Kentucky is one of 21 states eligible to share in the availability of $775 million in the phase 2 round of funding through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells and well sites.
These resources, of which over $1 billion was distributed in phase 1, have been creating good-paying jobs, catalyzing economic growth, eliminating harmful methane leaks, and reducing environmental and public health risks to surface water and groundwater resources critical to U.S. communities and ecosystems.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is enabling us to confront long-standing environmental injustices by making a historic investment to plug orphaned wells throughout the country,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “These investments are good for our climate, for the health of our communities, and for American workers. With this third round of additional funding, states will put more people to work to clean up these toxic sites, reduce methane emissions and safeguard our environment.”
Kentucky, which has total grant eligibility of nearly $79 million, can receive $35 million in the latest phase of funding. There are more than 14,000 orphaned oil and gas wells in the state.
Orphaned oil and gas wells are polluting backyards, recreation areas, and community spaces across the country. Many of these wells pose serious health and safety threats by contaminating surface and groundwater, releasing toxic air pollutants, and leaking methane – a “super pollutant” that is a significant cause of climate change and many times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Plugging orphaned wells supports broader Biden-Harris administration efforts under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. This effort also advances the President’s Justice40 Initiative that sets a goal to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The 21 states eligible to apply for a Phase 2 formula grant have until December 13, 2024, to submit applications. Additional phases of funding will be available in the future.
