WHEATLEY, ONT. – On June 27 the smell of gas was detected in Wheatley, Ont. forcing residents to once again evacuate its downtown due to a hydrogen sulfide gas leak, the same toxic gas that caused a 2021 explosion that significantly damaged buildings, and left many injured and displaced.
According to a July 4 notice from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the gas emission has stopped and T. L. Watson and Associates, Chatham-Kent’s oil and gas expert who oversaw previous Wheatley incidents, confirmed there are no imminent risks to public safety. Resident swere permitted to return to their homes.
A July 9 notice said residents would be seeing activity in downtown Wheatley over the next dew days as contractors carry out tests on the monitoring well.
“It is believed the latest gas release was caused by a previously abandoned water well behind the library,” it reads. “Operational plans for bringing contractors to the library to expose the well and eventually abandon are underway.”
“This was a terrible incident for everyone still affected by the 2021 event,” said Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case in a statement. “However, we quickly assembled all agencies and the experts we have relied on over the past years and were able to determine the community could return to their homes.”
“I am extremely thankful that this situation was quickly resolved through rapid response and teamwork from multiple agencies and co-operation from Wheatley residents,” added Mayor Darrin Canniff. “The people of Wheatley have been through so much over the last few years, and this incident is a firm reminder of the importance of vigilance and monitoring in the community.”
The leak has reignited concerns over Ontario’s approximately 27,000 legacy oil and gas wells.
Many of them were drilled before proper reporting was mandated in the early 1900s, explains a release from 360 Engineering & Environmental Consultants (360 EEC), a Western Canada firm that helped with the cleanup and risk mitigation efforts following the 2021 explosion.
“These ‘ghost wells’ remain an invisible threat beneath homes, businesses and public infrastructure across the province,” the firm says.
During its time as part of the Wheatley cleanup, the 360 EED team developed a “worst-case” response plan that included real-time gas detection, drone-based methane mapping and detailed emergency zone modeling.
They located and re-entered the leaking well, installed new casing and sealed it permanently, the release notes.
But the risk in Wheatley remains because the explosion was triggered by gas from a deep source leaking into a shallow water-bearing aquifer, now contaminated with methane and hydrogen sulfide.
“The aquifer acts as a pathway for gas to reach the surface. While one known source has been shut off, others may still be feeding gas into the system,” the firm explained. “And since the gas already in the aquifer can’t be removed or treated, future leaks remain unpredictable. The best way to move forward is to manage and mitigate these risks before they turn into another explosion.”
As such, 360 EEC is calling for a province-wide push to locate, assess and decommission abandoned wells.
“Ontario’s current regulations place responsibility on landowners or municipalities, many of whom are unaware of the risks lurking underground,” 360 EEC stated.
“It’s not an emergency because it’s there; it’s an emergency because of what could happen next,” added Adam Derry, director of engineering at 360 EEC.
