Dove hunters asked to watch for abandoned or deteriorated water wells by TDLR
TEXAS — Ahead of dove season, Texas hunters are urged to keep an eye out for dilapidated or abandoned water wells. Report any they come across to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
In Texas, there may be as many as 150,000 abandoned or damaged water wells, so it's likely that hunters will come across these possible safety risks, which also contribute to groundwater pollution. Uncapped wells also pose a risk to people and animals, who may suffer serious injuries or even perish if they get into the well. Abandoned or deteriorating water wells can contaminate groundwater, acting as a direct route for chemicals and other surface contaminants, such animal waste and pesticides, to enter aquifers.
A decrepit or abandoned water well can look like a pipe made of plastic, steel, brick, or concrete that protrudes above ground, or there might be a hole in the ground that has no obvious bottom. Some abandoned wells have a windmill with missing blades or an above-ground concrete or brick casing. An added risk is posed by well casings or pipelines that have been abandoned or are in poor condition.
Earlier this week, KFDM reported that the Department of the Interior announced that Texas has been awarded an initial grant of $25 million from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The state of Texas has indicated that it will utilize this funding to plug 800 documented wells, which were selected based on their higher risk.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is enabling us to confront long-standing environmental injustices by making a historic investment to plug orphaned wells throughout the country,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “At the Department of the Interior, we are working on multiple fronts to clean up these sites as quick as we can by investing in efforts on federal lands and partnering with states and Tribes to leave no community behind. Today’s announcement is exciting progress toward what we will accomplish together through this historic law.
The investment is part of an overall $1.15 billion in fiscal year 2022 funding announced in January by the Department for states to plug and remediate orphaned wells, and will "help advance the goals of the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, as well as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, which focuses on spurring economic revitalization in hard-hit energy communities," according to the Department of the Interior.
Here are some helpful resources from the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation:
Helpful guide to plugging wells
Check whether a water well driller or pump installer is licensed
Read the release from the TDLR below:
AUSTIN – Texas hunters headed out for dove season are asked to watch for abandoned or deteriorated water wells, and to report any they find to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
With as many as 150,000 abandoned or deteriorated water wells in Texas, chances are that hunters could spot these potential safety hazards that also contribute to groundwater pollution. Abandoned or deteriorated water wells can contaminate groundwater by providing a direct conduit for chemicals and other surface contaminants, such as animal waste and pesticides, to directly enter aquifers. Uncapped wells also present a physical danger to humans and animals who can be severely injured or killed when they fall partially or completely into the well.
What does an abandoned or deteriorated water well look like? There could be a plastic, steel, brick or concrete casing (pipe) that extends above ground, or there could be a hole in the ground with no apparent bottom. Some abandoned wells have concrete or brick casing extending above ground or a windmill with missing blades. Abandoned or deteriorated well casings or pipes may be cut off at ground level, posing an additional threat.
Wells are “abandoned” when they are not in use, as defined by Texas Occupations Code, Section 1901.255.
A “deteriorated” well is a well that is causing or likely to cause pollution of any water in the state, including groundwater.
If you’re aware of abandoned or deteriorated wells, please report them to TDLR: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/abwells/default.aspx. When filing the report, please include an address or GPS Coordinates and any photos or video of the well, if possible.
To avoid problems related to a water well that’s no longer in use, landowners should install a locking well cap or sanitary well seal – not just a cover over the well – to prevent unauthorized use or entry into the well. Septic systems should be pumped and inspected as often as recommended by the local health department. Care should be taken when mowing or working near the well.
Landowners are responsible for abandoned or deteriorated water wells on their property, and once they’re aware of an abandoned well on their property, they must plug it within 180 days. Landowners can plug the well themselves (in compliance with Title 16, Texas Administrative Code, Section (76.104 Capping and Plugging Wells Standards) or hire a well driller or pump installer licensed by TDLR to plug the well or bring the well into compliance.
If a landowner chooses to plug the well themselves, they are required to plug the well in accordance with TDLR’s well plugging specifications (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/wwd/wwdspecs.htm) and submit a State of Texas Plugging Report to TDLR within 30 days from the date the well was plugged.
Read the U.S. Department of the Interior release below:
Texas to Begin Work Plugging 800 Orphaned Wells Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced that Texas has been awarded an initial grant of $25 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to begin work to plug, cap and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells across the state.
The state of Texas has indicated that it will utilize this funding to plug 800 documented wells, which were selected based on their higher risk as indicated by greater depth and hydrogen sulfide emissions. Funds will be used to acquire equipment and vehicles, and hire personnel, including four administrative positions and 20 inspectors to witness contracted well plugging. Additionally, Texas plans to use this funding to develop a methodology to measure and track methane and other gases.
Millions of Americans across the country live within a mile of an orphaned oil and gas well, which are polluting backyards, recreation areas and community spaces across the country. Methane leaking from many of these unplugged wells is a serious safety hazard and is a significant cause of climate change, being more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The historic investments to clean up these hazardous sites will create good-paying, union jobs, catalyze economic growth and revitalization, and reduce dangerous methane leaks.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is enabling us to confront long-standing environmental injustices by making a historic investment to plug orphaned wells throughout the country,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “At the Department of the Interior, we are working on multiple fronts to clean up these sites as quick as we can by investing in efforts on federal lands and partnering with states and Tribes to leave no community behind. Today’s announcement is exciting progress toward what we will accomplish together through this historic Law.”
Plugging orphaned wells will help advance the goals of the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, as well as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, which focuses on spurring economic revitalization in hard-hit energy communities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in American history, including through a $4.7 billion investment to plug orphaned wells. These legacy pollution sites are environmental hazards and jeopardize public health and safety by contaminating groundwater, emitting noxious gases and methane, littering the landscape with rusted and dangerous equipment, and harming wildlife.
Today’s investment is part of an overall $1.15 billion in fiscal year 2022 funding announced in January by the Department for states to plug and remediate orphaned wells. States will receive additional formula funding dollars in the coming months. In addition, an initial $33 million was recently allocated to plug 277 wells on federal public lands. The Tribal orphan well grant program is being informed by ongoing Tribal consultations and listening sessions.
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