St. Catharines hazardous waste plant that was the site of deadly explosion ordered to shut down

Firefighters battle a large fire at a business in St. Catharines following an explosion Thursday, January 12, 2023.

A hazardous waste facility that was the site of a deadly explosion that claimed the life of 37-year-old Ryan Konkin in 2023, has been ordered to permanently close after an investigation by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

The incident occurred at Ssonix Products in St. Catharines on the morning of Jan. 12, 2023.

Konkin was the only worker inside the building at the time.

He was taken to hospital with burns covering 90 per cent of his body, where he subsequently died.

Konkin was recently engaged and had plans to start a food truck business with his fiancée, his sister told CTV News Toronto at the time.

On Jan. 7, MCEP charged Ssonix Products 2010 Inc. and its directors - Steve Baker, Sharon Baker, and Tyler Baker - with 21 offences under both the Environmental Protection Act and Ontario Water Resources Act, the ministry told CTV News.

The waste facility has agreed to submit a closure plan to the ministry by March 31, following an Ontario Land Tribunal hearing regarding an appeal of a ministry order, a statement notes.

“Our role is to respond to incidents to assess for potential impacts to human health and the environment and work to ensure those responsible take appropriate actions to clean-up and restore the natural environment,” MCEP said.

“Once accepted by the ministry, the company will be required to implement the closure plan in accordance with the timelines set out within it.”

The fatal fire at the waste plant

Emergency crews were called to the waste facility shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2023, for reports of a fire and multiple explosions.

Officials told CTV News at the time that the explosions continued for upwards of 45 minutes.

In September 2023, St. Catharines Fire Services laid a total of 84 charges against the company and its three directors under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.

Niagara police also released a statement last November saying the three directors of Ssonix Products had been charged with “criminal negligence causing death” and “arson by negligence” in connection with the incident.

Those charges have not yet been tested in court.

The Ministry of Labour also issued 11 requirements and one order to the company following the fire.

“The ministry continues to monitor activities at the site to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to address any environmental impacts, and that applicable regulations and guidelines are followed to protect human health and the environment,” MCEP said in its statement.

With files from CTV’s Phil Tsekouras, CP24’s Joshua Freeman and CTV’s Shelby Knox