He Tracked Toxic Wells in America's Parks. Then the Government Cut Him Loose.

Jonathon Kolak, the only federal scientist tracking abandoned oil and gas wells in U.S. national parks

By EVWorld.com Si Editorial Team

By all accounts, Jonathon Kolak was the kind of scientist you want on your side - methodical, relentless, and quietly obsessed with the truth. For years, he combed through the forgotten corners of America's national parks, mapping a hidden legacy of pollution: tens of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells, many leaking methane and brine into the soil, air, and water.

He wasn't just counting holes in the ground. He was documenting a slow-motion environmental crisis - one that most federal agencies had ignored, and that energy companies had long since walked away from.

Then, in 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey fired him.

No press release. No successor. Just silence.

Kolak had been the only federal scientist dedicated full-time to tracking orphaned wells on public lands. His dismissal wasn't just a personnel change - it was a warning shot. And it's left environmental watchdogs, park officials, and climate advocates asking: Why would the government silence the one person exposing this mess?

The Methane Beneath

Kolak's work was meticulous. He identified over 31,000 abandoned wells on federal lands - many in ecologically sensitive areas like Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, where rusted wellheads sit just yards from hiking trails and waterways. Some wells were leaking methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO2. Others were seeping brine and hydrocarbons into groundwater.

His findings weren't just academic. They helped park managers prioritize cleanup, guided policy discussions, and gave the public a rare glimpse into the long tail of fossil fuel extraction.

But they also made people uncomfortable.

The Silence That Followed

When Kolak was let go, the USGS offered no detailed explanation. Officially, his position was eliminated due to "shifting priorities." But insiders say the decision blindsided colleagues and left a gaping hole in federal oversight.

No one was hired to replace him. No new program was announced. The orphan wells - many still leaking - were left to fester.

Environmental advocates suspect political pressure. After all, Kolak's work exposed the scale of pollution left behind by decades of drilling. His maps didn't just show where the wells were - they showed who had walked away.

A Legacy Buried

The U.S. has hundreds of thousands of orphaned wells, many on private land, but Kolak focused on the ones the federal government could actually do something about. His firing sends a chilling message: even the most urgent environmental threats can be buried under bureaucratic indifference.

And the timing couldn't be worse. As the U.S. pledges to cut emissions and transition to clean energy, the methane leaking from these wells undermines every climate goal. Without someone like Kolak tracking the damage, the problem becomes invisible again.

What Happens Now?

Kolak's dismissal hasn't sparked public outrage - yet. But it should. His work was a rare act of federal transparency, and his firing raises serious questions about the government's commitment to environmental justice.

Who benefits when the watchdog is muzzled? Who pays when the pollution goes untracked?

In the end, Kolak wasn't just mapping wells. He was mapping accountability. And now, that map has gone dark.

Sources

• USGS Orphan Wells Program
• National Park Service - Big South Fork Abandoned Wells
• ABC News - Abandoned Wells Investigation
• National Academies - Forgotten Wells Study
• NS Energy - Orphan Wells in National Parks

Views: 392