Irving Oil offer to buy home is too low, says resident near butane leak

The owner of one of the homes closest to the site of a Saint John butane leak says she cannot move her family even as she watches her neighbours make preparations to move theirs.

Kelsey Fillmore of 12 River Ave. says Irving Oil has offered $110,000 for her home.

We are prepared to stay here but we need to also know that we are going to be safe.- Kelsey Fillmore, River Avenue

That is above the home's assessed value of $102,800 but not enough to allow the family of four to move, she said.

"We cannot replace what we have in another location unless we either go to an apartment or we get something that requires work," Fillmore said. "And we're just not in a position to be able to do something with that."

She's resigned herself to staying where she is, but with the expected demolition of two adjacent homes, Fillmore's will be the closest building to the site of the January butane pipeline failure that led to a six-day emergency evacuation of the neighbourhood.

The Fillmore home at 12 River Ave. It's expected neighbouring homes will be demolished later in the year. (Connell Smith, CBC)

She said butane readings have been found in storm sewer manholes at the edge of her property since the family returned after the evacuation.

Her yard is well under 30 metres from a collection of pipelines travelling between a marine terminal, Irving's oil-by-rail terminal and Canada's largest oil refinery.

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"We are prepared to stay here but we need to also know that we are going to be safe," said Fillmore.

"We need to know: can we light a barbecue, can my kids play outside, is there dangers for prolonged exposure?"

Over the months of February and March, Irving Oil quietly purchased six homes along River Avenue, including the two beside Fillmore's and another just across the road.

The company has offers outstanding on others along the street, which runs parallel to the pipelines and an adjacent railway track.

Irving Oil has not responded to requests for comment from CBC News on the River Avenue area home purchases.