Big Thicket National Preserve Plugging Two Orphaned Oil Wells

Published Date

July 25, 2023

Federal funding is being used to plug orphaned oil wells in Big Thicket National Preserve/NPS file

Work is underway in Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas to plug two orphaned oil wells, work that was made possible with $550,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Methane pollution from unplugged wells is a serious safety hazard and a significant driver of climate change.  Last year, the preserve received funding from the same source to close seven other orphaned  wells.

“We are excited to expand the work being done at Big Thicket to address legacy pollution and improve the environment, water quality, and economic revitalization in southeast Texas,” said  Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz.

This additional  funding will  increase the preserve's capacity to remediate more orphaned  wells. Oil and gas drilling and production were prevalent in the area prior to the establishment of the national preserve in 1974. Exactly how many orphaned wells there might be in Big Thicket is unknown.

In coordination with  the Texas Railroad Commission, the  National Park Service continues to  address needed  remediation work across a variety of habitats in the preserve.

The project is part of the  Department of the Interior's investment of $63.8 million this year designed to put people to work plugging and remediating  orphaned oil and gas well sites located in national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands and waters. The allocation is from an overall $250 million provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up legacy pollution on federal public lands.

In addition, Big Thicket will receive $200,000 this year from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  Ecosystem Restoration fund  to increase efforts to restore the longleaf pine savannah ecosystem.

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