MEIC and the Well Done Foundation recently conducted a field tour of the Kevin-Sunburst oil field in north central Montana outside of Shelby to better understand the status of “idled” wells in Montana. Idled wells are still owned by oil and gas companies (and have not yet been abandoned by the operator and classified as an “orphan” well) but unfortunately the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation has not required them to be “shut in” or plugged, which would dramatically reduce air pollution, despite having a legal obligation to do so. Some wells have been spewing methane and other gasses into the atmosphere for decades. The methane and toxic gasses harm the climate and can kill wildlife. MEIC has long been very concerned about these wells and their impacts on air quality, wildlife and the climate.
The problems associated with polluting oil and gas wells are immense, stretching across the United States. The Well Done Foundation is one organization that’s working to address the problem by actually identifying, measuring, and plugging oil and gas wells across the country. MEIC is partnering with the Well Done Foundation to plug a well in the Kevin-Sunburst oil field.
To learn more about their work, you can visit www.welldonefoundation.org.
This article was published in the October 2024 issue of Down To Earth.
