D23AP00232

Program: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Sec. 40601 Orphaned Well Tribal Program Award

Purpose: Funding through the program may be utilized to plug, remediate, or reclaim orphaned wells on tribal land, restore soil and habitat in the degraded area, decommission or remove associated infrastructure, identify and characterize additional undocumented wells on tribal land, and set up well-plugging capacity where not already established.

Section 40601(d) of the BIL creates an Orphaned Well Site Plugging, Remediation, and Reclamation Grant Program within the Department of Interior to address orphaned wells and well sites on tribal lands.

Activities to be performed: This grant funds the Otoe-Missouria Tribe to perform the following activities:

- Plug, remediate, or reclaim an orphaned well on tribal land.
- Remediate soil and restore habitat that has been due to the presence of orphaned wells or associated pipelines, facilities, or infrastructure on tribal land.
- Remediate tribal land adjacent to orphaned wells and decommission or remove associated pipelines, facilities, and infrastructure.
- Provide an accounting of the cost of plugging, remediation, and reclamation for each orphaned well site on tribal land.
- Identify and characterize undocumented orphaned wells on tribal land and develop or administer a tribal program to carry out any activities described in this section.

Activities funded by this grant must comply with the Uniform Guidance for Grants and Agreements (2 CFR 200) and BIL and include all costs necessary to conduct the approved project, such as equipment and contracted services, to manage the funded project.

Expected deliverables or outcomes:
1. Decrease the amount of methane emissions from orphaned wells.
2. Document the methods and challenges of measuring, modeling, and measuring methane emissions from orphaned wells.
3. Enhance the protection of public health, safety, and property from adverse effects of oil drilling practices from orphaned wells on tribal lands.
4. Restore land and water resources, the environment, and property from oil drilling activities, facilities, and associated pipelines from orphaned wells on tribal lands.
5. Remediate and restore land and water resources and the environment previously degraded by the adverse effects of oil and gas production and drilling, including measures for the conservation and development of soil, water, woodland, fish and wildlife, recreation resources, and agricultural productivity.
6. Create an accurate inventory and database of orphaned wells located on tribal lands and those of tribal members.

Intended beneficiaries: The general public benefits directly and indirectly from the proposed project that addresses long overdue infrastructure and environmental improvements to strengthen our resilience to the changing climate and mitigate the effects of legacy pollution. This investment on tribal lands across the country will grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. Information and data collected by this project will be made available as applicable.

Subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): N/A

Otoe-Missouria Tribe

REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS FROM ORPHANED WELL SITES ON TRIBAL LANDS. MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OF LEGACY POLLUTION WITHIN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE OMB POLICY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS DOES NOT APPLY TO MANDATORY AWARDS.

15.018 - Energy Community Revitalization Program (ECRP)

Interior Business Center (IBC) [DOI]

Noble, Oklahoma United States

County-Wide

D-AQD-FA-23-002

Infrastructure $4,642,620 (100%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.