Biden-Harris Administration Announces $64M To Address Legacy Pollution On Federal Lands And Waters, Create Good-Paying Jobs Through Investing In America Agenda

Funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will clean up over 300 orphaned oil and gas well sites nationwide

The Department of the Interior today announced a $63.8M investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to put people to work plugging and remediating orphaned oil and gas well sites located in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and on other public lands and waters. Methane pollution from many of these unplugged wells is a serious safety hazard and is a significant driver of climate change, with methane being more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

This year’s funding to five federal bureaus at the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture is part of an overall historic $16B investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution across the nation that will create good-paying union jobs, catalyze economic growth and revitalization, improve public safety, and reduce harmful methane leaks.

“Decades of drilling have left behind thousands of non-producing wells that now threaten the health and wellbeing of our communities, our lands, and our waters,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are investing in the nation’s future by addressing legacy pollution on public lands. This funding will put Americans to work in good-paying jobs, while also fueling collaboration across a broad coalition of stakeholders and engaging communities to work toward sustainable stewardship of the nation’s treasured lands and waters.”

Today's allocation is part of a total of $250M provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up orphaned well sites on federal public lands. This year’s funding nearly doubles the investment in reclamation efforts during the program’s first year, expanding existing projects and undertaking new initiatives from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Circle.

In addition to these projects led by federal bureaus, $560M in initial grants was awarded to states last year to address orphaned oil and gas wells on state and private lands as part of this historic economic and environmental investment.

FY23 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Federal Orphaned Well Projects by State:

^*Includes both well-plugging projects and projects consisting of only post-plugging activities (e.g., reclamation, remediation, equipment removal, inventory)

^**Projects consist of only pre-plugging or post-plugging activities (e.g., access, diagnostics, inventory, reclamation, remediation, equipment removal)

About the U.S. Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior (DOI) conserves and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the Nation’s trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities to help them prosper.