On July 29, Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks), the Majority and Minority Chairs of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation requesting dedicated federal funding for plugging abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth be included in the next federal stimulus bill.

The letter notes that there are currently over 10,000 wells on the Department of Environmental Protection’s Orphan Well List awaiting plugging, along with tens of thousands of additional abandoned wells that would qualify to be plugged by DEP. 

The lack of resources to address these wells impacts both the environment and the conventional oil and gas industry.

“The conventional oil and gas industry has been a crucial economic and employment driver in Pennsylvania for over a century,” Sen. Yaw said.  “This industry, like many others, has not been immune to the effects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including industry-wide layoffs.  Federal stimulus dollars can get many of those unemployed back to work, while at the same time plug thousands of orphaned and abandoned conventional wells across the state.”

“This kind of investment would create hundreds of needed jobs, while also eliminating some of the most damaging pollution to our environment," Sen. Santarsiero said, noting that dedicated federal funding for this initiative would provide DEP with the necessary resources to plug the orphaned wells, protecting our environment, while supporting the conventional oil and gas industry.

"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,” continued Santarsiero.

Click Here for a copy of the letter.

For more information, visit DEP’s Abandoned and Orphaned Well Program webpage.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-3280 or sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov.   Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7305 or sending email to: senatorsantarsiero@pasenate.com.

[Posted: August 6, 2020]

8/10/2020