Pennsylvania Legacies

Nobody knows exactly how many orphaned oil and gas wells dot the Pennsylvania landscape, but even conservative estimates put the number well into the hundreds of thousands. Every day these defunct facilities remain unplugged, they’re emitting greenhouse gases, contaminating groundwater, and compromising air quality. Their owners are nowhere to be found, leaving the Commonwealth holding the bag and largely unable to meet the costs of remediation. The recently introduced REGROW Act would provide billions of federal dollars for orphan well cleanup across the U.S. What would it mean for Pennsylvania? Analysis from Adam Peltz, Senior Attorney with Environmental Defense Fund.