"Legacy Pollution" To Be Cleaned Up In Seven National Parks

By Compiled From N... - May 29th, 2022

Nearly $10 million will be spent to clean up abandoned oil well sites across seven national parks/NPS file

Nearly $10 million will be spent to clean up abandoned oil well sites across seven national parks, including this one at Channel Islands National Park/NPS file

Nearly $10 million will be spent to plug, remediate, and reclaim abandoned oil and gas well sites in seven national parks. Overall, bureaus within the Interior and Agriculture departments will address 277 high-priority wells that pose threats to human health and safety, the climate, wildlife and natural resources.

“Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enables us to tackle legacy pollution issues caused by past extraction activities in national parks,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “Closing and reclaiming abandoned oil and gas wells will alleviate these environmental hazards that jeopardize health and safety by contaminating groundwater, emitting noxious gases, and littering the landscape.”

The National Park Service estimates that between 150 and 180 wells in parks are abandoned or orphaned and need to be plugged and reclaimed. Following are the projects funded this year.

California

Channel Islands National Park: Plug and restore a well.

Louisiana

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: Plug and reclaim 10 wells located in waterways to remove navigation and safety hazards.

Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Plug and restore three wells.

Texas

Big Thicket National Preserve: Plug six wells and reclaim a site.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Plug a well and reclaim the site.

Utah

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Inventory and assess multiple wells in the park for future closures.

West Virginia

Gauley River National Recreation Area: Plug a well and reclaim the site.

This allocation is part of $250 million provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up orphaned wells and well sites on federal public lands, including national parks, national wildlife refuges and national forests. Fiscal Year 2022 funding will be distributed to four agencies for work in nine states: the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA Forest Service. The agencies are expected to immediately begin the process to acquire plugging and reclamation services through contracts and grants.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a $1  trillion investment in America’s infrastructure that will rebuild America’s roads  and  bridges, tackle the climate crisis, and  advance environmental justice. This  infusion of funds is expected to make meaningful progress addressing environmental and infrastructure concerns in national parks, including wildland fire safety/restoration efforts, climate crisis intervention, legacy pollution eradication, and clean energy enhancements.

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