By Derek Redd, The Intelligencer
WHEELING — With more than 21,000 abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells throughout West Virginia, state officials — concerned both with community safety and environmental protection — sought ways to make it quicker and easier to seal them. A new law ceremoniously signed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Thursday morning, will update oil and gas laws in the Mountain State to expedite the process of plugging those wells.
Morrisey gathered Thursday with local public officials at Wheeling’s Heritage Port to sign House Bill 3336, which will officially go into effect July 10. The new law allows operators to pierce the casing of abandoned and orphaned wells and fill them with cement without having to remove the well’s central casing.
That’s a change from previous state code, which required operators to remove most of the well’s infrastructure before plugging, even if the casing was damaged or unsafe to remove.
“As the people of Wheeling and the surrounding areas know very well, abandoned and orphaned wells can pose a significant threat and safety risk and can potentially impact surface and groundwater drinking sources,” Morrisey said to the crowd Thursday. “So plugging these wells safely and effectively is critical to protecting these resources.”
