Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Generally, the Well Plugging Contracts Developed by Padep Are All-inclusive, in Such That During Well Plugging and Final Abatement, Contractors Are Responsible for Access Egress, Site Preparation, Erosion and Sedimentation Controls On-site, Well Plugging Per Commonwealth Regulations, Produced Waste Disposal, and Site Restoration Around the Well. by Plugging These Abandoned and Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells in Accordance With Commonwealth Regulations, the Environmental and Health and Safety Impact of These Wells Is Greatly Lessened or Removed. the Padep Will Use the Grant Monies to Plug Orphan and Abandoned Wells Throughout the Commonwealth. the Funding Will Also Be Used to Address Other Related Activities Such as Identifying and Characterizing Undocumented Wells, Measuring and Tracking Emissions of Methane and Gases Associated With Orphan Wells, Measuring and Tracking Contamination of Surface Waters and Groundwater Affected by Orphan Wells, Identifying and Addressing Impacts of Orphan Wells on Environmental Justice Communities, Remediating Soils and Restoring Native Species Impacted by Orphan Wells and Developing It Tools to Track the Data That Is Collected and Milestones That Are Accomplished. the Padep Will Utilize Its Established Procurement Processes by Publishing Invitations to Bid in the Commonwealths Electronic Bid Solicitation Tool Called Bid Express (www.bidexpress.com) and Emarketplace (www.emarktplace.state.pa.us). Contracts Will Be Awarded to Qualified Contractors to Plug Orphan and Abandoned Wells and Other Firms to Provide Associated Services Such as Methane Monitoring, Site and Groundwater Remediation and Engineering Services. Padep Staff Will Conduct Screening Level Assessments of Orphan and Abandoned Well Sites to Determine Presence Absence of Methane, Indications of Impacts to Soil, Groundwater, Surface Water and Associated Impacts to Human and Ecological Receptors in Order to Prioritize Sites for Additional Corrective Actions and Contract Development. Additionally, in Accordance With Act 96 of 2022 and Act 136 of 2022, Dep Has Developed an Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program That Is Funded by at Least 20 Percent of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Formula Grant. the Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program Provides Grants of Up to $40,000 to a Qualified Well Plugger for Each Well Plugged That Is Up to 3,000 Feet in Length and $70,000 for Each Well That Is Greater Than 3,000 Feet in Length. as Part of the Well Plugging Activities, the Contractor Is Required to Notify the Padep Inspector and Furnish the Padep a Completed Notice of Intention (NOI) to Plug Wells Prior to Beginning Each Well Plugging Operation. Additionally, the Contractor Is Expected to Maintain a Daily Activity Report With a Record of the Time Spent at Each Activity. the Contractors Daily Report Should Also Contain a Shortnarrative Outlining the Days Events and Progress. a Copy of This Report Is Always to Be Kept on Site and Be Available for Inspection During the Project. at the End of Each Week, a Copy of the Weeks Daily Log Will Beemailed to the Plugging Inspector and or the Project Manager. Upon Completion of the Well Plugging, a Certificate of Well Plugging (COW) Will Be Furnished to Padep by the Contractor. Padep Staff Will Conduct Inspections of Restored and Reclaimed Areas and Notify the Contractor of Corrective Action Is Needed.