WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania has at least 8,000 documented “orphan wells,” and millions of Americans live within just one mile from an abandoned coal mine or an orphaned oil and gas well.

Therefore, US Senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., are announcing an investment of $5,527,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to plug 48 old oil and gas wells in the Allegheny National Forest. This funding, bolstered by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will spur economic growth by creating good-paying, union jobs and protecting the beauty and natural resources of the Allegheny National Forest for Pennsylvanians and tourists for generations to come.

“For too long, methane emissions from orphan wells have polluted Pennsylvania’s air and water and endangered one of our greatest natural resources, the Allegheny National Forest,” Senator Casey said. “Thanks to the infrastructure law, Pennsylvania can not only clean up these environmental hazards but stimulate the region’s economy by creating good-paying jobs.”

The Orphaned Wells Program, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address legacy pollution, including methane emissions and water contamination, is part of a larger strategy to ensure clean air and water for future generations of Americans and address employment challenges in energy communities nationwide.

“Everyone deserves clean air and clean water, and the funding from this program will help us get there,” Senator Fetterman said. “The Allegheny National Forest is a Pennsylvania treasure, and I am proud that this investment, in large part from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, will help keep it that way.”