DEP Marks Plugging 400th Conventional Oil & Gas Well Abandoned By Its Owner Under A Taxpayer Funded Program

On June 10, the Department of Environmental Protection marked the plugging of the 400th conventional oil and gas well abandoned by its owner under a taxpayer funded program-- a major milestone in the Commonwealth’s historic effort to protect public health, create jobs, and restore communities impacted by legacy oil and gas development.

Click Here for video and photos from the event. [When posted]

In the last three years, the Shapiro Administration has plugged more orphaned and abandoned conventional wells than Pennsylvania plugged in the previous eleven years combined, demonstrating Governor Shapiro’s commitment to putting state and federal funding to work cleaning up environmental hazards across the Commonwealth.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley, joined well plugging operator M&A Resources and its owner and CEO, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, alongside local leaders, environmental advocates, and high school students from Allegheny County to mark the milestone.

The 400th well was plugged in North Fayette Township under an emergency contract with Washington County-based M&A Resources. 

The well was actively leaking methane in a residential neighborhood less than a mile from West Allegheny Middle School and West Allegheny High School.

“Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania is making historic progress plugging orphaned and abandoned wells that threaten public health, communities, and the environment,” said Secretary Shirley. “By maximizing every available state and federal funding source, DEP is shrinking Pennsylvania’s inventory of orphaned and abandoned wells, creating jobs, reducing methane emissions, and helping communities reclaim land that has been impacted for generations.”

“Western Pennsylvania has a long and proud energy history. Addressing legacy wells takes commitment, resources, and experienced people on the ground doing the work. That’s why collaborations like this matter,” said Bettis. “When government and industry work together, we create jobs, support local communities, and tackle challenges that benefit everyone, and we’re proud to be part of that effort.”

Watch Facebook Reel by Bettis.

The Shapiro Administration has made plugging orphaned and abandoned conventional wells a priority because these wells can leak methane, threaten groundwater, create safety hazards, and limit opportunities for economic development and community revitalization. 

Plugging wells helps reduce emissions, protect public health, create family-sustaining jobs, and prepare land for future use.

[Nearly 20% of DEP’s 236 Oil and Gas Program staff administer the federally-funded well plugging program, the only new staff positions added to the Program in the last 10 years. Read more here.]

Governor Shapiro has directed DEP to leverage all available federal funding opportunities to accelerate well plugging efforts across Pennsylvania. The Governor marked the 100th, 200th, and 300th well plugging milestones under his Administration.

In October 2022, DEP’s well plugging work was supercharged by a $25 million Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Initial Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).

In September 2024, DEP received an additional $76.4 million from DOI through a Phase 1 Formula Grant award to continue plugging orphaned and abandoned wells. 

In March 2026, DEP received $114.6 million through a Phase 2 Formula Grant and remains eligible for additional funding through a Phase 3 Formula Grant.

In February 2025, Governor Shapiro filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful freeze of federal funding. 

Thanks to the Governor’s lawsuit and continued engagement with the Trump Administration, more than $2.1 billion in federal funding is available to help plug abandoned wells leaking toxic chemicals, prevent sinkholes, and ensure Pennsylvanians have clean drinking water.

DEP has identified more than 27,000 orphaned and abandoned wells statewide and continues prioritizing those posing the greatest risks to public health, safety, and the environment. 

[In the last three years, DEP has issued 2,318 notices of violation to conventional oil and gas well owners who continue to abandon their wells-- 258 in 2026 alone.  Read more here.]

New plugging contracts will focus on these high-priority wells, along with nearby wells, to maximize efficiency and preempt environmental threats.

Pennsylvania's long history of energy development dates to 1859, when the first commercial oil well was drilled in Titusville. 

More information about the orphan and abandoned well plugging program is available on DEP’s website: Rewriting Pennsylvania’s Legacy. 

If you know of the location of an undocumented abandoned or orphan well, you can report it to DEP on DEP’s website as well: Abandoned and Orphan Wells.

Click Here for video and photos from the event. [When posted]

Click Here for the DEP announcement.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Marks Plugging 400th Conventional Oil & Gas Well Abandoned By Its Owner Under A Taxpayer Funded Program  [PaEN]

-- PennLive: Attorney General Sunday Files Criminal Charges Against Eureka Resources For Oil & Gas Wastewater Leaks From Its Now Closed Standing Stone Facility In Wysox Twp., Bradford County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Investigation Finds CNX Gas Company LLC Shale Gas Facilities Caused The ‘Diminution’ Of 2 Private Water Supplies In Bell Twp., Westmoreland County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Frontier Natural Resources Shale Gas Driller Failed To Restore 4 Multimillion Gallon Water Impoundments, 4 Well Pads For 3,252 Days In Clinton County  [PaEN]  

-- House Committee Moves Bills To Prohibit Road Dumping Contaminated Groundwater Released By Conventional Oil & Gas Well Drilling; Setting Minimum Standards For Power Plant Community Benefit Agreements; Encouraging Native Insect Habitats  [PaEN] 

-- State Budget Brief: DEP Oil & Gas Program Enforcement & Permitting Staff Has Been Frozen For Last 10 Years, Meanwhile Drilled Shale Gas Wells Increased By Nearly 50%  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office Estimates 2025 Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee To Yield $243.9 Million, $79.3 Million More Than In 2024  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- The Street: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Bankruptcy Splits Company Into 2 Different Entities -CoreCo And BrazilCo, Records Show It Never Generated A Cent Of Positive Cash Flow [Planned PA Facilities] 

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Company Bankruptcy Reveals Financial Misstatements, Systemic Mismanagement, Operational Failures [Planned PA Facilities] 

[Posted: June 10, 2026]  PA Environment Digest