$25 million infrastructure funds set to plug 'orphan' wells in state

Aug. 27—West Virginia will receive $25 million to plug, remediate and reclaim 160 orphaned wells throughout the state.

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., made the announcement Friday.

The funding was made possible by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through the Department of the Interior.

These are orphan oil and gas wells that have been abandoned by companies over the years.

"I'm pleased the Department of the Interior is continuing to effectively implement my bipartisan infrastructure law by announcing this additional funding for orphaned well clean-up projects, including 160 wells across West Virginia," Manchin said. "These projects will ensure West Virginia's hardworking communities can remain safe and healthy for future generations, while also bringing new economic opportunities and creating good-paying jobs for our communities. I look forward to seeing West Virginia move quickly to utilize these funds and, as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to ensure communities across the Mountain State can rebuild and succeed once again."

Capito said the orphan wells program was a priority.

"When we crafted the bipartisan infrastructure law, addressing abandoned wells scattered throughout our nation and in West Virginia was an important priority," she said in the announcement. "It takes key investments to help local communities meet the challenges posed by these orphaned wells, and that's exactly what this will provide. In this round of funding alone, our state will be able to plug and begin to remediate 160 wells, which will have a major impact in nearly every corner of our state."

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $4.7 billion to plug, remediate and reclaim orphaned wells via grants to the states and new federal programs. This is the first round of funding.

According to the announcement, in West Virginia, these grants will help the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure that state and local priorities are addressed, while employing local oil and gas workers.

"Millions of Americans live within a mile of hundreds of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells and there are at least 4,646 documented orphan wells in West Virginia alone that will be eligible for funding under this initiative," the announcement said. "These wells jeopardize public health and safety by contaminating groundwater, seeping toxic chemicals, emitting harmful pollutants including methane, and harming wildlife. In addition to creating good-paying jobs addressing this pollution, these investments create safer and more inhabitable communities and drive new economic opportunities."

According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), most of the wells are located in the northwestern and western part of the state, with several in the Mingo, Wyoming and McDowell counties area.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com