Contact: DKC News, MomsCleanAirForce@dkcnews.com
PITTSBURGH, PA– Moms Clean Air Force joined Governor Josh Shapiro and state environmental leaders earlier today to celebrate the plugging of the 300th orphaned or abandoned oil and gas well in Pennsylvania over the last two years. This marked 100 wells plugged in one year and more wells under Governor Shapiro than over the previous 10 years combined. The project was funded by federal infrastructure dollars from the Department of Energy. If the federal funding for PA’s well plugging program continues, the Shapiro administration is poised to plug hundreds more wells in the years to come.
In response, Moms Clean Air Force staff and organizers released the following statements:
“There are an estimated 300,000 to 700,000 wells unaccounted for in Pennsylvania— the most of any state in the nation,” says National Field Director Patrice Tomcik, who is also a Pennsylvania resident. “While these wells sit and actively leak climate-warming methane and toxic chemicals into the air, they are both accelerating global warming and putting the health of vulnerable populations, including our children, at risk. From an energy security standpoint, leaving these wells to spew gas into thin air doesn’t make sense either. Thanks to the commitment of Governor Shapiro and the DEP, Pennsylvania is plugging these wells at a faster pace than ever before. While more work lies ahead, both in identifying additional orphaned wells and cleaning them up, I am hopeful that the success of this effort will continue to get support at the state and federal level.”
“My family is already exposed to air pollution from nearby fracked oil and gas wells and allowing orphaned and abandoned wells to go unplugged can compound the pollution burden,” says Pennsylvania Field Organizer Vanessa Lynch. “These wells can leak oil, gas, and other toxic chemicals near schools, homes, and in parks where our children play and the responsibility to plug them falls to our state. Thankfully there is federal infrastructure funding to help states like ours plug these wells and I am thankful that Governor Shapiro has made it a priority for his administration. My hope is that we continue to support the plugging of these orphaned and abandoned wells to protect the health and safety of our children.”
RESOURCES:
- Fact Sheet: What You Need to Know About Orphaned Wells – Moms Clean Air Force
- Unearthing Pennsylvania’s legacy of orphan and abandoned wells | EDF
- Livestream Recording: Governor Shapiro, DEP Plug 300th Well as Part of Historic Progress on Abandoned Wells