Cathy Bussewitz | Associated Press

A white five-story stone office building behind a sign reading" Federal Trade Commission Building."

FTC ban on noncompete agreements comes under legal attack, including in Pa.

At least three companies have sued the Federal Trade Commission after it voted to ban noncompete agreements. The cases are now pending in Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas.

Ashley Williams Watt watches as a workover rig is used to help replug one of the abandoned wells at her ranch, Friday, July 9, 2021, near Crane, Texas. Some of her wells are leaking chemicals such as benzene, a known carcinogen, into fields and drinking water.

Environment & Energy

Why It's So Hard And Expensive To Plug An Abandoned Well

Cathy Bussewitz | Associated Press

An estimated 2 million abandoned oil and gas wells across the country, forgotten or ignored by the energy companies that drilled them, are believed to be leaking toxic chemicals.

Ashley Williams Watt walks near a wellhead and flowline at her ranch, Friday, July 9, 2021, near Crane, Texas. The wells on Watt's property seem to be unplugging themselves. Some are leaking dangerous chemicals into the ground, which are seeping into her cattle's drinking water. And she doesn't know how long it's been going on.

Environment & Energy

Forgotten Oil And Gas Wells Linger, Leaking Toxic Chemicals

Martha Irvine | Associated Press

There are about 2 million abandoned oil and gas wells nationwide that haven't been properly plugged with cement. Many of the wells are releasing methane, which is a greenhouse gas containing about 86 times the climate-warming power of carbon dioxide over two decades.