At the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), EPA conducted a site assessment of two leaking oil wells in the Town of Greenwood, Steuben County, New York. Both oil wells were initially observed actively leaking into the Dyke Creek, a named tributary of the Genesee River, where there was a potential for the crude oil to be released into the Genesee River, a navigable waterway of the United States.
These crude oil production wells was operated in the early 1900s, 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 was held by a succession of two companies which no longer exist. There was no state oil and gas database record for this well.
EPA initiated a project known as the Boyd Road Oil Wells 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 E18202
