The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021, has been a significant boon for the plugging of orphaned wells in West Virginia.
The IIJA allocates substantial federal funding to address environmental and safety concerns associated with these orphaned oil and gas wells. With thousands of such
wells in the state, the IIJA’s financial support is crucial for ramping up remediation efforts.
The OOG has been a key beneficiary of the IIJA funds. These resources have enabled the OOG to identify, prioritize, and plug orphaned wells more efficiently. The
influx of federal dollars has facilitated the hiring of additional personnel, the procurement of necessary equipment, and the contracting of specialized services
to carry out well-plugging operations.
One of the primary goals of the IIJA funding is to mitigate environmental hazards, such as surface or groundwater contamination and methane emissions, which pose
environmental and safety risks. Beginning in 2023 and extending until at least 2030, it is expected that IIJA funding will result in the plugging of 1200 orphaned wells.
For more information about IIJA-funded plugging projects, click here.