More provincial funding is being given to communities across southern Ontario to better manage the risks posed by old oil and gas wells.
The Ontario government announced this week that it is investing an additional $7.8 million to help municipalities safely plug more wells and strengthen local emergency preparedness and response efforts.
The increased funding brings this year’s total investment to $10.8 million, which includes $6 million for the Abandoned Works Program to safely plug more wells; $3 million for the Municipal Legacy Wells Transfer Payment Program; and $1.8 million for science and research to better understand and mitigate risks posed by oil and gas wells.
The province has records for approximately 27,000 oil and gas wells that are primarily on private land in southwestern Ontario. Many of the wells present public safety and environmental risks because they were plugged decades ago.
To date, the Ontario government has invested $46 million to plug 471 wells across the province.
