Feds could deal with orphan wells

The Build Back Better Act making its way through Congress includes reforms for oil and gas production on public lands first introduced by the Reagan administration. Dave Jenkins with Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship says the measure includes common-sense solutions for so-called orphan wells, sites where companies have walked away from their obligation to clean up after production.
“They are shifting that cost to you and me. They’re making the profit, and we’re getting the bill. It’s not a bunch of bureaucratic red tape; it’s a simple fix. All we have to do is require bonding amounts that reflect the actual cost of cleanup and reclamation. ”
Jenkins’ group is also calling on the Biden administration to direct the Bureau of Land Management to stop treating public lands as though oil and gas extraction was their sole purpose.



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