WASHINGTON — On Friday, House Agriculture Chairman U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., lauded the Department of the Interior’s actions of updating guidelines for federal programs that plug abandoned oil and gas wells.

“Following ongoing advocacy, through legislation, such as the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act of 2025, I am pleased that President Trump and Department of the Interior Secretary (Doug) Burgum have taken swift action to address the bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the previous Administration,” Thompson said.

“By allowing states to use their own discretion in identifying and plugging orphaned wells, the department is optimizing its resources and delivering on President Trump’s promise to reduce federal overregulation and unleash American energy,” the congressman continued.
“According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, there are 27,230 documented abandoned and orphan oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth.

“These wells, either unplugged or improperly plugged, can pose serious environmental threats to surrounding communities such as water contamination, methane emission, and introducing pollutants to the local ecosystem. Unfortunately, the regulatory burdens placed on states has been preventing them from taking swift action to plug orphaned wells and ultimately protect their communities.”

Thompson continued, “Pennsylvania’s oil and gas sites ushered in the modern petroleum industry, which helped lead the United States to become a global power and energy producer. Now, we must ensure these sites are properly and safely restored and I am looking forward to working with my House colleagues and the Administration to plug more wells and protect more communities.”