Labor groups meet to plan abandoned well remediation
A coalition of local community, energy and labor leaders gathered last week to launch a new multi-county initiative that will lead efforts to plug abandoned and orphaned wells across the region.
The Washington County Steering Committee is a joint effort between the Washington/Greene Central Labor Council and Union Energy Pennsylvania to take advantage of over $19 million in newly allocated funding for well remediation efforts in the 2026 Pennsylvania State Budget.
According to Washington/Greene Central Labor Council (WGCLC) President Donna Patrina, over 300,000 uncapped wells from the oil and natural gas extraction industry remain across the commonwealth, primarily in western Pennsylvania.
Thousands of wells have been drilled since oil was discovered locally in 1859, and although well operators are legally responsible for their capping after extraction is concluded, this may not happen due to a variety of reasons, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
These wells can leak toxic chemicals and methane gas into the environment for decades after they are decommissioned, so capping them will have a direct benefit to countless communities in Washington County, Patrina said.
“The real problem is getting those wells taken care of,” she said.
At the current rate, it will take between 50 and 80 years to address the remaining uncapped wells, according to Patrina.
This new group will meet monthly to generate a range of solutions to address these wells, utilizing the combined expertise and resources of labor, environmental, workforce, education, faith, community and civic organizations.
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President and Union Energy Executive Council President Angela Ferritto attended Thursday’s event to discuss the role organized labor can play in capping these wells while creating strong union jobs for Washington County families.
Patrina said the group will eventually host a town hall event to educate the public about the ongoing hazards of uncapped wells and the solutions put forward by the steering committee.
The Shapiro administration has funded efforts to address these wells, including investing millions of new capital into programs to both plug wells and train specialized Qualified Well Pluggers, according to a June release from the state DEP.
“Under Gov. Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania is making historic progress plugging orphaned and abandoned wells that threaten public health, communities, and the environment. 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,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said at a June event to cap an abandoned well in North Franklin Township.