- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Energy | Environment
The Interior Department announced more than $12 million in new funding on Friday to help four tribal nations address legacy pollution by cleaning up orphaned oil and gas wells on their lands.
The funding is part of the Biden administration’s “Investing in America” agenda and aims to support tribal sovereignty, protect natural resources, and create economic opportunities for Native communities, according to a statement.
The investment will enable tribal nations to plug, remediate, or reclaim orphaned wells, restore soil and habitat in degraded areas, and remove associated infrastructure. Tribes will also be able to identify and assess undocumented wells and build well-plugging capacity where it is not currently established, according to the department.
The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $4.7 billion to address orphaned wells across the United States, including $150 million specifically for tribal communities. This latest round of funding brings the total investment in cleaning up orphaned wells on tribal lands to nearly $52 million. The department previously awarded $40 million in grants to 10 tribes in the first phase of the tribal orphaned well funding.
The four Tribal Nations receiving funding in this phase include:
- The Caddo Nation of Oklahoma will receive $3.7 million in program development and implementation grants to verify and assess up to 20 orphaned wells and plug and remediate well sites.
- The Navajo Nation will receive nearly $5 million to identify and assess undocumented orphaned wells on Tribal land, plug an additional 19 prioritized wells, and conduct post-plugging inspections to ensure no gaseous emissions or water contamination.
- The Osage Nation will receive $1 million in program development funding to build on prior inventory, assessment, and plugging activities by developing remediation plans and prioritizing well sites that pose the greatest environmental risks.
- The Seneca Nation of Indians will receive $2.5 million to plug up to 25 orphaned wells in the Tribe’s Allegany Territory.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to honoring Tribal sovereignty by ensuring that Tribes are able to make their own decisions about how to address the health and safety needs of their people, improve economic growth, and realize their vision for the future,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a statement. “We are making millions of dollars available for Tribally led projects that are addressing legacy pollution and creating good-paying jobs.”
Orphaned wells, which are oil and gas wells that have been abandoned and are no longer in use, pose significant environmental and public health risks. They can contaminate groundwater, seep toxic chemicals, pollute drinking water sources, emit harmful pollutants, and harm wildlife. Methane emissions from these wells are a major concern, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Plugging these wells would reduce methane leaks and other environmental hazards that threaten tribal communities.
The Department of the Interior has made $55 million available in the second phase of tribal awards and continues to work with tribes to complete proposals and initiate projects under this opportunity. Tribes may also request direct assistance from the department to administer and carry out plugging, remediation, and reclamation activities on their behalf.
