Starland County undertakes abandoned well inventory
“We would like to get a handle on how many abandoned wells there are in the area, and when we have a handle we can create a program where we can assist with some cleanup projects,” said Al Hampton agricultural fieldman for Starland County.
He explains beyond the safety hazard of an open well on a farm site, there is great potential to also have a lasting environmental impact.
“The biggest thing is contamination,” he said.
He explains most of the wells in the area are bored wells, and if they are not plugged and decommissioned properly, all kinds of things can find their way down the casing and contaminate the aquifer. This could be mice, rainwater, manure or even pesticides.
“That is your biggest underlying fear if you happen to have a wreck where some pesticides or something manages to get into the aquifer it can cause long term trouble,”’ he said.
Hampton said the first step is seeing if there is interest and creating an inventory. When the county knows what is out there, it can assess the potential for problems. He adds there are often programs that could provide financial assistance to landowners to properly decommission abandoned wells. By reporting wells to the county, staff could help landowners access these resources.
“It is an awareness thing, we would like to promote environmental responsibility and one way is looking after abandoned wells,” he said. “We want to promote some responsibility and at the same time provide some leadership.”
To report abandoned wells or for more information contact assistant agricultural fieldman Jared Malansky at 403-722-3793 or jared@starlandcounty.com.
