Repairing a legacy

Mark Szeremet, Land Acquisition Specialist

Ohio’s oil and natural gas heritage, with origins as early as 1814, has provided an abundance of energy over the years. But as oil and gas wells have aged and changed ownership, many have been abandoned and become defunct — turning into what are called “orphan wells.” Such was the case with four orphan wells at the park district’s Columbia Run Conservation Area off Boston Mills Road in Boston Heights.

Drilled in the 1940s and ’50s, Summit Metro Parks “inherited” these wells when we acquired this property in 1970. Older wells such as these often leak methane, a greenhouse gas even more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat and warming the climate. After working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management Orphan Well Program (ODNR), Summit Metro Parks, in cooperation with Cuyahoga Valley National Park, has remediated this problem. Using a qualified contractor, ODNR has successfully plugged the wells and mitigated the leaking natural gas.

Significant planning and consideration for the environment was necessary to successfully complete this project. Project partners worked in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers to obtain a stream crossing permit, worked with local municipalities to obtain permits to access the property via municipal roads, and planned access for the numerous pieces of plugging equipment that needed to travel over rough terrain to reach the wells. Due to the age and poor condition of the wells and the lack of historical records, ODNR had to rely on their in-house expertise and that of the plugging contractor to deal with numerous challenges that arose during the process. In the end, all four wells were properly plugged with cement and Summit Metro Parks staff have restored the land to its natural state — where it will remain a protected habitat for wildlife.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Orphan Well Program is administered by the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management using severance tax dollars from the Oil and Gas Fund. If you believe you have an orphan well on your property, please contact them at 330–308–0007.

For more great stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.