Cleaning Up Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells: Challenges and Progress

• Problem: There are millions of abandoned oil and gas wells in the US, leaking methane and contaminating water.
• Solution: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $4.7 billion to clean them up.
• Challenges:
  • States struggle to meet requirements for receiving funds, particularly:
    • Endangered Species Act compliance (hiring biologists, assessing well sites).
    • National Historic Preservation Act compliance (identifying and contacting tribes).
  • Winter weather and migratory bird seasons limit work windows in some states.
  • State oil and gas departments lack experience with these federal environmental laws.
• Progress:
  • Initial grants helped restart plugging companies after a slump in the oil industry.
  • States are developing processes to meet federal requirements.
  • Performance grants aim to incentivize states to find additional funding and improve regulations to prevent future well abandonment.
• Debate:
  • Some argue stricter requirements slow down cleanup.
  • Others believe environmental protections are necessary.
  • States want flexibility in how they meet regulatory improvement grant requirements.

Read more at The Grist website.