Source: The Hill

Excerpt:

The House passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) on Tuesday that aims to address environmental hazards from abandoned gas and oil wells. The legislation passed in a 333-75 vote.

The bill — the Abandoned Wells, Remediation, Research and Development Act — would direct the Energy Department to develop a research and development program for abandoned wells. Pennsylvania has the second largest amount of abandoned and orphaned wells of any state, surpassed only by Texas. Some 27,000 abandoned wells have been documented across the Keystone State.

The measure, co-sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), previously passed the House Science Committee in a unanimous vote last July. 

Abandoned wells have been linked to the release of toxic air pollutants and carcinogens, including methane and benzene. They have also been linked to drops in property values and, due to historical practices of “redlining” in minority neighborhoods, disproportionately hurt the health of people of color.

Read more: House passes bill to study effects of abandoned oil wells in bipartisan vote