DENVER—According to the latest state data, drilling and fracking operations led to 495 chemical spills in Colorado in 2013. Nearly a quarter of spills impacted groundwater or surface water, refuting the oil and gas industry assertion that drilling and fracking never pollutes water. The inaugural edition of the new Colorado Toxic Release Tracker from the Center for Western Priorities (CWP) details those spills and their impacts on Colorado’s land and water.
“The numbers show oil and gas operations were responsible for more than one spill each day last year,” said Greg Zimmerman, CWP’s policy director. “The spill tracker brings transparency and accountability to Colorado’s oil and gas spill problem.”
The Toxic Release Tracker is a summary of the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission’s (COGCC) spill database. According to the tracker, 71 spills impacted groundwater and 41 spills impacted surface water in 2013. CWP’s tracker details spill size, proximity to water sources, and a variety of other data.
CWP will update the Colorado Toxic Release Tracker each month to inform the media and public of the effects oil and gas companies have on the state’s communities and natural resources.
“We can have responsible energy development, but we have to be realistic about the risks to our communities and our water,” continued Zimmerman. “Now, more than ever, we need to ensure companies are held to the highest standards and we have to be thoughtful about where we permit companies to drill.”
To access the Colorado Toxic Release Tracker, CLICK HERE.