Funding may soon become available to advance DEP's efforts to plug the many orphan and abandoned wells that exist in Pennsylvania. In anticipation of its arrival, DEP is building a database of suppliers and contractors who would be interested and available to mobilize in the event the agency’s plugging program experiences a significant budget increase.
Specifically, our DEP Oil & Gas Team recently posted an electronic survey aimed at gathering information from existing and prospective plugging contractors and service companies/consultants working in the Northern Appalachian Basin. The information gathered in the survey is intended to serve as a planning resource for effective coordination among stakeholders during plugging. For emphasis: this is NOT just a survey for well plugging contractors, but also those companies who might provide any of the numerous support and management services tied to large-scale plugging efforts. This is especially important considering that draft legislation at the federal level includes provisions for reporting environmental impacts (emissions and otherwise) being addressed through plugging and site reclamation and large-scale plugging might also require a different approach for erosion and sediment (E&S) control and data management, among other support services.
For this reason, DEP would greatly appreciate interested firms complete the survey accessed through the link below. The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete and will assist DEP in assessing your interest, availability and ability to perform plugging and plugging support work.
