Leading Canadian workers union slams Ontario’s handling of biofuel imports

In Canada, the abrupt closure announcement by Biox Corporation is the latest example of a failure to secure Canada’s domestic energy supply, says Unifor, Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union is urging federal and provincial officials to make simple regulatory changes that could help re-start the facility and lay the groundwork for securing Canada’s energy future.

Biox recently circulated termination notices to Unifor Local 593 members on July 24, signaling the full closure of its Hamilton refinery, which hasn’t produced biodiesel for more than a year. The facility was created in 2007 with significant federal grants, public research funds, university commercialization infrastructure, and private investment. Unifor blames the closure on government long-term planning failures and foreign subsidies on biodiesel.

Ontario currently exports feedstock to American refineries and then imports it as biodiesel, which is heavily subsidized by the U.S. and other governments. A glut of imported biodiesel has hurt Ontario producers. To revive the Canadian biodiesel industry and salvage infrastructure, Unifor recommends that Ontario mimic British Columbia’s model, which requires biodiesel to contain a minimum amount of domestically produced content.