A state lawmaker says recently-signed legislation will ensure that taxpayers don’t foot the bill for cleaning up abandoned oil wells.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2463 earlier this month. The bill sponsor, state Senator Erica Harriss, says the measure addresses the costly problem of abandoned oil wells.
The Environmental Defense Fund has mapped more than 4,000 orphan oil wells in Illinois.
The new law provides for a third-party-backed bond instead of cash deposits for future oil rigs, sparing the Illinois Department of Natural Resources from cleanup costs.
SB 2463 takes effect January 1, 2026.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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