The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has received its third installment of provincial funding to protect residents and businesses from the risks of old and inactive oil and gas wells.
The province told CK News Today that the latest payment to the municipality announced on Tuesday is $280,000.
The municipality said Chatham-Kent (CK) Fire and Rescue is currently reviewing specialist cameras to further allow them to spot leaking gas wells in the future.
According to the municipality, CK Fire has spent previous funding on emergency management equipment to allow fire crews to deal with a range of emergencies, two air shelters for firefighters to decontaminate, and a place for first responders and the community to shelter during emergencies.
“The Province has been a constant partner during the challenging and protected situation in Wheatley," said CK Fire Chief Chris Case. "We have been able to develop our response capabilities, and through collaboration with Municipal and industry engineers, we continue to protect our communities to reduce the risk from legacy oil and gas wells.”
A massive explosion in downtown Wheatley in 2021 was caused by Hydrogen Sulfide gas coming from an abandoned gas well.
Chatham-Kent is one of nine municipalities across southwestern Ontario that will receive provincial funding to enhance emergency preparedness and response, as part of the government’s $23.6 million Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan.
The province noted that it has provided nearly $10 million since 2023 to help municipalities purchase specialized equipment, deliver critical training programs, collaborate across municipal borders, and enhance emergency response capacity to keep communities safe from oil and gas-related emergencies.
