Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Pennsylvania Statutes Title 58 Pa.C.S.A. Oil and Gas § 3271. Well plugging funds

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Appropriation.--Fines, civil penalties and permit and registration fees collected under this chapter are appropriated to the department to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(b) Surcharge.--To aid in indemnifying the Commonwealth for the cost of plugging abandoned wells, a $50 surcharge is added to the permit fee established by the department under section 3211 (relating to well permits) for new wells. Money collected as a result of the surcharge shall be paid into a restricted revenue account in the State Treasury to be known as the Abandoned Well Plugging Fund and expended by the department to plug abandoned wells threatening the health and safety of persons or property or pollution of waters of this Commonwealth.

(c) Orphan Well Plugging Fund.--The following shall apply:

(1) A restricted revenue account to be known as the Orphan Well Plugging Fund is created. A $100 surcharge for wells to be drilled for oil production and a $200 surcharge for wells to be drilled for gas production are added to the permit fee established by the department under section 3211 for new wells. The surcharges shall be placed in the Orphan Well Plugging Fund and expended by the department to plug orphan wells. If an operator rehabilitates a well abandoned by another operator or an orphan well, the permit fee and the surcharge for the well shall be waived.

(2) The department shall study its experience in implementing this section and shall report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by August 1, 1992. The report shall contain information relating to the balance of the fund, number of wells plugged, number of identified wells eligible for plugging and recommendations as to alternative funding mechanisms.

(3) Expenditures by the department for plugging orphan wells are limited to fees collected under this chapter. No money from the General Fund shall be expended for this purpose.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Pennsylvania Statutes Title 58 Pa.C.S.A. Oil and Gas § 3271. Well plugging funds - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-58-pacsa-oil-and-gas/pa-csa-sect-58-3271/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard