The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Allegheny National Forest, is accepting public comments on a proposal to plug eighteen orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells in Mead Township, Warren County.
If approved, the wells would be plugged to standard by contractors hired by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The wells selected for plugging have been orphaned or abandoned by the original developers. Since no individuals or corporations responsible for the wells have been identified, the USDA Forest Service has entered into a cooperative Good Neighbor agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to fund well plugging operations. Existing road corridors requiring minimal improvements and vegetation clearing may be required to access the wells proposed to be plugged.
“We’re happy to announce what we hope is the first of many collaborative projects with the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Oil and Gas Management, to restore sites occupied by orphaned and abandoned wells on the Allegheny National Forest,” said District Ranger Rich Hatfield. “Good Neighbor agreements, like this one, allow us to work across boundaries by combining the Department of Environmental Protection’s knowledge of well-plugging and site remediation with the Federal funding and knowledge of land management provided by the USDA Forest Service. We greatly appreciate the Department of Environmental Protection’s support, and look forward to working together in the future.”
Comments are most helpful if received by July 24, 2021, and may be submitted by email to comments-eastern-allegheny-bradford@usda.gov. For additional information, or to submit comments by telephone or regular mail, please contact Rich Hatfield, Bradford District Ranger, Allegheny National Forest, 29 Forest Service Drive, Bradford, Pennsylvania, 16701. Phone: 814-363-6000. Email: richard.hatfield@usda.gov.
