Updates and Alerts

Also see our Newsletters   [Updates and Alerts for 2008-2014 are archived below]

71 posts found, showing 10 per page

Tell the Legislature: Pass the Orphaned Well Prevention Act!
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 24, 2025
Irresponsible oil and gas well drillers have 12,000 idle wells that should already be plugged. We need to stop more wells from being orphaned. We need the Orphaned Well Prevention Act! More
Issues: Oil and Gas, Orphaned wells

Comment on Well Plugging Priorities; Remember to Vote
Updates and Alerts WVSORO November 1, 2024
The WV DEP will be taking comments on well plugging priorities as part of the Methane Emission Reduction Program. Details here on upcoming public meetings and how to weigh in. In the meantime, remember to vote and make your voice heard in the critical election season. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Methane, Orphaned wells, Pollution

WV SORO 2024 Legislative Summary; ALERT: Landmen Buying Pore Space Rights
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 19, 2024
Below is a summary of WV SORO's actions on bills during the 2024 West Virginia Legislature's regular session, which ended March 9. During the session we also learned that there are land agents going door to door trying to get surface owners to sign away rights to the pore space in the rock formations under their land, and we need to educate surface owners about that. So this is intended to kill two birds with one stone. We will start with the alert since it is shorter. More
Issues: Leasing, Legislation, Pore space

Tell the House of Delegates: Don’t stop West Virginians from getting paid for offsetting carbon with their trees!
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 5, 2024
SB 618 would do by establishing these unnecessary hurdles that will discourage companies from investing in carbon exchange programs in West Virginia. Contact your member of the House of Delegates. Tell them to vote “NO” on SB 618. More

Take Action to Protect Citizen Air Monitoring
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 12, 2024
Please take action and tell your Senators to reject HB 5018. HB 5018 could prevent you from being able to use in court data you collect (like with a methane detector) from stationary sources of pollution (like a gas well etc.) on or next to or near your land. If courts are not supposed to legislate, then legislatures should not rule on evidence. More
Issues: Pollution

Surface Owners’ News 2023 Print Edition Now Available
Updates and Alerts WVSORO November 30, 2023
The 2023 print edition of Surface Owners News is now available. We hope you enjoy reading the latest news and updates from the WV Surface Owners' Rights Organization. More
Issues: Abandoned wells, Land use, Orphaned wells, Pollution, Well pads

Surface Owners say DEP needs at least 45, not just 23, oil and gas inspectors.
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 7, 2023
Senate Bill 448 and House Bill 3110 have passed out of the Energy Committees in their respective houses and are now in their Finance Committees.  The DEP and the industry and the Governor and maybe some Legislator agreed to fund a total of 23 inspectors in this bill.  No one talked to us surface owners whether we agreed to that number -- and we are where the wells are leaking and stinking! More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas, Pollution

Update on forced pooling/unitization; and plugging; and inspectors
Updates and Alerts WVSORO June 14, 2022
The most significant oil and gas/surface owner/mineral owner legislation to come out of the Legislature earlier this year was the new forced pooling/unitization statute.  (Technically it is the "unitization" part that affects us, and pooling is about fights between drillers, so we will compromise with popular terminology and use the slashed term "pooling/unitization".) More
Issues: Pooling

West Virginia landowners need your help!
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 28, 2022
  West Virginia used to have only 1oil and gas inspector for every 4000 oil and gas wells!  And there are  75,000 wells and more than 20,000 associated tanks. During that time a study by Princeton and McGill universities found that a sample of 79 active, conventional, vertical wells in 13 counties was leaking an average of 9 cubic feet of gas – per hour. More
Issues: DEP, Oil and Gas, Pollution

Tell Legislators: Fully Fund the DEP Office of Oil & Gas
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 13, 2022
The DEP Office of Oil and Gas is in a funding and staffing crisis. Currently, the Office only has 9 inspectors overseeing approximately 75,000 wells and 28,000 tanks across the state. That’s 1 inspector for every 8,000 wells. Bottom line: DEP needs more resources to properly manage its oil and gas program, and the industry should pay its fair share for doing business in the state. Urge your legislators to support solutions to the funding and staffing crisis. More
Issues: DEP, Legislation, Pollution

Updates and alerts deep archive (old alerts published prior to CMS upgrade)

2014  Nov 11  Nov 4  Oct 27  Sep 14  Aug 5  Jul 18  Jun 20  May 16  Apr 22

2013  Dec 9  Oct 14  Aug 6  Jul 29  Jun 19  Jun 6  Apr 19  Apr 5

2012  Aug 27  Jul 25  Jun 26  May 21  Apr 30  Apr 9  Mar 19  Feb 25

2011  Dec 16  Dec 13  Dec 11  Dec 10  Dec 1  Oct 7  Sep 24  Sep 12  Aug 5  Jul 19  Jul 16  Jul 8  Jun 28  Jun 9  Jun 3  May 25  May 12  Apr 1  Mar 15  Mar 10  Mar 5  Mar 3  Feb 28  Feb 24  Feb 23  Feb 22  Feb 19  Feb 16  Feb 14  Feb 12  Feb 1  Jan 14  Jan 4

2010  Oct 27  Oct 1  Sep 10  Sep 6  Aug 30  Aug 9  Jul 22  Jul 7  Jun 24  Jun 18  Jun 16  May 12  May 3  Apr 30  Apr 18  Apr 2  Mar 26  Mar 12  Feb 20  Feb 14  Feb 5  Jan 29  Jan 11

2009  Oct 21  Sep 25  Jul 14  Jul 8  Jun 30  Apr 1  Mar 20  Mar 13  Mar 6  Feb 27  Feb 24  Feb 13  Feb 2  Jan 21  Jan 8

2008  Dec 23  Oct 24  Oct 20  Oct 7  Sep 22  Sep 5  Aug 14  Jul 29  Jul 3  Jun 3  May 22  May 20  May 7  Apr 22  Apr 10  Mar 19  Mar 10  Feb 22  Feb 20  Feb 19  Feb 15  Feb 10  Feb 1  Jan 26  Jan 18  Jan 4