Resources and energy committee chairmen urge federal funding for plugging oil, gas wells

State Sens. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks County) and Gene Yaw (R-Bradford County), Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee chairmen, recently sent a letter to Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation urging it to dedicated federal funding in the next stimulus bill for plugging abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells.

More than 10,000 wells are needing to be plugged on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s Orphan Well List. In addition, there are tens of thousands of additional abandoned wells that would qualify for plugging.

These wells are rusting and releasing methane into the air while polluting the land and water.

The registering of abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells was not required until the 1950s, the letter noted, and cleanup bonds were not required until 1980.

Dedicated federal funding would provide the state with the funds it has been lacking to plug the orphaned wells, protecting the environment, and support the oil and gas industry. Funding also would create jobs, Yaw said.

“While there are many industries competing for stimulus funding, this is a ‘win-win’ situation, as both environmental advocates and industry leaders support taking action on this issue, which will also support workers who have been hard-hit during the pandemic,” Santarsiero said.