The Department of the Interior (DOI) will provide $30.6 million to Arkansas and Louisiana to clean up legacy pollution sources.
Orphaned oil and gas wells pose serious health and safety risks to communities across the nation, leaching contaminants and toxic air pollutants into the atmosphere and water sources. These legacy pollutants affect backyards, recreation areas, communal spaces and are heavy contributors to climate change. Methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide, leaks from these orphaned wells at an alarming rate.
Louisiana will receive $25 million to plug and reclaim around 540 orphaned oil and gas wells. Arkansas will use $5.6 million for similar work across 274 sites. To date, Louisiana has plugged more than 540 wells and Arkansas has remediated 57.
The funds come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) as part of the first phase of formula grant funding to remediate legacy pollution issues. The BIL has delivered nearly $150 million to federal land managers to plug, remediate and restore orphaned wells on public lands and waters.
The BIL has also awarded around $40 million to Tribal communities for similar work. Tribes can now apply for up to $55 million for the next phase of treating orphaned well pollution.