Luján, Cramer Announce Reintroduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Develop New Technology to Identify and Plug Orphaned Wells

Bipartisan Bill Builds on Successful Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Initiative Championed by Luján and Cramer to Clean Orphaned Wells;

Orphaned Wells Can Be Hazardous to Public Health and Safety

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) announced the reintroduction the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (AWRRDA) to identify and remediate abandoned gas and oil wells, which can leak methane, contaminate groundwater, and create community safety risks. The AWRRDA builds on Senators Luján and Cramer’s REGROW Act, which was adopted in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and put skilled energy workers back to work to plug abandoned wells. Despite the progress of the REGROW Act, methods for identifying and remediating abandoned wells are currently not well developed. Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-Pa.) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senators Luján and Cramer’s AWRRDA will authorize funding to enhance the abandoned well remediation programs currently authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by ensuring that funds are dedicated to thoroughly researched efforts that maximize benefits for affected communities and the energy sector. Specifically, the AWRRDA will support the Department of Energy’s efforts to develop:

• Technology to detect and catalog abandoned wells more rapidly and efficiently, such as remote sensors and optical gas imaging;
• Methods to more accurately quantify methane emissions and how they are affected by well age, geology and other factors;
• Processes to plug and remediate abandoned wells more efficiently, economically, and sustainably;
• Innovative alternative uses for abandoned wells, including geothermal power production or carbon dioxide storage, which will create entirely new economic sectors that leverage abandoned and hazardous infrastructure; and
• An improved understanding of abandoned well impacts on groundwater quality.

“In New Mexico and across the country, abandoned wells pose serious environmental harm and threaten the health of our communities. That’s why our REGROW Act works to cut methane emissions and lessen public health risks, but more research and development is needed to help identify the thousands of abandoned wells nationwide,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation with Senator Cramer to build upon our work in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to further develop technology to identify and plug abandoned wells to prevent public health risks, create jobs, and boost economic growth.”

“North Dakota is a leader in remediating abandoned wells,” said Senator Cramer. “Our legislation builds on the successes of REGROW and keeps the momentum going. It invests in new and innovative ways to track the problem, mitigate any damage, and hopefully prevent degradation in the future. This will help more land be returned to productive use and address safety issues.”

Full text of the bill is available here. Endorsement quotes can be found here.

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