SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 21
(By Senators Hunter, Ross, Deem, Minear, McKenzie,
Sharpe, Snyder, Anderson, Fanning, Macnaughtan and White)
Creating a special joint interim committee to conduct a
comprehensive study of the need for an inexpensive method for
plugging abandoned wells.
Whereas, There now exists in West Virginia many unclaimed and
abandoned oil and gas wells; and
Whereas, In order to protect the environment, these wells
should be properly plugged in the least expensive manner, using the
latest available technology; and
Whereas, Current laws written for the purpose of properly
plugging abandoned wells were enacted more than fifty years ago;
and
Whereas, Many technological changes have been made in the oil
and gas industry during the past fifty years; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby
requested to create an interim committee for the purpose of
studying the most efficient, inexpensive and proper method of
plugging abandoned oil and gas wells and to draft legislation to be
presented to the next regular session of the Legislature which will
accomplish this purpose; and, be it
Further Resolved, That this committee shall be composed of
thirteen members, designated as follows: The speaker of the House of Delegates and the president of the Senate shall jointly appoint
two members from the environmental community, two members from the
coal industry, two members from the oil and gas industry and five
members of the West Virginia Legislature. The oil and gas director
of the dDepartment of eEnvironmental pProtection and the director of
the geological and economic survey or his or her designee shall
also be members of this committee.