Q: The federal government recently provided funding to plug “orphan” oil and gas wells to prevent groundwater pollution. Are there any near Ann Arbor?
A: A well is considered an “orphan” if it is inactive, unplugged, and without a responsible owner. Groundwater pollution is a concern, but so is air pollution: Methane emissions from orphan wells are a substantial contributor to climate change.
Plugging a well with cement or an elastomer, cleaning up leaks, and restoring the site averages tens of thousands of dollars, so addressing all 2.1 million orphan wells in the U.S. could cost as much as $300 billion.
There are hundreds in Michigan, but just one in Washtenaw County: a 1930 wildcat well (an exploratory well not associated with an established oil or gas field) in Ypsilanti Township across the road from Rolling Hills County Park. It’s not leaking, so it probably won’t be plugged until the fall of 2023 or the summer of 2024.
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