This $2,326,679.33 federal Project Grant award, funded by the Department of the Interior's Energy Community Revitalization Program (CFDA 15.018), supports the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana to perform the following activities:
Plug, remediate, or reclaim an orphaned oil and gas well on tribal land, including remediating soil and restoring habitat that has been degraded due to the presence of the well or associated infrastructure. The grant also funds the identification and characterization of undocumented orphaned wells on tribal lands, and the development or administration of a tribal orphaned wells program.
The key objectives are to decrease methane emissions, enhance public health and safety protections, and restore environmental resources on tribal lands impacted by legacy oil and gas operations. This grant, with an award date of January 1, 2025 and a completion date of December 31, 2027, will benefit the general public by removing hazardous facilities, including in disadvantaged communities where the work will be prioritized.