Kim Anderson: Well plugging must continue for health of Pa.

Seeing the sign for Hillman State Park in Hanover Township, Washington County, I turned off the main road onto a dirt one and followed it deep into the woods for about four miles. On this beautiful fall day, I noticed the colors of the trees and the brisk air. I listened as the birds chirped and could hear a stream off in the distance.

I parked and joined others gathered together, many of whom mentioned enjoying hiking in this park during the mentally draining quarantine days of the pandemic. The reason we were all there on this day, though, was not to enjoy a fall hike. Instead, we were gathered to celebrate the plugging of the 100th oil and gas well plugged under the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro, which sat right in the middle of this serene location. This well is believed to have been leaking methane and other harmful toxins for three decades. The very place people had come to seek solace and peace was actually filled with contaminated air and water.

This is certainly worth celebrating, but these first 100 wells are just a drop in the bucket. There are over 20,000 known abandoned wells in the commonwealth, but it is estimated that over 300,000 of these abandoned and orphaned wells still exist in the state of Pennsylvania — many of which are yet to be located. Also, under current Pennsylvania bonding law (how much money companies pay upfront to ensure the land where they drill is later restored), the oil and gas industry is expected to continue abandoning an average of 561 wells every year — which adds up to $43 million a year for these newly abandoned wells alone (considering the cost of plugging a well is estimated to be around $78,000).

Research shows that living within a half mile of an oil and gas facility is associated with health risks such as asthma, heart disease, cancer, and even early death. In Pennsylvania, there are nearly 1.5 million residents, including almost 300,000 children, playing and going to school within this threat radius. Newer research shows that these health impacts can be felt as far away as 5 or 10 miles. In Washington County, it is probably very difficult to find anyone who lives outside of this radius. The same is true for many other counties in Pennsylvania as well.

One thing is very clear: We need to hold the oil and gas industry accountable to ensure that this valuable resource is gathered in a way that is responsible, resulting in clean air and pure water. As Christians, we believe what the Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In order to provide a hope and future for our children, we must defend their health.

In our commonwealth, the current bonding level for wells is between $2,500 and $10,000, depending on the type of well. At around 3% the actual cost of plugging the average well, this is egregiously low. Because plugging conventional wells can be difficult, when unexpected complications arise, companies often decide it’s more cost-effective for them to abandon the well, leaving it improperly plugged and leaking toxins into our air and water. Higher upfront bonding rates are needed to ensure that if a company does cut and run, the Pennsylvania taxpayers aren’t left to cover the cost completely out of pocket.

A week after the well-plugging celebration I attended, the operators there ran into difficulty when the operator unexpectedly hit oil and water, resulting in the 100th well continuing to leak. On federal land, like the Allegheny National Forest that has abandoned wells, a proposed rule by the Bureau of Land Management would require bonding of $150,000 per well which is more in line with actual costs of plugging an abandoned well. This is a model that the commonwealth should follow.

There is a greater concern than costs, however, and that is the health impact of this leaking gas, especially on vulnerable populations like children. Leaking methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, 86 times more potent than CO2 in its first twenty years. From all sources, methane causes at least one quarter of the warming we are experiencing today. With warmer temperatures, come increased smog, resulting in increased asthma attacks, and earlier springs and later falls, which increases chances of Lyme disease. In good news, research finds that cutting methane leaks is the fastest way to reduce global warming now.

We must act now and urge the Pennsylvania legislature to increase bonding rates to levels that better reflect the actual costs of plugging a well to ensure that the Pennsylvania taxpayer — and our children’s health — are no longer burdened by the irresponsible actions of companies that abandon oil and gas wells.

Kim Anderson is associate director for Pennsylvania and Ohio outreach for the Evangelical Environmental Network.