The Interior Department and other federal and multi-state bodies will collaborate to plug and remediate abandoned oil and gas wells. The working group headquartered at the Bureau of Land Management within DOI includes EPA, DOE, USDA, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and will facilitate the ranking and tracking of orphan well cleanup operations. The unknown number — but likely millions — of abandoned oil and gas wells (“orphaned” by their owners and operators) release substantial amounts of heat-trapping methane and other pollutants into soil, groundwater, and the atmosphere. (E&E News)
