PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Celebrates Plugging 500th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well; DEP Continues To Issue Violations By The Hundreds To Conventional Well Owners For Abandoning Wells

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

DEP Celebrates Plugging 500th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well; DEP Continues To Issue Violations By The Hundreds To Conventional Well Owners For Abandoning Wells

On October 21, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley celebrated the plugging of the 500th orphan and abandoned well under the Shapiro Administration in Somerset Township, Washington County.

[Video + Photos from event]

This marks another major milestone in the Commonwealth’s historic effort to protect public health, create jobs, and restore communities impacted by legacy oil and gas development

Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has plugged more orphaned and abandoned wells than the previous 12 years combined, demonstrating the Governor’s commitment to funding the clean-up of environmental hazards all across the Commonwealth.

“I’ve spoken to the families and communities most affected by these leaking wells who are concerned about their water or the quality of the air near their homes – especially here in Western Pennsylvania,” said Governor Shapiro. “By plugging orphaned and abandoned wells, we’re tackling a significant public health issue that affects our farmers while creating good paying jobs in the process. This is a smart, commonsense policy directly benefiting Pennsylvania-based companies like M&A Resources and the hardworking folks who are getting the job done.”

The Shapiro Administration has made plugging orphan and abandoned wells a priority as these wells will often leak methane, threaten groundwater, create safety hazards, and limit opportunities for economic development and community revitalization.

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

“Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania is making historic progress plugging orphan 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 orphan and abandoned wells, creating jobs, reducing methane emissions, and helping communities reclaim land that has been impacted for generations.”

The 500th well was plugged in Somerset Township under an emergency contract with M&A Resources, which is based in Washington County.

The well was actively leaking a significant volume of gas into the ground and atmosphere in a residential neighborhood prior to being unearthed and plugged collaboratively by DEP, the Environmental Defense Fund, and McGill University.

“I'm proud of our team at M&A Resources and the role we've played in reaching this milestone. This work takes good people who show up every day, do the job right and care about the communities they serve,” said Jerome Bettis, Jerome Bettis, Chief Executive Officer, M&A Resources. [Yes, THAT Jerome Bettis.]

“We appreciate Governor Shapiro's commitment to this effort and our partnership with DEP. We're committed to continuing to grow, creating opportunities for Pennsylvania workers and doing our part to keep this important work moving forward across the Commonwealth,” Bettis added.

“This is a multi-generational project that will directly help other families who live in close proximity to orphaned and abandoned wells throughout the Commonwealth and the United States,” said Adam Peltz, Director and Senior Attorney, EDF. “The orphaned and abandoned well problem is big, but the work is just getting started. This is number 500, but we have to roll up our sleeves and continue to collaborate, in order to do this work and solve this problem in Pennsylvania — once and for all.”

382 Abandoned Well Violations So Far This Year

From 2023 to so far in 2026, DEP inspection reports show approximately 2,441 violations were issued or continued to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells.

Inspection reports show DEP issued approximately 382 violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells so far in 2026.

Inspection reports show DEP issued 688 violations for abandoning conventional oil and gas wells in 2025.

Inspection reports show DEP issued 860 violations for abandoning conventional oil and gas wells in 2024.

Inspection reports show DEP issued 512 violations for abandoning conventional oil and gas wells in 2023.

Progress on Plugging Abandoned Wells

DEP has identified more than 27,000 orphan and abandoned wells throughout Pennsylvania and continues prioritizing those that pose the greatest risks to public health, safety, and the environment.

[These 27,000 wells were in the initial list DEP compiled for the federally-funded well plugging program because they had better information on these wells.

[DEP estimates there are 200,000 abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells in the state that may cost $6.6 billion or more to plug, although that number could be much higher.]

To address this issue and protect the Commonwealth’s natural environment, the Governor directed DEP to leverage all available federal funding opportunities to accelerate well plugging efforts across Pennsylvania.

As a result, DEP is partnering with Penn State University to conduct a study to further identify and quantify chemical hazards associated with wells, characterize wells according to emissions and risks, assess human exposure, and develop recommendations for orphan and abandoned well priorities.

The study will begin in October 2026 and is expected to end no later than June 30, 2031.

The study will be conducted using Phase 2 Formula Grant funds received from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Orphaned Wells Program Office under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Since 2022, DOI has provided the Commonwealth with $216 million to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells through the IIJA.

DEP noted the current 2026-27 state budget authorizes a one-time transfer of $19 million to the Well Plugging Program so the Commonwealth can continue to plug abandoned oil and gas wells that pose a potential threat to Pennsylvanians’ health and the environment.

[NOTE: This description is wrong. Ian Harlow, DEP Deputy for Administration told the DEP Citizens Advisory Council this $19 million is to plug a hole in funding to keep the Oil and Gas Regulatory Program operating. Read more here.

[It’s an easy mistake to make because funding for the Oil and Gas Program administrative costs comes from the misnamed “Well Plugging Fund.”

[The state budget further required DEP to take the $19 million from seven other DEP environmental programs. It does not represent added funding to DEP. Read more here.]

Visit DEP’s Abandoned and Orphan Wells webpage to learn more about this program.

Click Here for the DEP announcement. [Video + Photos from event]

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.