The wells aren’t just found in the countryside, but in backyards, beneath parking lots, near schools and under roads.
Courtesy of Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesCLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been busy letting contracts to plug orphan oil and gas wells across the state in recent years, including a number in Cuyahoga County, and business should pick up even more with a shot of federal money on the way.
The U.S. Department of Interior recently announced that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide billions of dollars in grants to plug wells across the country. As a result, Ohio could see a sizeable chunk of that money, which when coupled with state funds, could mean up to $634 million to plug orphan wells through 2035, according to the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management.
And that’s welcome news to advocates for a safer and cleaner environment, including the Ohio Environmental Council. If a well presents an immediate risk, perhaps due to a strong leak of oil and gas, it will be plugged on an emergency basis, Schroeder said. Otherwise, the wells are graded and prioritized, with some in close proximity to each other lumped together in a single contract.
Most of the wells will be vertical wells with openings probably 5 to 8 inches wide, he said. “Even a child couldn’t fall into it.”
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