Project abstract summary (OMB 4040-0019)the state of louisiana is applying for the $23,263,107.00 million dollars available under the matching grant funding

The State of Louisiana Department of Natural Resources received a $23.26 million Project Grant under the Department of the Interior's Energy Community Revitalization Program (ECRP, CFDA 15.018), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. This matching grant funds Louisiana's Orphan Site Restoration Program to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells across the state's onshore lands, navigable waterbodies (both inland and offshore), and approximately 2.5 million acres of wetlands. The project will remove associated infrastructure from orphaned well sites on state or privately owned lands while generating employment opportunities and safeguarding environmental quality.

Key deliverables under this award include: (1) plugging and reclamation of orphaned wells with removal of related infrastructure; (2) modification of the orphaned well ranking system to incorporate methane monitoring and assessment of disparate impacts on disadvantaged communities; (3) implementation of protocols to measure and track methane and other gas emissions from orphaned wells and contamination of groundwater and surface water; (4) maintenance of a public website documenting the use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant funds; and (5) establishment of training programs for the displaced energy workforce. These activities advance Louisiana's environmental remediation goals through partnerships with universities, state and federal agencies, and industry stakeholders while developing new tools to track environmental, economic, and social metrics related to orphan well restoration efforts.

Louisiana has an established an orphan site restoration program for remediation of orphaned oil and gas well sites on land, the state s navigable waterbodies (both inland and offshore), and the state s 2.5 million acres of wetlands. This grant funding along with the other IIJA grant funding provides significant opportunity for louisiana to continue to provide jobs, safeguard the environment, and safely plug oil and gas wells. Additionally, this funding provides an opportunity to advance the current orphan program through partnerships with universities, other state and federal agencies, and industry to develop new tools to track environmental, economic, and social metrics. Louisiana plans to use matching grant funding to plug and restore orphaned wells and related sites under a modified version of louisiana s existing orphan well program. The matching grant will be used to continue to implement methane monitoring, include consideration of disparate impacts on disadvantaged communities, and work to improve water quality monitoring and verification protocols for orphaned well sites. Activities to performed under the matching grant will include: 1) the plugging, remediation, and reclamation of orphaned wells and removing associated infrastructure on state or privately owned lands 2) modification of the orphaned well ranking system for those wells in the project to include methane monitoring and disparate impacts on disadvantaged communities 3) maintaining a public website containing information on the use of the IIJA grant monies 4) implementing a protocol to measure and track (i) emissions of methane and other gases associated with orphaned wells and (II) contamination of groundwater or surface water associated with orphaned wells and or (5) establishing training programs for the displaced energy workforce and for disadvantaged communities that are qualified for jobs associated with plugging and restoring oilfield well sites.additionally, significant data will be collected providing quantitative metrics on the reduction in methane emissions and water contamination. Louisiana will also continue to search for training opportunities for an unknown number of displaced energy workers and members of disadvantaged communities with an eye toward providing good paying jobs in the oilfield site plugging and related fields.