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ODNR says well-plugging pace ramping up; officials cite contractor capacity as a constraint
Summary
Director Mary Mertz told the committee ODNR increased well-plugging from roughly dozens per year to over 400 last year and aims for 500 this year, citing contractor availability and a statutory public-safety prioritization as key factors.
Representative Raider asked for details on the state’s orphan-well plugging program during the committee meeting on Oct. 12, 2025.
Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the state previously plugged roughly “20, 50 a year” but “last year, we plugged over 400 wells.” She said the increase followed legislative direction and additional funding that built a larger available balance in the severance tax fund, which she described as having built up “somewhere in…
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