Following multiple concerning events in Chatham-Kent and Leamington, the region’s Member of Parliament is hosting a public forum to provide information on abandoned gas wells.
Chatham-Kent Leamington MP Dave Epp said it’s important that local communities are aware of the potential threats abandoned gas wells can present to residential, industrial and farming properties.
“People are usually more settled when they know what the risks are,” said Epp. “The meeting is to simply provide a forum for the public to come together to begin a process of answering questions. We’ll have some resources there from the province and municipalities.”
He added that the proactive meeting will help to educate residents on how to better prepare themselves.
“The most common [question we get] is, ‘how do I find out if there’s a well on a property that I have or that I am looking to purchase,'” he said.
Epp said the meeting will touch on where the wells are located, what residents can do about them, and where to get help if it is needed.
“We hope to clarify exactly who does what,” said Epp. “All three levels of government have some responsibilities here.”
The town hall meeting will be held at the Leamington Roma Club on Thursday, August 25th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald will be in attendance alongside federal, provincial, and municipal representatives. The meeting is open to all area residents.
The town hall meeting comes several years after an underground gas leak on Robson Road in Leamington in 2016 led to an evacuation of neighbouring homes and a localized state of emergency. The incident lasted several months as petroleum drillers searched for the underground source of the hazardous gas.
As well, contractors have been working for almost a year to plug multiple underground wells in the town of Wheatley following a hydrogen sulphide gas explosion on August 26, 2021. The blast at 15 Erie St. resulted in the evacuation of 67 households and 44 businesses. An evacuation zone remains place in the area as remediation efforts continue, however, it has reduced multiple times to allow residents and business owners to return to their properties.
