With the investigation ongoing into last summer’s gas explosion, plans are continuing for re-drilling the Tait well at an area of potential concern (APEC 2) in the municipal parking lot.
To help with the investigation into last summer’s gas explosion in Wheatley’s downtown, plans are continuing to re-drill the Tait well at the area of potential concern identified in the municipal parking lot.
Equipment has arrived on site and the contractor will soon be able to re-enter the well and collect additional information for investigators, the municipality stated in a release Wednesday.
“Additional property access continued while the next phase of the work was being readied,” officials said. “Analysis of gas and water samples taken from monitoring wells in late February continues.”
The first detection of gas at an Erie Street North site in early June prompted the immediate evacuation of homes and businesses in the area.
The following month, three-dozen homes and businesses were evacuated after hydrogen sulphide — a highly poisonous, corrosive and flammable gas — was again detected at the downtown site.
On Aug. 26, toxic gas detectors raised the alarm that afternoon, giving municipal staff and emergency crews enough time to evacuate the area before a blast destroyed two buildings about 90 minutes later. Twenty people suffered minor injuries from the explosion.
Since the August blast, gas has been detected about a half-dozen times in the cordoned-off area.