WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced S.5508, the Plug Offshore Wells Act (POW Act), a companion bill to H.R. 9168. The bill would require the Secretary of Interior to report on the status of the cleanup of offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines when they have reached the end of their useful life, a process known as decommissioning. Ocean Conservancy experts worked closely with Congressional offices to inform this bill, and issued a statement after its introduction in the House earlier this year. Andrew Hartsig, an expert on offshore oil and gas policy, and Senior Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Program, issued the following statement:

“For too long, the oil and gas industry has benefitted from a lack of public awareness that they’ve created a junkyard in our ocean.

“We applaud Senator Welch’s leadership to bring transparency to the lack of timely and effective decommissioning taking place in the Gulf of Mexico, and urge Congress to pass this common sense legislation. 

“The 2024 Government Accountability Office report revealed the oil and gas industry has failed to clean up their unused and end-of-life wells, platforms and pipelines, which remain in the ocean long after they’ve stopped producing. In fact, as of June 2023, more than 75% of the oil wells and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that are idle or at the end of their lease are overdue to be decommissioned. Deteriorating infrastructure in the ocean poses a serious risk to the environment, marine life and taxpayers if the government ends up footing the bill for cleanup. 

“The problem will only get worse if more offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico takes place, as the incoming Administration has proposed.

“Now is the time to put into place systems that hold the oil and gas industry accountable to clean up their mess. The Plug Offshore Wells Act will push the Department of  Interior to ensure these operators responsibly decommission offshore infrastructure by requiring an annual, public report on the status of the wells, platforms, and pipelines that need decommissioning. We urge Congress to pass this legislation that will strengthen enforcement and protect the ocean.”

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