“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”
John F. Kennedy
This week I learned something absolutely bonkers, and I thought you might want to know about it too. There are over 3 million “orphaned” oil wells in the United States. These are once-active wells that ran dry, then were simply deserted. Many are releasing cancer-causing chemicals like benzene and arsenic into the air, ground, or water, and putting people and wildlife at risk.
Clearly this isn’t a good situation, but are you wondering how it relates to climate change? Well, as it turns out, orphaned wells also release methane, a potent heat-trapping gas. Stopping methane leaks (from wells and other sources) is a low hanging fruit among climate solutions. We have the technology to both identify and plug the leaks. But, like many things, the problem comes down to funding.
If you’re like me, your first question might be: Why don’t the oil companies have to pay to plug the wells themselves? By law, they do. But with many of these wells, there is no known owner, so no one to hold accountable. With other abandoned wells, the owners are known, but the companies may be bankrupt or just choose not to plug them.
Most of the time, the cost of capping wells falls on the states, and ultimately, taxpayers. Someone please make this make sense. Government agencies are working to tackle the problem. Congress allocated around $5 billion through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021, but the clean-up will take multiple times that amount.
On a positive note, several nonprofits are working on solutions. For example, an organization called Well Done Foundation helps plug orphan wells like one in Erie, PA that was emitting high levels of methane less than 15 feet from people’s homes! Another called The Orphan Well Collaborative brings groups together to work on solutions, and to prevent more orphaned wells down the road. The Environmental Defense Fund is also playing a big role.
What can we do?
- Find out if you or anyone you know lives near an orphaned well
- Talk about this problem with friends
- Read more about organizations working on the problem
- Ask your state and local officials to prioritize plugging wells in your area
This seems like a problem worth solving; and the solution is simple. Not only will plugging orphaned oil wells improve the health of millions of Americans, but it will also help bring down the temperature. Win-win.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.