Defunct oil/gas wells and abandoned mines have long been lore-of-the-ore backstories in literally and figuratively shaping much of the landscape across the United States but, until recently, there was no comprehensive plan to plug these often hazardous sites.
In fact, listing oil/gas wells and mines without liable owners was arduous because many pre-date environmental regulations, have no records, or are locked in court proceedings that can last years and usually end up in bankruptcies.
Without liable owners to bill, local and state governments paid to plug “orphan” wells to prevent them from leaking toxic substances into the water and air. Few were eager to catalogue a deficiency rooted in cost-aversion, so numbers have been underestimated….