Congressman Kildee Announces New Funding to Clean U Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells in Michigan

Statement

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, today announced $30.8 million in federal funding for the state of Michigan to clean up hazardous and abandoned oil and gas sites, commonly referred to as orphaned wells.

This new federal funding, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will put Michiganders to work to clean up abandoned sites, helping to protect clean drinking water, our environment and the Great Lakes.

"Abandoned oil and gas wells pose a serious threat to drinking water, the Great Lakes and the health of communities across mid-Michigan," Congressman Kildee said. "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I'm bringing home federal funding to Michigan so we can clean up our communities and protect the Great Lakes from harm."

Some 81,000 abandoned drilling sites across the country are leaking toxic pollution and emitting dangerous methane gas into nearby communities--including 186 in Michigan alone. Approximately 9 million Americans live within a mile of these hazardous sites, exposing families to critical environmental and public health threats.

"I have seen firsthand how the orphaned oil and gas wells left behind by extractive industries lead to hazardous pollution, water contamination, and safety hazards for our communities," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. "We must act with urgency to address the more than one hundred thousand documented orphaned wells across the country and leave no community behind. This is good for our climate, for the health of our communities, and for American workers."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $4.7 billion in new federal funding to help communities plug orphaned wells and reclaim lands impacted by oil and gas development. The first phase of that funding, announced this week, totals $1.15 billion across 26 states.

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