Bill to speed up plugging of abandoned oil, gas wells in Pennsylvania
(WTAJ) — A bipartisan effort is underway to address thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Pennsylvania and the nation.
U.S. Reps. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA) introduced the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act, which aims to remove federal restrictions and speed up well-plugging efforts.
Pennsylvania has more than 27,000 documented orphaned wells, many of which pose environmental risks such as water contamination and methane emissions, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The bill would ease regulatory burdens on state agencies, allowing them to use federal funds more efficiently.
Supporters say the legislation will build on the $4.7 billion allocated under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for orphaned well cleanup. Western Pennsylvania, one of the hardest-hit regions, has hundreds of these wells, including 25 in Beaver County and 219 in Allegheny County.
The bill has backing from several energy and environmental groups, including the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, and The Nature Conservancy.
Lawmakers are pushing for swift passage, arguing that the bill will cut red tape, accelerate cleanup efforts, and reduce environmental hazards.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bill slashing ticket fees passes Pennsylvania House
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Massive ticket fees may soon be a thing of the past in Pennsylvania. The House passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday that takes aim at the ticket resale market. Known as House Bill 967, it would cap fees ticket resellers can charge at 5% for the buyer and 5% for the seller. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Reps. Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia) and Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) proposed the bill, citing exuberant fees on some of Pennsylvania's favorite pastimes, such as Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins games. Some fees cost as much as 55%, according to a co-sponsorship memo for the bill. 'These undue and extremely high fees put a burden on ticket prices and only serve as barriers for hardworking Pennsylvanians who want to cheer on their favorite sports team or see their favorite musical artist play,' Rep. Isaacson said. The representatives aren't the ones aiming for ticket fees. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission required ticket sellers to disclose total costs upfront, including fees. Pennsylvania House passes bill to expand AG oversight of health system transactions While he acknowledged companies need to make a profit, Rep. Mehaffie said, 'the reseller and company should not be setting fees so high that they are depriving others of the experience' to attend live events. The bill passed in a 108-95 vote. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
34 minutes ago
- The Hill
Appeals court denies Bob Menendez's bid to stay out of prison
A federal appeals court on Wednesday denied former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)'s last-ditch bid to avoid reporting to prison while he appeals his corruption conviction. In a terse order that offered no reasoning, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled 2-1 against Menendez. Judge Alison Nathan, an appointee of former President Biden, would have ruled in the New Jersey Democrat's favor. The decision lays the groundwork for Menendez to take his ask to the Supreme Court. But the clock is ticking, as he's set to report to prison on Tuesday to begin his 11-year sentence for trading bribes for political favors and other crimes. Menendez was convicted last year on 16 corruption charges, including accepting luxurious bribes with his wife, Nadine Menendez, from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for his political clout and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. It made him the first public official ever convicted of acting as a foreign agent while in office. Nadine Menendez was convicted on all counts she faced in April and is set to be sentenced on Sept. 11. She was accused of teaming up with her husband to accept the bribes, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and luxury cars, and conspiring to turn him into a foreign agent of Egypt. She was initially set to be tried alongside her husband, but her trial was delayed following her breast cancer diagnosis and surgery. Two of the businessmen were also convicted at trial and reported to prison last month. The third pleaded guilty before facing a jury. A federal judge in April denied Menendez's request for release and he took the ask to the federal appeals court last month. Meanwhile, Menendez's allies have reportedly made overtures to the White House for a pardon from President Trump, who has not openly ruled out clemency for the ex-senator. The former New Jersey Democrat himself has also publicly sought to land on the president's good side. After his sentencing, he exclaimed that 'President Trump was right,' deeming his own prosecution 'political' and 'corrupted to the core' while suggesting that Trump's was, as well. Earlier Wednesday, he made a winding post on X about 'how weaponization works, alleging similarities between his prosecution and the president's. The Hill requested comment from Menendez's lawyer.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Fulbright board members, accusing Trump of politicizing the program, announce resignation
Board members of the Fulbright Scholarship Program announced their resignation Wednesday, protesting what they call the Trump administration's politicization of the program, as the White House continues to find itself locked in a battle with universities around the nation. In a memo released on Wednesday, board members said they voted 'overwhelmingly' to resign in light of the actions of political appointees at the State Department, which manages the program. The 12-person board was appointed by former President Joe Biden. The program awards nearly 8,000 scholarships to academics each year, according to its website. The board said the administration usurped the program's authority when the State Department denied some of those awards for a 'substantial number of individuals' for the 2025-2026 academic year, overriding the board's decision to admit academics studying subjects including biology, engineering, medical sciences, music and history. 'Our resignation is not a decision we take lightly,' the memo read. 'But to continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board's request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America's credibility abroad.' The Fulbright Program directed a request for comment to the State Department, which did not immediately respond. However, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) — the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — confirmed the board members' resignation. 'While I understand and respect the bipartisan Fulbright Board for resigning en masse rather than grant credibility to a politicized and unlawful process, I'm painfully aware that today's move will change the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research that has made our country a leader in so many fields,' Shaheen said. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board's page on the State Department's website — which earlier Wednesday listed a dozen members — only has one member on Wednesday afternoon: Carmen Estrada-Schaye, the president of Historic Homes Restoration, who was appointed to the board in 2022. Members on the board included several alumnis of Joe Biden's White House, including former deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon, former head of speechwriting Vinay Reddy and Louisa Terrell, former director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. Congress established the Fulbright Program nearly 80 years ago and, according to the board, specified that the board has final approval authority of applicants. The program was established to 'increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,' according to the Fulbright website. Forty-four Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government, according to the State Department, while 62 Fulbright alumni from 15 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize. Ninety Fulbright alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. 'This proud legacy has depended on one thing above all: the integrity of the program's selection process based on merit, not ideology, and its insulation from political interference,' the board's memo said. 'That integrity is now undermined.' The board said it has repeatedly raised legal issues and strong objections with senior administration officials, including in writing, but officials have refused to acknowledge or respond to the board. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Since President Donald Trump began his second term, the White House has clashed with universities for programs and policies the administration has labeled divisive. Recently, the administration tried to stop foreign students and scholars from attending Harvard University. A court has temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing the order.
