Bureau of Land Management to host webinar on orphaned well program
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The Bureau of Land Management will host a roundtable-style webinar focused on the new program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides $250 million to identify and remediate orphaned wells on federal lands. The BLM will lead the creation of the program, which is set to be established by Jan. 14, 2022.
The BLM webinar will present an overview of the federal orphaned well program and the bureau’s overall implementation plan, The roundtable format will incorporate a variety of perspectives and cover a range of topics for discussion, including priorities, well sites, and coordination with states, industry, and Tribal grant programs. Participants will include state agencies, non-governmental organizations, industry members, and labor perspectives on re-training opportunities and job creation.
If you would like to contribute to the conversation, please send your written input to orphanedwells@blm.gov.
Date: Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022
Time: 2:30pm-4:00pm EST; 12:30pm-2:00pm MST; 10:30am-12:00pm AKST
Please register at this Zoom link: https://blm.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_8f9RtNk1Tn-g84xEtJSyBw
The orphaned well program will work to identify orphaned wells and associated infrastructure on federal land and then plug, remediate, and reclaim these wells and the surrounding land. Orphaned wells will be prioritized by public health and safety; potential environmental harm; and other subsurface impacts or land use priorities. The BLM will coordinate funding and report on costs; potentially responsible parties; measurement of emissions of methane and other gases and contamination of groundwater and surface water; and disproportionate burden on communities of color, low-income communities, and Indigenous communities.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.