This week, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) announced the reintroduction of the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (AWRRDA) to identify and plug orphaned gas and oil wells, which can leak harmful pollution, contaminate groundwater, and threaten public health and safety. Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives. 

The AWRRDA builds on programs currently in place as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support the Department of Energy’s efforts to more precisely detect wells and associated emissions, efficiently and sustainably plug or create alternative uses for abandoned wells, and better understand the impacts of wells on groundwater quality. 

In response to the reintroduced legislation, EEN President & CEO Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman released the following statement: 

“Abandoned wells threaten the health and lives of all God’s children, from our children–both born and unborn–to our elders. Abandoned and orphaned wells spew methane, volatile organic compounds, carcinogenic benzene, arsenic, and toxic metals like barium into our air, water, and soils. We thank Senators Cramer (R-N.D.) and  Luján (D-N.M.) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) for introducing the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (AWRRDA) in the Senate and House. This critical legislation will continue the work begun in the IIJA to address these legacy health threats by creating good paying jobs to find and identify more abandoned wells for clean up.”