The nonpartisan Center for Western Priorities analyzed data for wells on private, federal and state land in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Combined, companies in those states had 2,709 spills last year, causing more than 7 million gallons of hazardous liquids to leak onto Western soil.
According to the report, the amount of liquid spilled dipped slightly in both New Mexico and Colorado for the second straight year. The amount spilled in Wyoming, however, increased by about 30%.
“It’s bad for our climate when these fossil fuels are burned, but it's also really dangerous to extract them,” said Kate Groetzinger with the Center for Western Priorities. “The actual process of just getting oil out of the ground results in a ton of pollution that threatens our water quality, human health and air quality.”
Groetzinger pointed to a spill that happened in May in Weld County, Colorado. That’s where a well-blowout at a Chevron site spewed nearly 4 million gallons of liquid, which reached a nearby elementary school, roadways, and waterways.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by CPB.
