Ontario provides $2M to municipalities for abandoned oil, gas wells

Niagara Region and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk are among the nine municipalities that will collectively receive $2 million this year from the Ontario government in an effort to prevent abandoned oil and gas wells from exploding.

Natural Resources Minister Graydon Smith says the money will be used by municipalities to buy equipment and provide health and safety training to better understand the risks of old wells and to help plug them.

Of the investment, Norfolk County will be provided $280,000 to purchase gas monitoring and health and safety equipment, provide health and safety training to staff and develop an education campaign for residents.

“The funding provided to Norfolk will help us better communicate the dangers associated with abandoned wells and monitor problematic wells,” said Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin.

Other municipalities approved for funding include the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Lambton County, Oxford County, Elgin County and Essex County.

In 2021, a gas leak from an old well levelled two buildings and injured 20 people in Wheatley, Ont.

The explosion came weeks after local officials declared two states of emergency and evacuation orders after discovering hydrogen sulphide gas leaks in the area.

The province plans to provide $7.5 million to municipalities over the next three years as part of its $23.6-million action plan for the roughly 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in Ontario.

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– With files from The Canadian Press