WINCHESTER — Daniel Boone National Forest is among the lands to be remediated and reclaimed under a federal $50.5 million investment.
The investment will reclaim and remediate wells on federal lands and water, according to the Department of Interior.
The DOI stated, “The Department of Interior today announced a $50.5 million investment through President Biden’s investing in America agenda to put people to work plugging, remediating and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas well sites located in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and on other public lands and waters.”
This investment was aimed at plugging, remediating and reclaiming around 123 polluting wells that are deemed as high priority that according to the DOI can, “Pose threats to human health and safety, the climate, and wildlife.”
Kentucky was chosen as one of the states to receive funding for this investment and the national forest picked was the Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the DOI.
There will be a total of 21 wells at DBNF included to be plugged, remediated and reclaimed and Senior Advisor to Secretary Deb Haaland, Winnie Stachelberg stated in an interview, “The consideration for why those wells in Kentucky at the national forest were impacts to public health and safety, ongoing potential environmental harm, emissions of methane and other harmful air pollutants.”
Through this investment to plug these wells Stachelberg stated that there is a positive impact that is hoped to be achieved.
U.S. Forest Service will be handling the work that is done with the 21 wells and according to Stachelberg it will start working right away when the first amount of funding is received.
“One of the things about wells is there different depths uh they take uh they take various signs to actually finish the entire projects it may take some time but it’s a good partnership between the federal government and the U.S. Forest Service,” Stachelberg stated.
Haaland explained in the press release from the DOI that wells for oil and gas that end up being left behind can later lead to potential pollution and local water sources being contaminated.
“Today’s allocation is part of a total of $250 million provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up orphaned well sites on federal public lands and is in addition to $4.3 billion to plug orphaned wells on state and private lands,” DOI stated.
According to Stachelberg being able to positively plug these orphaned oil and gas wells it will bring a better endowment for the people around them whether it be for fishing, hiking or just enjoying the outdoors.
“This has been a problem that has plagued Kentucky and other states for decades,” Stachelberg stated.
This is a part of President Biden’s Invest in America and is a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service as well as the communication and work with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and his office Stachelberg explained.
“What we hope that Kentuckians see if a cleaner environment, better public spaces to enjoy to recreate in, clear air to breath, cleaner water and that’s what’s going to come from this historic investment,” Stachelberg stated.
