400-litre chemical spill at Durez plant leads to odour complaints
April 23, 2026 at 9:10 PM
A 400-litre chemical spill at Durez Canada’s Fort Erie plant triggered odour complaints across Greater Fort Erie on Thursday. Provincial and municipal officials report there are no expected health risks.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks traced the smell to a phenol water-based solution that leaked from a tank into on-site secondary containment at the industrial facility on Dunlop Street.
The spill stayed on the property, according to the ministry, and a specialized contractor is scheduled to carry out remediation Friday, April 24.
Taylor Buck, district supervisor with the ministry’s Niagara district office, told Fort Erie Radio that Durez’s secondary containment kept the material from leaking beyond the plant.
“That’s why we have secondary containment in places like this,” said Buck. “If there is a leak, it’s contained, it doesn’t travel off-site, doesn’t make its way into groundwater, and then it can be cleaned up and removed from site.”
A chemical smell observed in Bridgeburg and other parts of town on Thursday was traced to Durez Canada on Dunlop Street. Credit: 360 Energy Inc.Comments made on social media suggested the odour had been noticed across the river in Buffalo and as far north as Niagara Falls.
Fire Chief Mark Schmitt said Fort Erie fire crews responded to multiple odour complaints, attended the site and stated there was “no health risk” to the community.
Buck also said the ministry did not expect the spill to create a danger for nearby residents.
“It’s an unpleasant odour, and there’s no anticipated health impacts or anything of that nature,” said Buck.
The Town of Fort Erie echoed the same message in a public statement Thursday stating the odour was expected to fade over the weekend.
Buck said Durez had hired a spill-response contractor that specializes in this type of cleanup.
Ministry staff attended the site and said they would follow up once the cleanup was reported complete.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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