Orphaned No More: Federal Oil and Gas Well Reclamation
States across the country face a backlog of orphaned oil and gas wells, which can continue to emit methane and other pollutants if left unaddressed or improperly sealed. However, the costs of plugging and reclaiming oil and gas well sites often exceeds the amount available for reclamation. Further, many older wells have long been abandoned, and their owners no longer exist. It is often unclear who can or should be responsible for paying the plugging and reclamation costs. Recognizing these challenges, Congress included $4.7 billion for orphaned well plugging, remediation and restoration in the federal infrastructure bill. This webinar will educate state legislators on this new program, how their states can obtain funding and their options for directing these funds to meet their states’ needs and reclamation priorities.
Moderator:
• Aaron Ray, associate director,National Conference of State Legislatiures
Speakers:
• Dave Andrews, orphan well program manager, Colorado Department of Natural Resources - Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
• Sarah Solomon, senior program associate, AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues
• Steve Tryon, director, office of environmental policy and compliance, Department of the Interior
• Steve Feldgus, deputy assistant secretary, land and minerals management, Department of the Interior
👉 Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee 2022 Spring Webinar Series:
https://www.ncsl.org/ncsl-in-dc/stand...
📌 Discover more at NCSL.org:
https://www.ncsl.org/