States that receive federal grants to clean up abandoned "orphan" oil and gas wells would no longer be required to measure methane emissions as a condition of getting that money. Right now, some states have struggled with the cost and logistics of emissions monitoring, which can slow down the actual plugging work. The bill also directs the National Academies of Sciences to study whether the cleanup program is boosting local housing values and economic development in areas with lots of abandoned wells. The study would cover at least one state from each U.S. region and report its findings to Congress.
Environmental Concerns
- Methane-emissions monitoring requirement — Made optional as a condition of orphan-well grant eligibility
- Pre- and post-plugging emissions data collection — Optional, not required, under amended Section 349
Transparency & Accountability
- National Academies study — Mandated within 18 months on community impact of orphaned-well grant program, with at least one state per region
Congressional Summary
This bill removes certain requirements, including measuring methane emissions, for grants to states under the State Orphaned Wells Program.Under the program, the Department of the Interior provides grants to states for the following purposes: (1) plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned wells located on federal land; (2) identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned wells; (3) measuring and tracking emissions of gases (e.g., methane) or contamination of water associated with orphaned wells; or (4) conducting certain other related activities. Generally, orphaned wells are oil and gas wells without solvent owners or operators responsible for cleaning up leaks from the wells. In 2024, Interior issued guidance for the grant program that requires states to conduct certain measuring and tracking activities related to the orphaned wells before and after receiving grants. However, the bill specifies that states are not required to provide such information in order to receive a grant. Instead, the bill makes measuring and tracking optional.The bill also directs Interior to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the effect of the plugging and remediation activity on economic development, housing trends, and other potential benefits in areas where the plugging and remediation activity reclaimed a high number of well sites.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-02-11
- Date Added
- 2026-03-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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