UPDATE: Feds Won’t Help Explore the Oxford Sinkhole
NEW CRACKS FOUND IN PAVEMENT TODAY
The federal government has politely declined to help the Town of Oxford as it faces uncertainty over the sinkhole at the Oxford Lions Parkland.
The town asked for advice from federal geology experts. Officials hoped they would conduct geophysical tests with hard to find high tech equipment.
The federal response was negative, citing a “non-compete clause”. The federal government tries to avoid competing with private interests. In this case, the government said it was not an emergency and there are qualified private contractors the town could hire.
The town’s Chief Administrative Officer is disappointed. Rachel Jones says hiring a contractor with the appropriate equipment would simply be too costly. She said, “It is beyond the capacity of the town.”
The federal government was the only hope, as the province does not have such equipment in the Department of Energy and Mines.
While the sinkhole has been reasonably quiet this week, officials report new cracks were found today. The daily update says the cracks appeared near the northeast end of the parking lot, about three to four metres from the sinkhole edge. Officials say that shows the ground continues to move.