The State of Emergency in Wheatley should be declared over by Saturday morning.
It was enacted on June 3, 2021 after a hydrogen sulfide gas leak in the downtown core on June 2.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said gas monitoring has been carried out every 15 minutes by Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services during the past two weeks. Gas readings were also performed by the Provincial Hazardous Materials Team and a private sector gas monitoring company during that time. Mayor Darrin Canniff said no hydrogen sulfide gas has been detected at that site since June 4.
Chatham-Kent Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire said given the absence of gas for this many days there is no justification to continue the state of emergency. Shropshire added with the pending termination of the state of emergency, the evacuation order will also be terminated "hopefully" as early as noon on Saturday, June 19, 2021. He said residents and business owners will no longer be prevented from entering their properties at that time.
The Municipality said utilities will be restored as the state of emergency and the evacuation order are terminated and a notice of the termination of the state of emergency will be posted on the municipality's social media accounts once it's confirmed. Property owners are being told to contact the proper utility company to work through that process.
Emergency personnel will be available on Saturday to accompany residents and business owners to their properties and perform gas monitoring if requested.
Chatham Kent firefighters have been on scene since the state of emergency was declared and will remain there until it and the evacuation order conclude.
The Municipality said it has consulted with industry experts in the private sector who have recommended that private property owners should consider gas monitoring on their properties. The Municipality also said it's not required to do anything else after consulting with with subject matter experts at the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Solicitor General. Municipal officials noted they all acknowledged that the Municipality has responded to the gas leak according to best practices and no additional action by the Municipality has been recommended.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry told Blackburn News that although landowners are responsible for their own property, the ministry's Abandoned Works Program can provide funding to address inactive petroleum wells that may have the greatest impact on public and environmental safety.
"We continue to seek out opportunities to collaborate with the petroleum industry, local municipalities and the federal government in addressing the potential public and environmental safety concerns associated with orphaned and dormant wells across Ontario," said Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Media Relations Officer Jolanta Kowalski. " Public safety and the protection of Ontario’s communities is our government’s top priority."
A Virtual Town Hall meeting will be held for residents via Zoom on Saturday at 11 a.m. Local and provincial officials will be available to answer any questions that residents may have. The meeting can be accessed by clicking here and entering Webinar ID 968 6360 4245 and passcode 666396.
A resource centre is also being established at the Wheatley arena on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Residents who cannot attend the online meeting can visit the arena. General information will also be available from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. by calling 519-350-2956.
The municipality is providing garbage bins near the evacuation site in case residents need to dispose of perishables left in their residences or buildings during the evacuation. Local food banks have been approached about providing emergency aid for those who may have had to dispose of food.
A meeting was held on Thursday afternoon to try and determine what needed to be done to declare the area safe and get it back to normal. A total of 27 people were forced out of their homes and ten businesses have been closed for two weeks, including The Car Barn Family Restaurant. Owner Barry Broadbent told Blackburn News it's been very difficult to make plans to reopen with virtually no information or timelines over the past two weeks. He added it's been devastating for his staff and loyal customers, especially with the lengthy pandemic.
"So disappointing to experience the lack of communication and effort put forth to inform the people who are being affected by this dilemma," said Broadbent. "It just seems like we have been forgotten and left to the side to fend for ourselves."
A fact sheet on hydrogen sulfide can be found by clicking here.
Residents are being reminded that if they smell or detect gas, they should leave the building immediately and contact 911. The Municipality said they may also want to consider having a “Grab and Go” bag by the door in the event they're required to leave quickly.