Empowering Colorado Communities: The Importance of the Community Right to Know Act

KYLE FERRARWestern Program Director | Published March 25, 2024

Key Findings

Colorado allows oil and gas operators to use polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” in their drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations.

In 2023, at least 54% of the spills that were reported to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) were located within the 2,000-foot setback.

In 2022, the counts of fracking wastewater and produced water spills increased 163% and the total reported volume of oil drilling-related materials spilled increased 24% compared to 2021.

Why Colorado Needs Oil and Gas Spill Public Health Alerts

Spills from the oil and gas industry represent a clear present threat to public health for communities living near oil and gas extraction operations. A report by Physicians for Social Responsibility shows that Colorado continues to allow oil and gas operators to use polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in their drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations. When these fracking chemicals and the hydrocarbons that include BTEX chemicals (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) spill, they put communities at risk of a variety of health impacts known to be caused by these chemicals.

Communities should be immediately informed of spills that increase their health risks. This is particularly important for communities that live near oil and gas extraction operations, as spills of toxic chemicals are common in the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas wastewater and crude spills often contaminate groundwater, soils, surface waters, and local and regional air quality. Communities deserve to be immediately alerted when hazardous spills occur. HB 24-1359 is a necessary bill to address this major gap in risk communication.

The maps and analysis presented below show the locations of more than 3,700 oil and gas spills that have been reported to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) since 2020. The maps highlight where these spills are known to have contaminated groundwater. Additional maps show that some of the health impacts that have been linked to oil and gas activity are most common in Colorado where these spills are occurring.

The analysis finds that at least 54% of the spills that were reported to the COGCC in 2023 were located within 2,000 feet of a home.

View Map

Ohio Oil and Gas Incidents 2018-2023

This interactive map looks at oil and gas incidents in Ohio from the beginning of 2018 to September 2023 based on reports made to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

View the map “Details” tab below in the top right corner to learn more and access the data, or click on the map to explore the dynamic version of this data. Data sources are also listed at the end of this article. In order to turn layers on and off in the map, use the Layers dropdown menu. This tool is only available in Full Screen view. Items will activate in this map dependent on the level of zoom in or out.

View Full Size Map | Updated 3/5/2024 | Map Tutorial

Oil and Gas Industry Spills in Colorado

In 2022, the counts of frac wastewater and produced water spills increased 163%, compared to 2021. The use of PFAS in Colorado operations puts not only the groundwater and soils near the drilling pads at risk of PFAS contamination, but all sites where spills occurred. The total reported volume of oil drilling-related materials spilled increased 24% in 2022 as well.

FracTracker mapped the locations of oil and gas spills reported to the COGCC. Spills data with lat/lon coordinates was downloaded from the Daily Activity Dashboard. Data was filtered for 2023 spill incidents and overlaid on a FracTracker Alliance database of the current 2,000-foot public health setback zone in Colorado.

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The COGCC Daily Activity Dashboard dataset documents that 1,186 oil and gas industry spills were reported to the COGCC in 2023. In total, 3,749 spills have been reported to the COGCC since this dataset began aggregating the data in 2020. Additionally, the Colorado spills data identifies 70 spill events that were known to have contaminated groundwater resources, and 12 that contaminated surface waters. In 2022, half of all Colorado spills occurred in Weld County, which had 241 oil and gas related spills—155 more spills than Garfield, the county with the next highest number of spills. Spills create a direct pathway via environmental media contamination to expose communities to toxic oil and gas wastes. This can include sources of drinking water for Colorado communities. These events are mapped above in (Figure 1).

Spills Within 2,000 Feet of Homes

Using GIS techniques, FracTracker Alliance screened the locations of COGCC oil and gas spills for proximity to homes. By using Microsoft Open Streetmap datasets in addition to many hours of ground-truthing and tracing of satellite imagery, FracTracker Alliance created map layers identifying the areas of Colorado that are located within the 2,000-foot public health setback zone. This dataset was used to screen the COGCC dataset of oil and gas spills. The results of the analysis show that 54% (640) of the spills reported in 2023 were within the 2,000-foot setback zone. Additionally, 54% (2,039) of the spills in the full dataset spanning 2020-2024 were also within the setback zone.

