WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Chris Deluzio, R-Pa., introduced the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act, designed to empower states to maximize their operational flexibility when plugging abandoned oil wells.

These wells, either unplugged or improperly plugged, can pose concerns such as water contamination, methane emission, or the introduction of harmful pollutants to the local area.

The bill will remove burdens on state agencies regarding certain testing procedures, which will maximize the use of federal funds and lead to more wells being plugged. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, there are 27,230 documented, abandoned, and orphaned oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth.

“Pennsylvania is the birthplace of the petroleum industry, which helped establish the United States and the Commonwealth as global energy leaders,” said Thompson. “Now, it’s essential to ensure these legacy sites are safely and properly restored. The Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act will cut red tape, speed up environmental restoration, and protect communities throughout oil and gas-producing regions.”

Deluzio agreed.

“The Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act is a common-sense, bipartisan way to streamline the cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells that endanger our communities and threaten our air and water. We should be putting federal dollars to work to plug abandoned oil and gas wells faster,” he said. “Western Pennsylvania has one of the highest concentrations of abandoned wells in the country — including at least 25 in Beaver County and 219 in Allegheny County. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directed $4.7 billion to plug these wells across the country. This bill will help us pick up the pace in addressing this threat to public safety, our health, and peoples’ livelihoods.”