Methane-detecting drone will fly over Wheatley ahead of excavation
Council voted to excavate a block of Wheatley to search for gas wells earlier this month
Officials say a drone capable of detecting methane will be flying over Wheatley in August as part of the project to search for gas wells in the evacuation zone.
Chatham-Kent council voted earlier this month to excavate an entire block of the downtown to confirm whether there are any more gas or water wells following the 2021 gas explosion that destroyed two buildings.
The work is expected to begin on Sept. 3 but preparations have already begun, the municipality said in a media release on Tuesday.
The contractor, ELM 360 Environmental Consulting Ltd., will be looking for wells and destroying the remaining building foundations.
An emergency plan is in place that includes having staff and equipment ready to work 24 hours a day to remediate a well, in the event one is found.
Employees with the municipality are going to go door-to-door in Wheatley to explain the work and let people know about the emergency plan, and a community open house is set for Aug. 8.
The methane-detecting drone will be flying over the village and surrounding areas starting Aug. 7, the municipality says.
"This work will be done pre- and post-excavation in the work zone to confirm if any activities caused a change in known methane emissions," the municipality said.
That work is expected to last several days.