MORGANTOWN — A Morgantown company has been awarded a $1.27 million federal contract to plug an abandoned gas well at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, along with two abandoned wells at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Peninsula, Ohio.
Sen. Joe Manchin announced the contract with North Wind Site Services on Tuesday.
The contract through the National Park Service uses funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law secured to help address and remediate abandoned oil and gas wells.
“This is welcome news to all West Virginians and everyone who has enjoyed all that the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve has to offer,” Manchin said. “For generations, West Virginia has helped to power our nation to greatness, and our state still carries the scars of those sacrifices, including in New River Gorge.
“As America’s newest national park and an important part of our state’s outdoor recreation economy, it is crucial that we protect and maintain this beautiful piece of our state,” he said. “Plugging and remediating this abandoned gas well will help to ensure the park is safe and welcoming to West Virginians and Americans nationwide looking to enjoy Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.”
The exact figure is $1,272,112, Manchin said. The project is a Design-Bid-Build construction effort that will plug, make safe and mitigate contaminated soil at the two Ohio wells and the New River Gorge well.
After plugging the wells, North Wind will regrade and re-vegetate the sites to restore natural conditions, Manchin said. The project will provide for visitor safety and restore natural conditions at impacted sites.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp
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