Federal funding of $25 million authorized by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will allow West Virginia to remedy 160 orphaned oil and gas wells, said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Aug. 26.
“When we crafted the bipartisan infrastructure law, addressing abandoned wells scattered throughout our nation and in West Virginia was an important priority,” said Sen. Capito. “It takes key investments to help local communities meet the challenges posed by these orphaned wells, and that’s exactly what this will provide.”
The state’s portion of funds are part of the initial national award of $560 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior to address and clean up orphaned oil and gas wells on federal lands across the United States, according to the senator’s office. The IIJA in total will provide $4.7 billion to address orphaned wells via grants to states and new federal programs.
The projects are expected to help reduce methane emissions, clean up the environment and help reinvigorate communities across the state, Sen. Capito said.
“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,” she added.
According to information provided by Sen. Capito’s office, millions of Americans live within a mile of hundreds of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells. In her home state, there are at least 4,646 documented orphan wells that will be eligible for funding under the federal initiative, which will help address pollution, create safer and more inhabitable communities, and drive new economic opportunities.
“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,” said U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).