Dow Sarnia: Protecting Health and the Environment
At Dow, protecting people and the environment is part of everything we do and every decision we make. Each employee has a responsibility in ensuring our products and operations meet applicable government or Dow standards, whichever are more stringent.
Dow Chemical is committed to a “Vision of Zero”—zero incidents, injuries, illnesses and zero environmental harm. Our goal is to eliminate all injuries, prevent adverse environmental and health impacts, reduce waste and emissions, and promote conservation at every stage of the life cycle of our products. As we wind down operations in Sarnia, we continue to be committed to the Vision of Zero. Here are some examples of our commitment to health and the environment.
The Dow Wetlands
The Dow Wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife native to the Sarnia area.
The idea for The Dow Wetlands was born when a large quantity of clean soil was required to cap a former Dow landfill. Dow Canada employees worked with local environmental groups, government representatives and an environmental consultant to transform the area into a thriving wetlands habitat.
After years of growth, the 20-acre site is now home to 8,000 native trees and shrubs and dozens of different animal species. Wetlands residents include ducks, Canada geese, garter snakes and red foxes. The Dow Wetlands improve the surrounding environment by holding excess water and filtering water to improve its quality. The Dow Memorial Forest, planted in 2000, honours the memory of past Dow employees.
Dow’s partner in maintaining the Wetlands is the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural resources of the St. Clair Region. The Dow Wetlands are certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council.
The Dow Wetlands are located at the corner of Highway 40 and LaSalle Line. The public is invited to access The Dow Wetlands during daylight hours to enjoy the sheltered picnic areas and hiking trails. Toilet facilities are available on site. Please consult signage at the site for rules and regulations governing its use.
The St. Clair River Remediation Project
In the summer of 2005, Dow’s Sarnia site completed a three-phase remediation project that removed approximately 16,000 cubic yards of historically contaminated sediment from the St. Clair River bed, adjacent to the site.
Using a massive hydraulic vacuum mounted on a ship, sediment was removed from the river bed. The sediment was moved on to the Dow site and sealed in an earthern-clay compartment, called a biocell. Contaminants in the cell will be gradually destroyed over a number of years by a natural biological treatment process. The water removed with the sediment was treated to drinking water quality and returned to the river. A layer of “fish mix” gravel was distributed over the remediated area, restoring the area as habitat for aquatic life.
Throughout the remediation process, we accomplished our central goal of maintaining drinking water standards for downstream residents. Extensive monitoring systems enabled the rapid detection of the release of contaminants from the river bed. In only one case was a release detected, and Dow personnel responded immediately to control the situation.
