Why 'Orphan' Oil And Gas Wells Are A Growing Problem For States
Stateline via HuffPo
So-called orphan oil and gas wells, which have been abandoned by defunct companies that cannot pay to plug them, are a growing problem in many states thanks to a recent slump in energy prices that has forced marginal operators out of business.
Adam Peltz, a senior attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund, said he heard officials from 10 states highlight their work on orphan wells at a spring meeting of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Its probably the issue that was raised by the most number of states.
Peltz said that dealing with orphan wells is a cyclical issue more wells become the states responsibility after a downturn but its getting worse over time, as states struggle with a backlog of wells that dates back decades.
Nobody knows how many orphan and abandoned drilling sites litter farms, forests and backyards nationwide. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are more than a million of them. Unplugged wells can leak methane, an explosive gas, into neighborhoods and leach toxins into groundwater.