PA Environment Digest Blog: Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania Could Lose $200+ Million In Federal Funding For Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Plugging Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners Under Budget Bill Passed By US House

On January 9, Laura Legere of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the US House of Representatives Thursday passed a budget bill that cut $785 million from programs to restore abandoned coal mine lands and plug abandoned oil and gas wells saying it was “a blow to Pennsylvania efforts to clean up those scars.”

If no changes are made by the US Senate, Pennsylvania could see a cut of $169 million in abandoned mine reclamation funds and a reduction of at least $24 million in funds for plugging conventional oil and gas wells abandoned by their owners.

The bill shifts the abandoned mine and well cleanup funds to programs that would primarily benefit western states: wildland fire management by the Department of the Interior and general operations for the U.S. Forest Service.

The Post-Gazette quoted DEP Press Secretary Neil Shader as saying, “Cutting federal funding for these projects will hurt Pennsylvania’s ability to continue its historic work to create jobs and protect public health and safety.”

“DEP has made significant progress plugging more than 350 orphaned and abandoned wells,” said Shader, with 227 of those wells plugged using the infrastructure law funding. Another 43 plugging projects are currently underway.

Click Here to read the full article. [PDF of Article]

Federal Funding Chaos Continues

Kurt Klapkowski, Director of DEP's Bureau of Oil and Gas Planning and Program Management, told the PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council December 4 the chaos surrounding the federal budget in 2025 had a major impact on the well plugging program.

“There's been a pretty significant hiring freeze in place given the chaos at the federal level with the budget, and then the state budget impasse this year. Our human resources department has basically locked down any hiring. So, we’ve got significant vacancies.”

“We didn’t know, honestly, six months ago if the [federal Bipartisan] Infrastructure Act was going to continue to be funded at all.”

He added-- “I feel a lot better about where we are today. I feel a lot better about the assurances that we've gotten from the federal government. This funding is not going to be cut off.” Read more here.

Obviously, there was no warning the US House would act to cut off funding for plugging wells and reclaim abandoned mines.

Resource Link:

-- Appalachian Voices: Coal Community Groups Urge Congress To Reject $500 Million Raid On Abandoned Mine Cleanup Funds; PA Would Lose Over $169 Million [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard- January 3 to 9 [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 10 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permits For Appalachia Midstream 3 Mile Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline In Lycoming County; And A 2nd Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline In Bradford County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Water Quality Permits For The Appalachia To Market 3 Pipeline Project In Adams, York, Bedford Counties; 3 Other Natural Gas Pipeline Projects In Greene And Washington Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 65 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 10 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Consent Decree Covering Wastewater Discharges To Continue Operation Of The Keystone And Conemaugh Coal-Fired Power Plants In Indiana And Armstrong Counties [PaEN]