More than $4.7 billion was made available for the clean up of orphaned oil and gas wells across the country through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed late last year.
Now the Department of Interior has released a draft guidance providing information and instructions on how individual states can apply for the first round of $775 million in grant funding.
“We are committed to getting these funds to states and communities as quickly as possible to confront legacy pollution and long-standing environmental injustices that have been allowed to fester for far too long,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland remarked in a statement.
According to Interior Department officials, the guidance is designed to allow states to launch their individual remediation projects, providing detailed information about the location of the wells to be eradicated, their condition, and actual clean-up plans.
Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are all eligible for up to $25 million in grant funding under the program.
According to the Washington-based Environmental Defense Fund there are currently more than 81,000 documented orphaned oil and gas wells in some 28 states. Those wells are particularly abundant in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, with concentrations in Colorado and New Mexico.
According to sources, the wells are almost everywhere, contaminating nearby backyards, parks and public spaces.
State responses to the Energy Department well project guidance announcement have a deadline of March 30.
By Garry Boulard
