EPA Protects Rivers, Lakes and Streams by Plugging Abandoned Oil Wells in Western New York (NY)
(New York, N.Y.) Over the past six years, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has plugged close to 300
abandoned – and in some cases leaking – oil wells in
Western New York in an effort to prevent any remaining oil that may
be in the wells from reaching nearby lakes, rivers and streams. The
abandoned wells, many of which no longer have owners, have not been
maintained for decades, and are gradually deteriorating to the
point at which crude oil could leak from broken well casings, pipes
and storage tanks. To prevent future leaks, EPA has had the wells
filled with concrete and a fine clay substance called bentonite to
immobilize any remaining oil. The New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation referred the abandoned oil wells to EPA
for cleanup.
“Oil is one of the worst water pollutants,
and the abandoned oil wells like the ones that EPA has cleaned up
represent a threat to our most vital natural resource – clean
water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck.
“By plugging hundreds of abandoned oil wells, we’re
protecting public health and the environment, and fixing a problem
that had been decades in the making.”
Since 2005, EPA has overseen the plugging of 294
wells at six locations. They are:
· The Curtis
Farm Oil Wells Site in Bolivar, N.Y., where 136 have been plugged.
The site is near the Little Genesee Creek, a tributary of the
Allegheny River.
· The West
Union Oil Wells Site in West Union, N.Y. Ninety-one wells were
plugged at this site near the New York/Pennsylvania border in
Steuben County. Areas from which contaminated soil was removed were
filled with clean soil. Students from SUNY-Brockport helped replace
native plants that were damaged or destroyed during the
removal.
· The Weston
Lot 7 Oil Wells Site in Olean, N.Y., where 34 wells have been
plugged. The oil rights for the company extracting oil from this
site, which borders Mix Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River,
were not transferred when the company’s owner died in
1994.
· The Ballard
Oil Lease Site in Bolivar, N.Y. Thirty-one wells have been plugged
at this site, which is also near the Little Genesee
Creek.
· The Dodge
Creek Oil Well Site in Clarksville, N.Y. One well was plugged at
this site, which borders Dodge Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny
River. Dodge Creek is a trout habitat and home to the Eastern
Hellbender salamander, a species of listed special concern in New
York State.
· The McGraw
One Oil Well Site in West Union, N.Y. One well was plugged at this
site after no owner or operator could be identified following a
citizen complaint. The site is near Marsh Creek, a tributary of the
Genesee River.
Later this summer, EPA will oversee the plugging
of abandoned wells on the Burrows Oil Lease Site in Olean, N.Y. The
site comprises 13 crude oil production wells, some of which are
leaking or show evidence of past leakage. The site borders Mix
Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River.
For a Google Earth aerial view of the oil
plugging site, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-2. (Please note that you must have Google Earth
installed on your computer to view the map. To download Google
Earth, visit https://earth.google.com/download-earth.html).
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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