Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

INTRODUCTION
An abandoned well is defined as a well that is no longer
in use, is not intended for future use, has not properly
been decommissioned or is in a state of extreme
disrepair (Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ), 1998; Lowey, 2004; AgrGC, 2003). Best
estimates indicate the number of household wells varies
considerably around the Great Lakes with fewer than
five wells per square mile in Ontario to more than 20 per
square mile in Michigan and Pennsylvania (see Figure
1). Abandoned wells in the Great Lakes Basin range
from shallow, small-diameter geotechnical bore-holes to
oil and gas exploration and production wells thousands
of metres deep. Some of the largest abandoned wells are
the Atlas F intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
silos, approximately 174 feet deep and 54 feet wide
(Figure 2). One such abandoned ICBM silo cluster is
located near Plattsburgh, New York, and contains 12
missile silos (Strategic Air Command, no date).
Figure 1. Individual household well density per rural
square mile
Source: McCray, 2007. Extrapolated from U.S. Bureau of the
Census, 1990 and 2000 rural square miles; Ontario Ministry
of the Environment and Statistics Canada data.
SAFETY HAZARDS
Abandoned wells can be extremely dangerous, posing
various health, safety and environmental hazards.
Large-diameter abandoned water wells are frequently
covered with ill-fitting and poorly maintained wooden
covers (Figure 3). Every year, people (mostly children)
and animals (both wild and domestic) tumble into
abandoned wells, resulting in injuries and frequently
ending in fatalities (Michigan DEQ, 2005; Glanville,
1994). The dangers associated with abandoned wells are
constantly portrayed to society. From an episode of the
animated show The Simpsons, where Bart falls down an
abandoned well, to the ever-famous Lassie expression
“What’s wrong girl? Timmy’s in the well?” the notion of
abandoned wells has been in the media for generations.
Well accidents are much more common than most
people realize. Only the most extreme cases are extensively
publicized. Examples include the following:
• In Midland, Texas, in 1987, at the age of 18 months,
Baby Jessica fell into a well. Her famous story was
subsequently made into a movie (Celizic, 2007;
Misra, 2006).
• In Chicago, January 1991, a 10-year-old girl fell into
an unsecured well located a mere 60 feet from a
playground. Despite rescue efforts the young girl
died (King, 1994).
• In Midland, Michigan, December 1998, a fouryear-old
girl fell into an abandoned well through a
rotting cover (Michigan DEQ, 2002a).
Figure 2.
96
Construction of Atlas F missile silo at
Plattsburgh, New York, July 18, 1961
Source: SiloWorld, n.d.
Figure 3.
Improperly covered well
Source: Jones, 2006