At the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), EPA conducted a site assessment of leaking oil wells in the Town of Bolivar, Allegany County, New York.
Oil wells were initially observed actively leaking on the property by the California Hollow Brook, a tributary of the Allegheny River, where there was a potential for the crude oil to be released into the Allegheny River, a navigable waterway of the United States.
These crude oil production wells and water injection wells were operated up through the early 1980s and have subsequently been abandoned. This type of well is known as an orphan well.
A deed and title search for the identification of a viable responsible party indicated that the mineral rights ownership were last owned by R. L. Kennemuth (deceased) of Moose Oil Company (dissolved). There were limited state oil and gas database records for these wells.
EPA initiated a project known as the Moose Polly Oil Lease Site which will involve the permanent plugging of the abandoned and orphaned crude oil production wells.
This project is being conducted under the authority of the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90). This project is being funded with federal money from the OPA90 Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
FPN E15201
