Sarnia Suncor officials are investigating whether a tank containing cleaning material used during refinery turnaround maintenance overflowed.
In a message recorded on the Community Awareness and Emergency Response phone line Tuesday evening, company spokesperson Jennifer Johnson says employees are determining if any material entered a ditch, behind the refinery along a portion of south Vidal St.
"We are experiencing a smell similar to pine cleaner in the immediate area and have observed a light sheen in the ditch, with no sheen south of Sun Avenue," Johnson says.
She says as a precaution several measures have been taken to isolate ditch water to prevent it from flowing to the south and water from the area is being pumped back to the refinery to be treated.
Johnson says sampling is being conducted and a plan was in place in the event of rain.
Local media were not formally notified of the incident.