Wheatley residents are finally getting some much deserved good news about the end of the latest downtown gas leak and perhaps the end of all gas emissions in the core.
Chatham-Kent officials announced on Thursday that they're optimistic the Wheatley gas emission is resolved.
Municipal officials said the monitoring well of an abandoned well found at 17 Talbot Street East in late September has entirely stopped venting gas, including hydrogen sulfide gas that triggered a massive explosion in downtown Wheatley in August 2021.
The investigative team found what was believed to be a wooden-cased petroleum well underneath the cement floor at 17 Talbot Road East in late September.
According to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the monitoring well established following the 2021 blast was continuously emitting hydrogen sulfide gas and methane gas until the newly discovered well was re-entered and capped.
The municipality noted no gas has been detected on the monitoring well or the other abandoned water wells on the site since, suggesting that the issue may have been entirely resolved.
The excavation work is now finished and no additional deep wells have been found, allowing restoration work to begin, CK officials added.
“The team is very happy with the results of the project so far and are optimistic that this is the solution to the gas emissions on site,” said Chatham-Kent Director of Public Works Ryan Brown. “The community has been very patient and understanding while we worked through this project, and we are excited to share these results and help Wheatley move forward into a prosperous future.”
The municipality also noted ongoing testing of the monitoring well will provide further understanding and confirm if the municipal measures have been successful in stopping the gas migration in downtown Wheatley.
Residents in Wheatley will soon see the drilling rig in the downtown moved off site as investigation work comes to an end, said officials.
The municipality said intermittent road closures will be needed to load trucks on Friday and the beginning of next week.
Final expert reports are expected later this year and will be shared with the public, said CK officials.
They said the Wheatley Recovery Task Force is continuing their work and will be guided by the expert reports.