As crews continue well mitigation work, details have been worked out for a town hall to update Wheatley residents about the fixes made in the wake of last year’s explosion.
In late August, workers installed a new casing inside the conductor pipe to help in the performance of the plugging operation. That casing was cemented in place.
Work on the well is continuing with geotechnical testing that will analyze the performance of the cement bond and determine next steps before finishing the plugging of the well, Chatham-Kent officials said.
An in-person town hall meeting for questions and answers will be held on Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Wheatley arena. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm
For those unable to attend, or who wish to participate virtually, the meeting will be streamed live on the municipality’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
People wishing to attend the meeting in person can sign up via Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.ca/e/414861260197
Gas was first identified at the Erie Street North site in June 2021, which prompted the immediate evacuation of homes and businesses in the area.
The following month, three-dozen homes and businesses were evacuated after hydrogen sulphide was again detected at the downtown site.
On the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2021, toxic gas detectors raised the alarm, providing municipal staff and emergency crews enough time to clear the area before a blast destroyed two buildings about 90 minutes later. Twenty people suffered minor injuries from the explosion.
If at any time residents detect the smell of gas, they are asked to immediately call 911, officials added.