Something positive may be coming from the Wheatley explosion.
The Ontario Government is looking to update the Oil, Gas, and Salt Resources Act so the Ministry of Natural Resources can take immediate action to address hazardous oil and gas wells. The province first introduced the changes in November 2024, however, it needed to be done again since it didn't get approved before the 2025 election.
It was back in 2021 that a massive explosion took place in Wheatley, caused by Hydrogen Sulfide coming from a gas well.
"There are so many wells in Ontario and we need to be prepared in the case this happens [again], so other communities don't go through what we did," said Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff.
While he wouldn't say the proposed changes are 100 per cent because of what happened in Wheatley, Canniff believes the incident definitely played a vital role.
He explained that the explosion was an unprecedented incident in Ontario, so much so that the municipality and provincial government needed help from industry professionals in Alberta to learn how to safely deal with hazardous wells. Canniff explained that the incident also showed that these wells can be dangerous and need to be properly taken care of when abandoned.
Currently, the Oil, Gas, and Salt Resources Act mainly focuses on allowing the province to issue licenses for wells. It does state that the province can order a well to be plugged if it poses a threat to public safety or it's no longer needed.
The proposed changes focus on modernizing emergency management, ensuring the province is better equipped to help protect the public and environment.
Canniff said he doesn't see these changes doing much to stop what happened in Wheatley.
"It might be a big stretch. When it's out in the fields... that's one thing, but when you're under buildings and you can't identify it [that's different]," he added.
That being said, Canniff believes the changes will help prevent other incidents from happening.