Emergency work to plug 2 abandoned wells leaking methane in Scott Township
SCOTT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Emergency work will begin Tuesday to plug two leaking abandoned natural gas wells in Scott Township.
The goal is to eliminate the potential for the wells on Scrubgrass Road to leak methane ever again, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said. Without the project, the DEP said the wells could continue to deteriorate and stray methane gas could migrate through the soil to nearby sewer lines.
The DEP said it performed an emergency mitigation project in 2019 in the area, but methane levels around the wells have increased, and officials have received complaints of odors around the Kane Woods Nature Area.
To prepare, the DEP's contractor will be removing trees and potentially flaring -- a controlled burning of natural gas that helps ensure the well can be safely plugged. The department is warning that residents may see flaring and hear noise during the operations, which are expected to last about a month.
"Orphaned and abandoned gas wells dot Southwestern Pennsylvania in rural and more populated areas, representing potential threats to human health, safety, and the environment," said Dan Counahan, the director of District Oil and Gas Operations, in a news release. "We're mobilizing emergency crews to mitigate this hazard as quickly as possible."
The DEP said it has been working "aggressively" to plug leaking oil and gas wells across the state. The Shapiro administration says hundreds of thousands of orphaned wells across the commonwealth make up nearly 8% of the state's total methane emissions.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has said capping and plugging orphaned and abandoned wells improves public health and creates jobs, which is why he has directed the Department of Environmental Protection to draw down as much federal funding as possible for the work. The DEP has been going after operators who walk away from wells and coming in with emergency plugging contracts where needed.