The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the Biden-Harris administration released more guidance on how to use the first $775 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug abandoned oil and gas wells.
In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will put up a total of $4.7 billion to clean up the environmental and safety hazards put forth by abandoned wells, according to an April 12 news release. The funding is expected to help create good paying union jobs, spur economic growth and close the abandoned wells that affect a community's quality of life.
"President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is enabling us to confront the legacy pollution and long-standing environmental injustices that for too long have plagued rural, Tribal and underrepresented communities,” DOI Secretary Deb Haaland said in the release. “The Department is acting with urgency to address the more than 100,000 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."
In March, the DOI had solicited public input on the draft guidance to apply for $25 million in grants.
The final guidance on DOI's website explains the application process to get funding, and what the Interior Department considers best practices for creating programs, tracking the work and reporting on the work.
