About this Collection
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides long-term funding to plug orphan oil and gas wells on national wildlife refuges and reclaim those sites to eliminate environmental and public safety hazards. An orphan well is one for which there is no viable operator of record and therefore no longer a party responsible for the well’s maintenance. The process of restoring the refuge lands degraded by the presence of such wells, pipelines, and other related infrastructure may take several years to complete with help from partnering agencies.