Gas flare does its job in Wheatley

WHEATLEY — On Friday, April 22, a low level of combustible gas was released at the Wheatley explosion site. The systems, procedures and venting stack worked according to design and the gas was effectively flared off.

A second event occurred later in the evening and steps were taken to ensure ongoing safety, including igniting the flare stack to control the gas and staffing up the site for overnight observation.

By Saturday morning, gas levels had reduced to allow the stack to be extinguished and regular monitoring returned by the on-site team.

“We are pleased that the mitigation equipment/procedures on-site are working exactly as planned and are confident that the current evacuation zone remains secure,” said Ryan Brown, Public works Director for Chatham-Kent.