** National parks plagued by abandoned oil and gas wells
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Friday, June 25, 2021
Abandoned oil and gas infrastructure litters the West | Wyoming Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

A new analysis has found that America's national parks are plagued by tens of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells ([link removed]) . These wells pose possible health and environmental risks by spewing methane and leaking brine into nearby groundwater ([link removed]) .

The analysis, conducted by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the FracTracker Alliance, found that more than a third of all National Park Service sites are located within 30 miles of an orphaned oil or gas well ([link removed]) , with nearly 32,000 ([link removed]) abandoned wells surrounding 162 park units ([link removed]) . The report comes as national parks see a surge of visitation ([link removed]) post-pandemic. "It is shocking to learn how many orphaned oil and gas wells are leaking dangerous pollutants into the air and water,
harming not only our national parks but also local communities," NPCA Energy Program Manager America Fitzpatrick said ([link removed]) .

Addressing abandoned wells and mines is a point of agreement ([link removed]) , with environmentalists, industry, Republicans, and Democrats all in favor of directing attention to clean up the left-over infrastructure. President Biden's infrastructure plan allocates $16 billion ([link removed]) to plug and clean up old wells and mines, and a new bill
([link removed]) from Senator Bennet would increase cleanup while updating bonding requirements to avoid the issue again in the future. Research has found that as many as 120,000 jobs could be created ([link removed]) if half a million wells were plugged.

Tackling abandoned wells would also help address the climate crisis: methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps dozens of times the amount of heat that carbon dioxide does, and old oil and gas wells have the potential to leak methane into the atmosphere ([link removed]) .

NPCA's Fitzpatrick said ([link removed]) , "This is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed by Congress to protect parks and public health, and prevent oil and gas companies from skipping town without cleaning up after themselves again in future."
Quick hits


** U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on being the first—and the future
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InStyle ([link removed])


** Pacific Northwest faces one of its most severe heat waves in history, raising health concerns
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) [Olympic National Park warnings] | Grist ([link removed]) [Heat waves are dangerous]


** Wildfire season is coming as US firefighting resources already near full deployment and Arizona closes parks
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New York Times ([link removed]) [Get ready] | National Public Radio ([link removed]) [Resources depleted] | Associated Press ([link removed]) [Seeking firefighters] | The Guardian ([link removed]) [Arizona]


** Wildfires threaten urban water supplies, long after the flames are out
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Congress moves to cut methane via EPA rule
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Washington Post ([link removed])


** National, state parks are crowded, but states flush with federal cash are investing in overdue maintenance
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Pew ([link removed]) [Investing in parks] | The Points Guy ([link removed]) [Tips for visiting overcrowded parks] | Daily Universe ([link removed]) [Visitation surge in Utah] | St. George News ([link removed]) [Zion shuttle changes]


** New Mexico oil output at record levels after crash, Wyoming rig count slowly recovering, even as big oil faces setbacks
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Albuquerque Journal ([link removed]) [New Mexico] | E&E News ([link removed]) [New Mexico] | Casper Star-Tribune ([link removed]) [Wyoming] | Yale Environment 360 ([link removed]) [Setbacks, peak oil?]


** Yellowstone is losing its snow as the climate warms, and that means widespread problems for water and wildlife
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The Conversation ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])
Quote of the day
When it comes to the management of these lands, it’s important to remember they are our public lands. They must be managed in the interest of multiple user groups and industries, and in a way that conserves the land and animal populations for future use. While that tension can be frustrating at times, it really is an excellent system."

—Mandy Fabel, executive director of Leadership Wyoming, S ([link removed]) heridan Press ([link removed])
Picture this


** @U ([link removed]) SFWSMtnPrairie ([link removed])
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Aren't baby animals the most amoosing? Despite their large size, moose are very comfortable in water and are powerful swimmers. They can paddle for several miles and often feed on aquatic vegetation in wetlands, rivers, and other bodies of water. Photo: @USFWS ([link removed])

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