“The need for the app is crucial and the lack of (public pollution) information is allowing industries to get away with more than what we really know here on the ground,” said Vanessa Gray, 27, a grassroots organizer and educator from Aamjiwnaang First Nation. “The most important thing to me about the app is thinking about the families here when there’s a spill or release,” she continued, referring to fluid leaks and air discharges, such as acid gas flaring that produces sulphur dioxide.

This interactive map is built out of Industry provided notifications about pollution incidents in Chemical Valley that were collected by Aamjiwnaang community members Vanessa and Beze Gray from 2013-2023. The data can be filtered by incident type, season, and company responsible.

This report is about the relationship between the petrochemical industry in Ontario’s Chemical Valley and Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Central to this relationship is pollution: the spills, flares, air releases and how those events are communicated to the community.

“The need for the app is crucial and the lack of (public pollution) information is allowing industries to get away with more than what we really know here on the ground,” said Vanessa Gray, 27, a grassroots organizer and educator from Aamjiwnaang First Nation. “The most important thing to me about the app is thinking about the families here when there’s a spill or release,” she continued, referring to fluid leaks and air discharges, such as acid gas flaring that produces sulphur dioxide.