Environment

US Department of Interior Releases Draft Guidance for New Orphaned Well Program

The DOI guidance explains how states can apply for the first $775 million in grant funding available this year under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create jobs cleaning up polluted and unsafe orphaned oil and gas wellsites across the country.

Oil industry: Abandoned wellhead
The guidance provides instructions to states on how to apply for initial orphaned well grants of up to $25 million of the first $775 million in grant funding available this year. The law provides a total of $4.7 billion to address orphaned wells across the country.
Credit: Getty Images.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) released draft guidance to explain to states how to apply for the first $775 million in grant funding available this year under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create jobs cleaning up polluted and unsafe orphaned oil and gas wellsites across the country. The law provides a total of $4.7 billion to address orphaned wells across the country.

“The Department of the Interior is moving quickly to implement President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are committed to getting these funds to states and communities as quickly as possible to confront legacy pollution and longstanding environmental injustices that have been allowed to fester for far too long,” said DOI Secretary Deb Haaland. “With so many communities looking forward to this program, we are eager to hear from diverse voices to review and provide feedback on this draft guidance.”

The draft guidance provides instructions to states on how to apply for initial orphaned well grants of up to $25 million and guidance on how states can ensure that activities funded under the program are putting people to work, protecting the environment, and investing in disadvantaged communities consistent with the Justice 40 Initiative.

States will also be eligible for formula and performance grants. Guidance for those applications will be informed by comments received on the initial grants draft guidance and will be released later.

Comments on the guidance can be emailed to orphanedwells@ios.doi.gov by 11:59 PM PT on 30 March. The DOI will host two public comment webinars on the guidance, one focused on industry and labor equities in the guidance on 23 March 2:00 PM ET and another focused on environmental justice equities on 24 March at 4:00 PM ET. These webinars will be open to the public, pending registration.