Report says plugging wells, reclaiming mine land may create jobs in Appalachia
Monday, April 19, 2021
A new report done by the Ohio River Valley Institute concluded that the more than half-million abandoned oil and gas wells in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will cost up to $34 billion to plug, which could boost employment in the region, according to Farm and Dairy.
The investment necessary to remediate the abandoned oil and gas wells could support 15,000 jobs a year for 20 years, according to Ted Boettner, the author of “Repairing the Damage from Hazardous Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells.”
A second report titled “Repairing the Damage: Cleaning Up the Land, Air, and Water Damaged by the Coal Industry Before 1977” reported an additional 7,000 jobs could be supported over 10 years with a $13 billion investment to reclaim abandoned mine lands.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Reports: plugging wells, reclaiming mine land could create thousands of jobs
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.