It's hoped a report on the long-awaited Sarnia Area Environmental Health Project will be complete by the winter of 2021.
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is scheduled to speak to Sarnia City Council at its meeting Monday, to provide an update on the local health study.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said the study, which will examine the impact the petrochemical industry has on the health of area residents, has been a long time coming.
"What the study would do is at the end would give us science, not politics about the impact of having a cluster of industries here," said Bradley. "That's important, it needs to be a pure process and needs to be based on science and health. It would be my hope that it at least gives us the opportunity to understand if there are issues that need to be addressed, how can we do it and how quickly can we do it."
Community meetings are expected to begin this fall, as the government develops an exposure model and assesses input.
The cost of the Sarnia Area Environmental Health Project, initially estimated at $5 million, was to be shared by the provincial and federal governments and the community.
City council's regular public meeting Monday begins at 4 p.m.