Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 28 - Oil and Gas Well Plugging Oversight
Section 2823 - Eligible wells

(a) Review of known orphan wells.--No later than 30 days after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall review available documentation on all known orphan wells with no known owner or operator.
(b) Determination of eligible wells.--No later than 45 days after the effective date of this subsection, the department shall designate each orphan well reviewed under subsection (a) as an eligible well if it meets the following requirements:
(1) The orphan well is not plugged in accordance with the requirements of section 3220 (relating to plugging requirements).
(2) No amount of a bond under section 3225 (relating to bonding) is available to pay for the plugging of the orphan well.
(3) No person who is financially responsible for the plugging of the orphan well is known to the department or likely to be identifiable.
(c) Publication of notice of availability of grants.--No later than 60 days after the date of the periodic awarding of funds pursuant to section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58, 42 U.S.C. § 15907) or the effective date of an appropriation of money to the department for the purposes of this subchapter, whichever is earlier, the department shall publish on its publicly accessible Internet website all of the following:
(1) A list of each eligible well and any relevant identifying information.
(2) Any available technical data that would be necessary for a qualified well plugger to plug each eligible well on the list under paragraph (1).
(d) Publication of notice of updated availability of grants.--The department shall periodically update the notice under subsection (c) to identify all of the following:
(1) Which eligible well has been the subject of an approval under section 2825 (relating to applications and review process).
(2) Which eligible well has been plugged in accordance with section 3220.
(e) Plugging contract discretion.--The department may remove an eligible well from the list under subsection (c) that the department makes available for plugging through a contracting process. Upon removing an eligible well from the list, the department shall update the notice and list under subsection (c) to reflect the removal.
(Nov. 3, 2022, P.L.1987, No.136, eff. 60 days)

2022 Amendment. Act 136 amended subsec. (c).
Cross References. Section 2823 is referred to in sections 2802, 2811, 2825 of this title.