Supporting Orphan Well Grant Flexibility

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act. We all know that orphaned wells, either unplugged or improperly plugged, can pose serious environmental health risks to surrounding communities.

In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 27,000 documented abandoned and orphan oil gas wells across the State. This is not just a Pennsylvania issue, however, as abandoned wells are found across the country.

The Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act, which I introduced alongside my colleague, Congressman Deluzio from Pennsylvania, will empower States to maximize their flexibility when plugging abandoned oil wells and cut red tape to accelerate environmental rehabilitation.

We have many of the resources we need to plug these wells. It is our job to ensure they are able to be used for their intended purpose. I thank Congressman Deluzio for joining me in leading this critical effort. I encourage all my colleagues to support this legislation.

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