Environment & Energy

https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-old-oil-gas-wells-explainer/
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In the early evening of Aug. 26, 2021, an explosion rocked the small town of Wheatley, Ont. Hydrogen sulfide gas had ignited after leaking from a gas well long-buried under a building in the town’s core.

The event saw more than 60 households and 30-odd businesses in the area evacuated. Twenty people were injured. Unfortunately, it was only a symptom of a larger problem.

Ontario is home to tens of thousands of old oil and gas wells. Many were dug before regulations existed for properly plugging and abandoning inactive wells. They can leak gases into the atmosphere including highly flammable and poisonous hydrogen sulfide and planet-warming methane, posing risks to human health and safety and contributing to greenhouse gas pollution.

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