After nearly a decade of concern, study, and failed remediation efforts, Norfolk County is once again urging the Province of Ontario to take decisive action on the long-standing environmental and public health crisis at the abandoned gas well site on Forestry Farm Road.
A staff report presented Tuesday outlines a critical shift in strategy, driven by new scientific findings that have changed how experts and local officials are attempting to tackle the sulfur-rich groundwater leak that has plagued the area since at least 2015.
Stewart Hamilton, a researcher who has examined multiple abandoned gas wells across Ontario, delivered a presentation outlining the severity of the situation. His team was able to study the area in depth and presented troubling findings.
He said the situation is only deteriorating.
Having studied many gas wells across the province, Hamilton noted that this particular site is one of the most alarming he’s encountered.
Local resident Paula Johgerden, who lives near the site, also spoke to council. Representing concerned neighbours, she said that once documents surfaced showing the true scale of the leak, fear in the community intensified.
While speaking, she raised concerns about the health impacts of the gas release and displayed a dark-black pot filled with contaminated material.
Originally, the plan was to locate and cap the leaking well. Norfolk successfully petitioned the Province to include the site in Ontario’s Abandoned Works Program—a fully funded initiative designed to address dormant oil and gas wells across the province. But after extensive fieldwork, crews were unable to find the original wellhead. That discovery, or lack thereof, marked a major setback and forced a complete rethink of the response.
Now, based on advanced groundwater study data gathered in 2024, experts have concluded that the leak cannot be contained by capping alone. The new report shows that underground pressure is venting through multiple sources, not just one, making a single-well solution impossible.
As a result, Norfolk County is now pushing for a more comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy that includes:
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Installation of a temporary pressure relief well – estimated at $500,000
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Deployment of advanced air quality and water treatment systems – estimated at $1 million
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Ongoing groundwater monitoring and flow calibration
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Full survey and mapping of all discharge points
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Shifting the focus of operations from Forestry Farm Road to the nearby Spanjers Spring area
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Formation of a coordinated technical working group involving the Ministries of Natural Resources, Health, and Environment
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Initiation of an environmental assessment to guide long-term solutions
Bill Cridland, Norfolk’s General Manager of Operations, said the implementation of these measures will largely be a provincial responsibility.
Several councillors voiced frustration over the lack of resolution after so many years.
Councillor Tom Masschaele questioned how it’s taken this long for meaningful progress to be made.
Councillor Linda Vandendriessche said more pressure must be applied by staff, council, and the community to get the Province to act.
The leak was first detected in 2015 following the capping of a relief well in Big Creek. Researchers believe that action caused a buildup of underground pressure, releasing hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas and sulfur-rich groundwater into the surrounding environment. The discharge has since spread through local wetlands and raised serious health concerns.
In 2019, Norfolk County teamed up with researchers from the University of Waterloo and Geofirma Engineering to identify solutions, including the idea of drilling a relief well and treating groundwater. By 2020, a multilevel monitoring system was installed to begin data collection.
Despite the early promise, remediation remained elusive. In 2022, Matrix Solutions Inc. recommended filling the leaking well, but that solution failed when crews couldn’t find the original wellhead.
During that time, then-Mayor Kristal Chopp and council members expressed hope for resolution. But mounting costs and a lack of viable options caused momentum to stall.
The County has since received some provincial support, including:
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$560,000 from the Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Program (2024–2026)
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$450,000 for the groundwater study completed in May 2025
However, staff now estimate an additional $1.5 million is needed from the Province to implement the updated response plan.
In the meantime, public safety measures have been ramped up. Provincial funding has supported emergency responder training, gas detection and monitoring equipment, and a public education campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of hydrogen sulfide exposure.
Haldimand–Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady has repeatedly sounded the alarm over abandoned oil and gas infrastructure in Ontario, calling it a “powder keg” waiting to explode if not handled properly.
Norfolk County says it is committed to protecting public health, but without increased provincial support, officials fear this crisis will continue to worsen.