Pennsylvania faces a significant legacy challenge, with estimates suggesting as many as 700,000 abandoned oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth. Many of these wells can leak methane, threaten water quality, and create public health and environmental risks. Pennsylvania has already undertaken important work to identify and plug these wells, but the enormous scale of the challenge requires a sustained, long-term commitment.

Governor Shapiro’s proposed $19 million state investment provides an important opportunity to accelerate this work. By combining state leadership with a trained Pennsylvania workforce, strong labor standards, and union apprenticeship programs, we can expand well remediation, create family-sustaining jobs, protect our communities, and build a long-term strategy for addressing Pennsylvania’s orphaned wells.