The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposes permanently sealing (i.e., plugging) 13 orphaned oil and gas wells at the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (ORINWR), including eight wells on Muskingum Island and five wells proximate the island in the Ohio River in Wood County, West Virginia (Proposed Action).
The ORINWR focuses on mussel management and recovery within the refuge (USFWS 2023); therefore, limiting release of pollutants into the river and surrounding watershed represents a logical approach for supporting conservation efforts, as described below. Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc. (ESI) was retained by USFWS-ORINWR to conduct surveys and evaluate potential effects of the Proposed Action on federally listed mussels. This Biological Assessment (BA) describes the restoration/recovery action, establishes the area’s environmental baseline (based on results of surveys conducted by ESI), evaluates effects of the action, and provides a determination of effects for consideration by the USFWS. Because Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) compliance are proceeding along separate routes specific to on- and off-shore portions of the Proposed Action, this BA specifically addresses in-water work.