-national corporations
(MNCs).

Another interesting aspect of the issues in Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang is the

disconnect between the indigenous perception of nature versus non-indigenous
perception, which I will explore using Booth's analysis of The Natural
Environment in Native American Thought. The indigenous viewpoint is that
"The land is not really the place (separate from ourselves)...It is rather a part of
our being, dynamic, significant, real. It is our self...It is not a matter of being
close to nature...The Earth is, in a very real sense, the same as
[ourselves]."(Allen & Pueblo,1979a, pp. 191192 as cited by Booth, 2007) We
see how indigenous people have a much more personal connection with
nature, as opposed to the western view that "the land and its resources should
be available for development and extraction for the benefit of humans."
(Joseph, 2016) This is evident by the mere presence of all the petrochemical
factories on sacred indigenous land.

With the above concept in mind, we also observe the coloniality of Power,
which was developed to explain the patriarchy and structural racism in
modern-day Latin America. In this instance, it is applicable to explain how long-
standing power structures present during the colonial era are still present.
Grosfoguel describes coloniality as the " the cultural, political..., spiritual,
epistemic and economic oppression/exploitation of subordinate
racialized/ethnic groups by dominant racialized/ethnic groups." (Grosfoguel,
2007 p. ) This is clearly represented in the continued poisoning of the people of
Aamjiwnaang for the past 75 years, without an end in sight despite organized
protests

Conclusion

In conclusion, long-term industrial development in Sarnia has led to several

environmental issues and problems between First Nations in Aamjiwnaang and
MNCs. People on the First Nation reserve are exposed to dangerous
petrochemical leaks (or the threat of one) on a regular basis leading to protests
against the corporations at fault, however little action is taken. We explored
how peoples livelihoods are threatened by the presence of these industries, as
well as the cohesiveness of the community. We also, looked at the systemic
problem of environmental racism, which results in minority populations being
targeted for industrial projects. The divide between First Nation perception of
nature and Western ideas are also a major issue. And finally, the long-standing
colonial systems and ideology still play a major role in the power relations
between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

Citations

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Bowen, N. (2014). Company pleads guilty to Environment Protection Act

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