D22AP00170

President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bill on November 15th, 2021, making an investment in the nation's infrastructure and economic competitiveness. This investment will rebuild America's critical infrastructure, tackle the climate crisis, address legacy polluted sites, advance environmental justice, and drive the creation of good-paying union jobs.

The bill creates an Orphaned Well Plugging and Reclamation Program within the Department of the Interior to address orphaned wells and well sites. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is applying for $25 million of funding through the Department of Interior's (DOI) large-scale initial grant. This funding will be used to plug high-priority orphaned wells posing potential threats to the environment and public health and safety.

DEC plans to use the funding provided through the initial grant to plug up to a projected 167 high-priority orphaned gas wells and reclaim the associated well sites. These wells and sites are located on state-owned or privately owned land in the following New York State counties: Cattaraugus, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Wyoming.

Well plugging involves the placement of cement at discrete depth intervals in a wellbore to seal off hydrocarbon-bearing zones and prevent the pollution of aquifers and surface waters. If left unplugged, orphaned wells can provide unimpeded conduits for oil, gas, and other fluids to migrate between different geologic formations, into aquifers, and to the land surface. Unplugged orphaned wells can also provide a potential route for subsurface methane to escape into the atmosphere, potentially contributing to increased levels of greenhouse gases.

To prioritize orphaned wells for inclusion in the well plugging program, DEC uses a scoring rubric to represent a well's potential risk to the environment and public health and safety. Once a well is located and inspected, it is scored using numeric values assigned to various aspects such as location, construction, and proximity to sensitive receptors. The component scores are then summed to establish a total score for each well. Higher-scoring wells represent greater potential threats and are therefore given higher priority for plugging.

Many of the wells proposed for plugging are leaking gas, including methane, oil, or brine, and are located near sensitive receptors such as residences or wetlands. DEC plans to use the funding provided through the initial grant to issue new contracts and/or amend existing contracts to allow for the orphaned well plugging and associated well site reclamation. DEC will obligate 90% of the received funds no later than 90 days after the date of receipt of funds.

DEC anticipates that the work associated with this orphaned well plugging program will commence in fall 2022. Through the orphaned well plugging program funded by DOI's large-scale initial grant, DEC will further conserve, improve, and protect New York's natural resources and environment. This program aims to prevent, abate, and control water, land, and air pollution in order to enhance the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being.

Department Of Environmental Conservation New York

PLUG AND REMEDIATE OR RECLAIM ORPHANED WELLS ON STATE AND PRIVATE LANDS. ENHANCE THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AND PROPERTY FROM ORPHANED WELLS ON STATES AND PRIVATE LANDS. TO IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE UNDOCUMENTED ORPHANED WELLS ON STATE AND PRIVATE LANDS REMEDIATE LAND ADJACENT TO ORPHANED WELLS AND DECOMMISSION OR REMOVE ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVE LAND HEALTH.

15.018 - Energy Community Revitalization Program (ECRP)

Interior Business Center (IBC) [DOI]

New York United States

State-Wide

D-AQD-FA-22-003

Infrastructure $25,000,000 (100%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/30/25 to 09/30/26.