Pennsylvania’s orphan oil and gas wells and its brownfield properties are often treated as separate challenges, but they share the same root cause: Economic value was created without fully accounting for long‑term cleanup costs.
Across the commonwealth, tens of thousands of abandoned wells remain from generations of energy development. At the same time, communities struggle with former factories, gas stations and industrial sites that sit idle due to contamination concerns. In both cases, these assets were once profitable, but responsibility for closure was delayed until it became too costly, or vanished entirely, leaving the public to step in.
Public programs that plug orphan wells and clean up brownfields are essential and deserve support. Still, they should be a backstop, not the plan.
Good corporate citizenship means more than meeting minimum requirements. Companies should willingly account for cleanup and closure costs up front, carry those obligations through ownership changes, and be transparent about the long‑term environmental liabilities tied to their assets. Clear disclosure builds trust with communities, investors and regulators — and helps avoid creating tomorrow’s public cleanup sites.
Planning and openness are not anti‑business. They are signs of responsible leadership. If more companies embraced transparency and lifecycle accountability without being forced, Pennsylvania would see fewer stranded properties, fewer orphaned sites, and stronger long‑term economic resilience.
Amanda Veazey
Ross