Senate Bill 1150 is an important start in addressing the surplus of inactive oil and gas wells that pose risks to drinking water safety and put a strain on taxpayer funds.

The bill could establish a 15-year limit on inactive well plugging extensions, which would be significant progress towards safely decommissioning old wells, as there is currently no standard for how long a well can remain inactive and unplugged. It also offers an option for operators who weren't planning to pay for well plugging to file a compliance plan for plugging or reactivating their wells by 2040, when the compliance plan will no longer be an option. SB 1150 would help prevent wells from becoming orphaned in the first place if it explicitly requires operators to safely decommission inactive wells instead of being allowed to indefinitely delay plugging.

Though SB 1150 is a step in the right direction, loopholes and vague language in the bill would make it vulnerable in practice. We would like for future amendments to shorten the 15-year limit on inactive well plugging extensions to 10 years; limit the plugging extension option for operators with a history of reactivating wells to a maximum of five additional years; specify operators must have a history of reactivating old wells; remove the loophole that allows a plugging extension based on “financial hardship;” and implement more frequent fluid level or hydraulic pressure tests beginning at five years of inactivity.

Now the committee needs to hear from you! Take action and call on your legislators to strengthen the bill. Please take a moment to request stronger legislation to support orphaned well plugging, keep drinking water safe, and reallocate taxpayer dollars. For additional information on our legislative priorities this session, check out Commission Shift's one-pager here. You can also view a longer list of bills to keep an eye on this session here.