When Al Nacopoulos purchased a mobile home park in Erie County, PA in the early 1970s, he was unaware that there were natural gas wells on the property. It wasn’t until 2022 that he discovered the Bear Run #1 undocumented orphan well located a mere 15 feet from an occupied mobile home. Al was looking for a water shut-off valve when he opened the underground vault that concealed the undocumented orphaned well. He smelled a strange odor and reached out to a local contractor who in turn contacted the Well Done Foundation (WDF). The WDF immediately sampled the air around the orphaned well and discovered that it contained high levels of methane and other harmful greenhouse gases. Due to its age and deteriorated condition, the well was allowing gas to leak past its valve.
WDF then worked with the Al the landowner and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to begin the orphan well adoption and plugging process. This well will be plugged with support from the
Project Canary Foundation. The plugging will begin February 1, 2023.
