PSE’s Executive Director Seth Shonkoff, PhD, MPH participated in this virtual workshop on “Analyzing the Challenges of Improperly Abandoned and Orphaned Wells” hosted by the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI Center) which brought scientific researchers, industry, state regulators, and community advocates to identify the most pressing concerns related to orphaned and improperly abandoned oil and natural gas wells.
Topics included methane emissions and other environmental and human health risks, proper well plugging and abandonment practices, financial mechanisms, regulatory and bonding reform, as well as areas of uncertainty requiring additional research. The workshop was part of the AAAS EPI Center’s initiative on hydraulic fracturing.
A PDF of the Workshop Summary is available here.
Dr. Shonkoff’s presentation on the public health hazards and risks of impacts of abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells begins at the 35:27 mark in the video below.
A transcript of the workshop can be found on the AAAS website here.