State House approves well-plugging legislation

The state House recently approved House Bill 2644, which would help increase the number of orphan wells plugged statewide.

Under the bill, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would be required to create a new initiative that would award grants to experienced well-plugging companies that work to maximize the volume of orphan wells being plugged.

For plugging wells of 3,000 feet or less in-depth, grants would be awarded totaling $10,000. For plugging wells more than 3,000 feet deep, grants would be awarded totaling $20,000.

In addition, the bill sets the current bonding amounts for conventional wells that are law and states the Environmental Quality Board cannot adjust these amounts by regulation.

“We have well over 200,000 orphan wells in Pennsylvania, and some years the Department of Environmental Protection is plugging as few as five wells,” Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), the bill’s prime sponsor, said during the debate in the House chamber. “With federal infrastructure money on the way to the Commonwealth, we finally have an opportunity to accelerate our well-plugging efforts, which will benefit both the environment and our communities.”

The majority of the federal funds would go into DEP’s existing program.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.