Rep. Martin Causer, R-Cameron/McKean/Potter, speaks on behalf of House Bill 2644 on the House of Representatives’ floor on Monday.

Two pieces of legislation dealing with oil and gas well plugging have passed the state House of Representatives.

House Bill 2644, sponsored by Rep. Martin Causer, R-Cameron/McKean/Potter, passed the House 109-91 and would help increase the number of orphan wells being plugged. Later in the day’s votes, House Bill 2528, sponsored by Rep. Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana, passed by a 122-78 vote. Struzzi’s legislation would allow any Pennsylvania company to bid for a contract DEP awards for plugging oil and gas wells, regardless of the size of the company.

While a majority of the federal funds would go into DEP’s existing program, House Bill 2644 would also require the agency to create a new initiative to provide grants to experienced well-plugging companies that work to maximize the volume of orphan wells being plugged in the Commonwealth.

Roughly 60 abandoned oil and gas wells were plugged on the Cornplanter State Forest last year. There are still at least 1,500 more abandoned wells in Warren County left to be capped, an enterprise that will cost millions of dollars. The federal government has set aside more than $400 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed earlier this year. The state will receive an initial $104 million and possibly receive more than $330 million in formula grants in future years.

Pennsylvania is expected to receive more orphan well funding than any other state except Texas.

“To put this into perspective you have to look back at previous years numbers as to how many wells we as a commonwealth have actually plugged,” Causer said on the House floor. “In 2021 the Department of Environmental Protection program plugged 17 wells. In 2020 they plugged 18 wells. In 2019 they plugged nine wells. In 2018, five wells. And, in 2017, five wells. As you can tell, Mr. Speaker, we’re not doing a great job plugging these wells.”

Grants of $10,000 would be awarded for plugging wells of 3,000 feet or less in depth, and grants of $20,000 would be awarded for plugging wells more than 3,000 feet deep.

The bill also would address well bonding amounts by fixing the current bonding amounts for conventional wells that are in law and making it clear the Environmental Quality Board cannot adjust these amounts by regulation.

“This legislation is an opportunity to address an issue we have been dealing with for many, many years,” Causer said. “The legislation will appropriate nearly $400 million that’s going to be coming into the state from the federal government for plugging orphaned, abandoned wells in the commonwealth. And as I said, it’s an opportunity because we have well over 200,000 orphaned wells in Pennsylvania. No one really knows for sure how many there are but there are at least 200,000.”

Struzzi’s bill works in partnership with Causer’s bill. With more money available to cap orphaned and abandoned wells, Struzzi’s bill would prioritize Pennsylvania companies when those contracts are put out for bid.

“My legislation does not rule out DEP being able to look out of state when awarding a contract if they are unable to find a qualified in-state company,” Struzzi added. “But when the department is barely hitting double digits annually in number of wells plugged and an Indiana County business tells me they were ignored when trying to bid a job, we have to look for a better way and prioritizing the Pennsylvania worker is a place to start.