March 12, 2025 - Washington, PA
Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials joined Penn Mechanical Group and local leaders in Washington County to plug the 300th orphaned or abandoned well under the Shapiro Administration. The Shapiro Administration has surpassed the number of wells plugged in the previous decade in just two years - the latest historic milestone under Governor Shapiro's leadership to protect public health and create jobs by aggressively plugging these wells all across Western Pennsylvania. The 300th well was plugged in North Franklin Township, Washington County under an emergency contract with Penn Mechanical Group, a family-owned and operated company located in Indiana, PA. The well - which is leaking methane - sits between two reservoirs on the site of the township's future Waterside Park, an 89-acre park to connect residents to greenspaces, outdoor recreation, environmental education, and serve as a community hub. "When I took office, I directed the Department of Environmental Protection to move aggressively to draw down state and federal funding to make a meaningful impact plugging orphaned and abandoned wells. Today, I'm proud to announce that this well will be the 300th well plugged during my time as Governor," said Governor Josh Shapiro. "By plugging orphaned and abandoned wells, we're tackling a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and creating thousands of good-paying jobs in the process. This is a smart, commonsense way to protect public health and create jobs - and I'm going to continue to work with DEP to put state and federal funding to good use by plugging these wells that create problems across rural Pennsylvania."Speaker list:Bob Sabot, North Franklin Township SupervisorJoe Bonfiglio, U.S. Region Executive Director, Environmental Defense FundBryan Treese, Operations Director, Penn Mechanical GroupGovernor Josh Shapiro
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