2039

Oil and gas spills

Between 2020 and 2024, 54% of the spills were within the 2,000-foot health protection setback zone.

2039

Between 2020 and 2024, 54% of the spills in the full dataset were within 2,000-foot setback zone.

Visualizing the Health Risks

In the maps below (Figures 2-6), FracTracker Alliance plotted the incidence counts of health impacts that were recorded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment. The maps focus on the specific ICD-10 codes that have been associated with living proximal to higher densities of oil and gas drilling and completion operations. The maps show that many of these health impacts in Colorado are disparately impacting the communities closest to oil extraction operations in the state. These are the same areas where the majority of spills from oil and gas drilling and completion operations are occurring (Figure 1).

Figure 2. Map of Acute Lymphocytic Cancer Incidence. The map shows incidence counts of acute lymphocytic cancer cases and overlays the counts by county on the map of oil and gas extraction operations in Colorado.

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Figure 3. Map of Asthma Emergency Department Visit Incidence. The map shows incidence counts of asthma emergency department visits and overlays the counts by county on the map of oil and gas extraction operations in Colorado.

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Figure 4. Map of Asthma Hospitalizations Incidence. The map shows incidence counts of asthma hospitalizations and overlays the counts by county on the map of oil and gas extraction operations in Colorado.

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Figure 5. Map of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Incidence. The map shows incidence counts of nasopharyngeal cancer cases and overlays the counts by county on the map of oil and gas extraction operations in Colorado.

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Figure 6. Map of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Incidence. The map shows incidence counts of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma cases and overlays the counts by county on the map of oil and gas extraction operations in Colorado.

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Creating Public Health Alerts

Communities in Colorado should be immediately informed of spills that increase their health risks. This is particularly important for communities that live near oil and gas extraction operations, as spills of toxic chemicals are common in the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas wastewater and crude spills often contaminate groundwater, soils, surface waters, and local and regional air quality. Communities deserve to be immediately alerted when hazardous spills occur, which is why legislation to increase public knowledge of hazardous chemicals released through oil and gas operations is critical.

References & Where to Learn More

Topics in This Article:

Articles, Health & Safety, Legislation & Politics, Waste

Join the Conversation

2 replies

Richard Lawrence Rosen says:
December 6, 2024 at 11:20 am

Hello, I am supporting efforts of the Save The Aurora Reservoir group to stop fracking plans near this very sensitive area. I am seeking specific data on cases of ground water contamination due to well Integrity failures. I hope to link a specific instance of contamination with a specific operating practice and operator. I am intending to do this for the purpose of filing a lawsuit with an injunction against permitting applications citing failure of the ECMC and their Well Integrity Rules to protect people and the environment. If I get enough such data I believe it possible to halt permitting across the state.
Reply
- Sarah Carballo says:
  January 7, 2025 at 11:09 am
  
  Hi, Richard! Thanks for your comment. If you would, please send us an email at info@fractracker.org with your request and we will be happy to assist.
  Reply

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Kern County’s Drafted EIR Will Increase the Burden for Frontline Communities

March 4, 2021

Built on sound data and ample research, FracTracker recommends several measures be taken to protect the health of California's overburdened Frontline Communities.

FracTracker Alliance, 2021

Pennsylvania’s Waste Disposal Wells – A Tale of Two Datasets

February 26, 2021

VIEW MAP & DATA Overview Access to reliable data…

California Oil & Gas Setbacks Recommendations Memo

February 23, 2021

The purpose of this memo is to recommend guidelines to CalGEM for evaluating the economic value of the social benefits and costs to people and the environment in requiring a 2,500 foot setback for oil and gas drilling (OGD) activities.

