Contributed article
WASHINGTON. D.C. — $25 million will be invested to plug, cap, and reclaim 246 documented orphaned wells in Arizona from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly.
The cleanup includes 20 sites near drinking water wells that will be closely monitored for five years after plugging to ensure drinking water protection.
The $25 million investment from the bipartisan infrastructure law will be used to plug 246 documented wells, including 20 near drinking water wells that will be closely monitored for five years after plugging to ensure drinking water protection.
“Arizona’s economic growth and prosperity depends on a clean and safe water supply. Our $25 million investment to plug Arizona’s documented orphaned wells will enhance safety, ensure clean drinking water protection, and revitalize water systems across our state,” said Sinema, lead negotiator and co-author of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobslaw.
“Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Arizona will see much-needed cleanup of dangerous abandoned oil and gas wells to better protect our environment and public health,” said Senator Kelly.
The investment will also be used to conduct methane monitoring before and after plugging to identify emission concentrations and confirm plug effectiveness. This effort will help create new jobs and will target small businesses when issuing contracts to plug these wells.
The bipartisanInfrastructure Investment and Jobs law makes the strongest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in U.S. history, delivering clean water to millions of American families – and more than $8 billion to strengthen water infrastructure throughout the American West, such as aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling, drought contingency plans and dam safety. This funding specifically includes $300 million over the next five years for water reclamation operations under the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. Of this funding, $250 million is for the Bureau of Reclamation to create or conserve 100,000-acre feet of water annually for the Lower Colorado River Basin at Lake Mead.
The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, the Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states.
