On September 3, the US Department of the Interior announced $76.4 million from the Biden Administration's Investing in America agenda to plug abandoned conventional oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania.

The Commonwealth expects to be able to plug approximately 550 orphaned oil and gas wells over the next five years thanks to this historic funding.

So far, Pennsylvania has plugged over 200 conventional wells with this new federal funding.

These investments to address hazardous sites will help create good-paying jobs, catalyze economic growth and revitalization, and reduce environmental and public health impacts from harmful methane leaks. 

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is empowering communities across the country to confront long-standing environmental injustices by making a historic investment to plug orphaned oil and gas wells,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “These investments are good for our climate, for the health of our communities, and for American workers. With this additional funding, Pennsylvania will put more people to work to clean up these toxic sites, reduce methane emissions and safeguard our environment.”

"By prioritizing the capping and plugging of orphaned and abandoned wells, my Administration is making meaningful strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania while also supporting thousands of good-paying energy jobs," said Gov. Josh Shapiro. "Pennsylvania has a long legacy as an energy leader – and these wells are proof of that. Now, we are continuing that legacy by plugging and capping them, improving air quality, reducing emissions, protecting public health, and creating jobs. We are rejecting the false choice between protecting jobs and protecting our planet – and my Administration will continue to draw down as much federal funding as possible to do this critical work."

“Orphan and abandoned wells are a serious risk to the environment and public health in Pennsylvania,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “It’s not a question of if an abandoned well will pose a threat to the environment; it’s a question of when. This new funding will dramatically expand Pennsylvania’s ability to plug the wells that pose the greatest risks as well as others before they become a hazard.”

The US Department of the Interior’s orphaned well program advances the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious environmental justice goals through the Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

1,234 Conventional Well Abandonment Violations

So far in 2024, DEP issued 722 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells.  Read more here.

In 2023, DEP issued 512 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells.  Read more here.

Visit DEP’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act webpage for more on how this funding is being invested to plug abandoned conventional oil and gas wells.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Aug. 31 to Sept. 6 - Mystery Oil Leak Into Allegheny River; Holes In Shale Gas Casing; 65 Days Late In Plugging Conventional Well  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 7 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 48 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 7 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- DEP Permitting Efficiency: 20,595 Permits Since 11/2023; Decisions On 16,745;  Zero  Currently Eligible For PAyback Did Not Meet Decision Deadlines; No Application Fees Refunded [9.6.24]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Abandoned Well Citizen Expert Laurie Barr, University Of Pennsylvania Prof. Jennifer Wilcox Recognized On The Grist 50 List [PaEN]

-- Sen. Comitta: New PUC Pipeline Safety Regulations To Be Published As Final This Month For Public Utility Hazardous Liquid Pipelines  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: CNX Resources Claims Shale Gas Drilling Poses No Public Health Risks Are ‘Misleading, Irresponsible, Dangerous’  [PaEN]

-- Cecil Township Proposes 2,500 Foot Setback Ordinance From Oil & Gas Infrastructure For Sept. 4 Hearing In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Sept. 24 Program In Washington County On Increasing Setbacks From Oil & Gas Infrastructure  [PaEN]

-- US Dept. Of Interior Approves $76.4 Million To Plug Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Pennsylvania; 1,234 Violations For Abandoning Conventional Wells In Last 20 Months  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund, Moms Clean Air Force To Hold Public Meetings In 3 Northwest PA Counties On A Project To Test New Methods Of Locating Abandoned Conventional Oil, Gas Wells  [PaEN]

-- Source Of 19-Day-Old Oil Discharge Into Allegheny River In Venango County Still A Mystery; Recreators Asked To Avoid The Area  [PaEN]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Dropped 2 More Last Week To 16; Nearly 25% Drop In 2 Weeks

-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Workload Report shows during the week ending August 30, DEP received Zero new permit applications for conventional wells and Three new permit applications for shale gas wells.

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2nd Quarter PA Natural Gas Production Dropped To Lowest Level Since 2020; Number Of PA Drilling Rigs Drop By Nearly 25% In 2 Weeks As A Result Of Drillers Trying To Raise The Price Of Gas  [PaEN]

-- Center for Coalfield Justice Blog: Update On Underground Longwall Coal Mining In Greene, Washington Counties; Next DEP Report On Longwall Impacts Due… Soon  [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Comments On Accelerated Removal, Replacement Of Older Plastic Pipe In Natural Gas Distribution Systems  [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week:

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA To Receive $76 Million To Plug Hundreds Of Abandoned Conventional Oil, Gas Wells; DEP Holds Workshops On New Plugging Grants

-- Earthworks: Radically Misleading - Gov. Shapiro’s Dangerous Partnership With CNX Resources Nurts Communities, Ignores The Facts

-- Inquirer - Will Bunch: Everything You Know From TV About Pennsylvania And Fracking Is Wrong

-- Reuters: Anadarko, Other Natural Gas Companies Defeat Federal Lawsuit In PA Over Royalty Payments

-- Marcellus Drilling News: UGI Seeks To Temporarily Store LNG Gas In Trailers In Scranton Suburb During Winter  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: UGI Claims Dickson City Boro Has No Jurisdiction Over Plan To Store LNG Gas In Trailers

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Erie Manufacturer & Business Assn. Questions Biden’s Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities [Court Ended Pause July 1; PA Shale Gas Desperate To Sell Gas To Our Competitor China To Support Their Economy, Will That Help PA Manufacturing? ]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Energy And Labor Are Both Needed To Power PA’s Future - By Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition & PA State Building Trades Union  PA Shale Gas Desperate To Sell Gas To Our Competitor China To Support Their Economy, Will That Help PA Manufacturing?]

-- US EIA: North America’s LNG Gas Export Capacity On Track To More Than Double By 2028

-- Utility Dive: Ratepayer Advocates Urge PJM To Include Power Plants With ‘Reliability-Must-Run’ Contracts In Next Electricity Auction; Would Have Lowered Overall Cost Of Last Auction By $5 Billion

-- Utility Dive: Reregulation?  How Utilities And States Are Responding To PJM’s Record Electricity Capacity Prices [Part 1 of 3]

-- Utility Dive: PJM Considers Fast-Track Review For Shovel-Ready Electric Generation Projects [Part 2 of 3]

-- Utility Dive: Increasing Capacity Of Existing Generation, Batteries, Demand Response May Offer Near-Term Responses To Record PJM Electricity Auction Prices [Part 3 of 3]

-- Bloomberg: High Natural Gas, Other Fossil Fuel Use Highlights US Challenge To Clean Energy Transition

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Approach Oversold Zone After 3-Day Sell-Off

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Export Dominance Tested As Europe’s Demand Wilts

-- Reuters: US Regulators OK First Step To Start New Louisiana LNG Gas Export Facility

-- Bloomberg: DOE Approves New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Export Facility In Mexico

-- US EIA: North America’s LNG Gas Export Capacity On Track To More Than Double By 2028

-- The Guardian: How An LNG As Export Facility Project Along The Gulf Coast Is Upending Residents’ Lives

[Posted: September 3, 2024]

9/9/2024