Oil and Gas Wells on California State Lands

February 12, 2021

The fossil fuel industry has historically taken advantage of…

Industrial Impacts in Michigan: A Photo Essay & Story Map

January 29, 2021

Southwest Detroit and neighboring South Rockwood in Monroe County…

People and Production: Reducing Risk in California Extraction

December 17, 2020

2 Comments

Executive Summary New research shows that low-income communities…

Documenting emissions from new oil and gas wells in California

November 18, 2020

Working with the environmental nonprofit Earthworks,…

Energy Security, International Investment, and Democracy in the US Shale Oil & Gas Industry

October 15, 2020

FracTracker in the Field: Building a Live Virtual Map

August 14, 2020

August 19, 2020 Update: The virtual story map is live! In…

The Loyalsock Watershed Project

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Mapping gathering lines in OH and WV feature

Mapping Gathering Lines in Ohio and West Virginia

July 2, 2020

As a spring 2020 intern with FracTracker, my work mostly involved…

Oil & Gas waste tank operated by SWEPI and Enervest at the Hayes pad, Otsego County, Michigan May 21st, 2016

The North Dakota Shale Viewer Reimagined: Mapping the Water and Waste Impact

June 18, 2020

2 Comments

We updated the FracTracker North Dakota Shale Viewer with current…

Falcon Pipeline Construction Releases over 250,000 Gallons of Drilling Fluid in Pennsylvania and Ohio

June 16, 2020

Part of the Falcon Public Environmental Impact Assessment - a…

Systematic Racism in Kern County Oil and Gas Permitting Ordinance

June 8, 2020

Kern County, California has approved at least 18,356 illegal…

Fracking Water Use in Pennsylvania Increases Dramatically

May 29, 2020

1 Comment

Unconventional wells in Pennsylvania were always resource-intensive,…

North Brooklyn Pipeline demographics map

New Yorkers mount resistance against North Brooklyn Pipeline

May 18, 2020

3 Comments

By Kim Fraczek (Sane Energy Project), with input and mapping…

Map of New 2020 Fracking Permits in California

California, Back in Frack

May 7, 2020

California is once again a fracked state. The moratorium on well…

California Setback Analyses Summary

April 2, 2020

2 Comments

FracTracker Alliance has conducted numerous spatial analyses…

Compressor station within Loyalsock State Forest, PA.

Air Pollution from Pennsylvania Shale Gas Compressor Stations – REPORT

March 19, 2020

Air pollution from Pennsylvania shale gas compressor stations…

New York State Oil & Gas Wells – 2020 Update

March 11, 2020

4 Comments

We’ve recently updated the New York State Oil and Gas Well…

National Energy and Petrochemical Map

February 28, 2020

1 Comment

This map from FracTracker Alliance is filled with energy and petrochemical data. Explore the map, continue reading to learn more, and see how your state measures up!

California Governor Gavin Newsom looks at surface expression oil spills

Governor Newsom Must Do More to Address the Cause of Oil Spill Surface Expressions

February 24, 2020

1 Comment

Chevron and other oil and gas companies in western Kern County…

Governor Newsom Well Watch website for California drilling

Oil & Gas Well Permits Issued By Newsom Administration Rival Those Issued Under Gov. Jerry Brown

February 22, 2020

FracTracker Alliance and Consumer Watchdog worked together to…

destroyed home following pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA

Pipelines Continue to Catch Fire and Explode

February 21, 2020

2 Comments

For the past decade, petroleum operators in the United States…

The Hidden Inefficiencies and Environmental Costs of Fracking in Ohio

January 13, 2020

3 Comments

Ohio continues to increase fracked gas production, facilitated…

Fracking in Pennsylvania: Not Worth It

January 7, 2020

4 Comments

Despite the ever-increasing heaps of violations and drilling…

Photo by Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance

Fracking Threatens Ohio’s Captina Creek Watershed

December 20, 2019

FracTracker's Great Lakes Program Coordinator Ted Auch explores…

California is Frack Free, for the Moment

November 19, 2019

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How State Regulations Hold Us back and What Other Countries are doing about Fracking

October 10, 2019

3 Comments

While it might be tempting to welcome an industry that often creates a temporary economic spike, the costs of mitigating the environmental damage from fracking far out-weighs the profit gained.