Navajo Nation receives nearly $5 million to alleviate pollution concerns with orphaned gas, oil wells

PHOENIX — The Navajo Nation will receive nearly $5 million in federal funding for necessary work on orphaned oil and gas wells, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Friday.

On the Navajo land, undocumented wells will be identified and undergo quality assessment. Work will include plugging 19 other wells and verification that the plugging won’t allow further harmful gas emissions.

Abandoned wells can contaminate groundwater and pollute drinking water sources, and methane can trap heat in the atmosphere at a much greater rate than carbon dioxide.

The announcement was accompanied by about $7 million in funding for projects regarding wells on other tribal lands.

The $12 million investment was part of the second phase in a project that addresses legacy pollution caused by methane leaks.

The Navajo Nation was also part of the project’s first phase, in which they received nearly $5 million to plug an estimated 21 wells last year.

“Indigenous communities have long been disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a 2023 release. “The department is committed to improving safety and health conditions … and supporting sustainable development and good-paying jobs.

“We are doing this by working with tribes every step of the way, because we know tribal leaders know best how to care for their people.”

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