CALGARY – Work continued Sunday at a sour gas well in southwest Airdrie, after equipment failure resulted in a gas leak on Saturday.
Residents were allowed back into their homes around 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon.
It happened around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at a Toro Oil well, formerly at the Kallisto Energy Wellhead, about two kilometres southwest of the city.
A hazardous materials alert was issued and about 13 rural homes on Dry Creek Bay were evacuated.
As of Sunday morning residents still hadn’t been allowed back into their homes, but the Airdrie Fire Department told Global News the public was never in any danger.
“There was a strong odor that was going from north to south. It was uncomfortable for those people and quite alarming, so just to soothe their nerves and make sure that they’re going to be fine we chose to isolate the area and evacuate everyone there,” said Deputy Chief of Operations Garth Rabel.
“We just wanted to make sure that people felt comfortable and safe and that’s why we removed them from their homes.”
Firefighters had left the scene as of Sunday morning, but Rabel says the company that operates the well is still on site. Crews there continue to monitor air quality and are working to cap the well, which is still leaking a small amount of sour gas. Officials say the leak is contained to the well site.
Officials were worried the sour gas could drift to southwest Airdrie, Rocky View County and northwest Calgary.
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