Leaky wells have been left behind by absent and non-compliant oil and gas operators all over Ohio, according to Farm and Dairy. And they have been deemed neither dangerous enough nor productive enough to do anything about.

Many of these wells have been left behind following decades of oil and gas exploration in Ohio, which was unregulated or barely regulated. Now, the landowners who’ve inherited these wells have been left to sort through the legalities of holding oil and gas companies responsible for fixing leaks when contracts were signed and wells drilled decades ago by other companies.

Oftentimes, the best resource landowners have for addressing leaking wells on their property is the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division Oil and Gas Resources. However, the agency is overburdened and understaffed, which leaves limited time to address issues with old, leaky conventional wells.

Adjusting the regulations and fees associated with drilling wells within Ohio has been proposed to prevent the landscape of leaky wells from expanding. However, landowners that are already living with this issue are being forced to simply accept the leaky well on their property is not yet considered an “imminent health and safety risk.”

Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Failure by design: Leaking oil and gas wells slip through the cracks

A leaky oil and natural gas well in Portage County, Ohio, that stopped producing in 2015, but is still listed as active. Sara Welch photo.

A leaky oil and natural gas well in Portage County, Ohio, that stopped producing in 2015, but is still listed as active. Sara Welch photo.