Another gas leak has been detected in downtown Wheatley near last summer's explosion site.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent reported on Thursday afternoon that monitoring systems picked up gas on Wednesday at approximately 3 p.m. while crews were working at the site of one of the wells, but the gas stopped around two hours later.
Officials said work stopped and samples of the gas were taken for analysis.
"Officials are gathering and reviewing data to determine when work can resume," wrote the municipality in a news release.
Workers were excavating around the well to drive a larger conductor pipe over the existing well when the release occurred, according to the municipality.
Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case said the safety plans guiding the operations worked as planned.
“Gas was collected and directed to the vent to be flared. At no time was there a risk to our community located beyond the evacuation zone,” said the chief.
Chief Case noted that a sufficient amount of gas was present for people nearby to detect a smell.
He also said that instruments detected 24 parts per billion in the atmosphere, less than one-hundredth of the amount that would represent a safety hazard.
