New federal office will help tackle Louisiana's massive 'orphan' oil well problem
Jan. 17—The federal government is establishing an office dedicated to cleaning up abandoned oil and gas sites, a move that
"We are making a historic investment to tackle legacy pollution — the largest in American history," Interior Secretary
The rusty remnants of the oil and gas industry's boom years litter the state. The
Sites are classified as "orphaned" when wells are no longer used and their operators have gone bankrupt, can't be located, or are unable or unwilling to maintain their sites.
Orphan wells often leak oil into soil and waterways. They also emit methane, a pollutant that harms air quality and contributes to climate change.
Late last year, the
The new federal office will likely make well-plugging efforts in
"Anything that helps the federal government manage and use these funds is a bonus for our state and every state,"
Some critics say the federal government should be holding oil and gas companies financially responsible for abandoned wells rather than taxpayers. But the ownership of many old wells is hard to trace or the companies on file no longer exist.
The orphan well office will be led by
Davis will oversee seven employees, but that number will likely grow later this year, an Interior spokesperson said. The office's budget hasn't been established yet. It's unclear if it will exist after the initial infusion of
Interior plans to spend most of the money on well plugging on state and private lands. About
Almost
Feds to plug dozens of old, leaky oil wells in these havens for
Satellites can now catch small but 'nefarious' methane emissions from offshore oil platforms
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