News Release

Big Thicket National Preserve to plug orphaned oil and gas wells with funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Date: May 27, 2022
Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700
Contact: NPS Public Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C., and KOUNTZE, Texas -- The National Park Service has received approximately $9.8 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug, remediate and reclaim abandoned oil and gas well sites in seven national parks. Overall, bureaus within the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture will address 277 high-priority wells that pose threats to human health and safety, the climate, wildlife and natural resources.

“Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enables us to tackle legacy pollution issues caused by past extraction activities in national parks,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “Closing and reclaiming abandoned oil and gas wells will alleviate these environmental hazards that jeopardize health and safety by contaminating groundwater, emitting noxious gases, and littering the landscape.”

Big Thicket has an extensive history of oil and gas exploration in the region, dating back to the late 1800s. With the discovery of oil in Beaumont in 1901 at Spindletop, entrepreneurs flooded the local area, looking for their own payday of black gold. One area that did produce oil was Saratoga, a small town in the heart of Big Thicket, which saw a short but lively oil boom lasting only a couple of years. Traveling through the southeast Texas area, it is not uncommon for visitors to see oil rigs through the trees and alongside roads.

Competing voices dominated the discussions on the best way to protect the area throughout the 1930s-1960s. Conservationists wanted to designate this area as a national park, while others still wanted to be able to use the land as their families had for generations, for hunting, fishing, and other land-use activities. In the end, both voices were heard, and Big Thicket was established as the first national preserve in 1974. It was through this new designation and enabling legislation that still allowed for oil and gas production on its land, in additional to hunting, furbearing trapping, fishing and backcountry camping. There are only 19 national preserves in the country and 17 national park sites allow for oil and gas exploration. “There are a significant number of orphaned oil and gas wells in Big Thicket and this money will help us take a step in the direction of better protecting the land and groundwater from environmental hazards associated with those sites,” stated Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz.

The NPS estimates that between 150 and 180 wells in parks are abandoned or orphaned and will need to be plugged and reclaimed. Following are the projects funded this year.

California
Channel Islands National Park: Plug and restore a well.

Louisiana
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve: Plug and reclaim 10 wells located in waterways to remove navigation and safety hazards.

Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Plug and restore three wells.

Texas
Big Thicket National Preserve: Plug six wells and reclaim a site.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Plug a well and reclaim the site.

Utah
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Inventory and assess multiple wells in the park for future closures.

West Virginia
Gauley River National Recreation Area: Plug a well and reclaim the site.

This allocation is part of $250 million provided by the law to clean up orphaned wells and well sites on federal public lands, including national parks, national wildlife refuges and national forests. Fiscal Year 2022 funding will be distributed to four agencies for work in nine states: the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA Forest Service. The agencies are expected to immediately begin the process to acquire plugging and reclamation services through contracts and grants.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a $1 trillion investment in America’s infrastructure that will rebuild America’s roads and bridges, tackle the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice. This vital infusion of funds will make meaningful progress addressing environmental and infrastructure concerns in national parks, including wildland fire safety/restoration efforts, climate crisis intervention, legacy pollution eradication and clean energy enhancements. Containing $21 billion for legacy pollution clean-up, the law provides the largest investment in American history to clean Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphaned oil and gas wells.

-NPS-