H.R. 2415: Orphaned Well Cleanup and Jobs Act of 2021

117th Congress

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to permanently plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned wells and the surrounding lands and to provide funds to States and Tribal Governments to permanently plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned wells and the surrounding lands, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez — D — NM

Authorizes appropriations for the Department of the Interior (DOI) to establish an orphaned-well remediation program on federal land and to provide grants to states and Indian tribes for similar purposes. The bill also directs DOI to collect fees for idled (or nonoperational) oil and gas wells located on onshore federal land and would authorize the department to spend those fees without further appropriation for reclamation and related administration.

View the full vote history of this bill on GovTrack.us.