Reported oil and gas spills declined considerably last year in Colorado, state data shows.
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission data indicates companies reported 476 spills last year, down from 639 in 2019.
The group Center for Western Priorities says that 349 of last yearâs spills involved new releases, as opposed to companies reporting what are referred to as historic spills that occurred earlier but they only discovered last year. It says that of the 349 new spills, the company responsible for the most â13.2%â was Caerus Oil and Gas, which operates locally in the Piceance Basin.
The COGCC database indicates that spills reported in 2020 included 258 in Weld County, which last year led the state in drilling activity, and has more than 19,000 active wells. Sixty-three were reported in Garfield County, which ranked third among counties in drilling activity last year and has 11,922 active wells.
Energy Companies Have Left Colorado With Billions of Dollars in Oil and Gas Cleanup ksut.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ksut.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As the state tries to reform its relationship to drilling, an expensive task awaits. Image credit: Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images March 11, 2021 From the print edition
When an oil or gas well reaches the end of its lifespan, it must be plugged. If it isn’t, the well might leak toxic chemicals into groundwater and spew methane, carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere for years on end.
But plugging a well is no simple task: Cement must be pumped down into it to block the opening, and the tubes connecting it to tanks or pipelines must be removed, along with all the other onsite equipment. Then the top of the well has to be chopped off near the surface and plugged again, and the area around the rig must be cleaned up.
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Stay current on the latest issues impacting physicians, patients and the health care environment with the AMA’s Advocacy Update Newsletter. Dan Kastner, MD, PhD
A research pioneer in rare genetic diseases was one of the recipients of the prestigious AMA Award for Government Service. Dan Kastner, MD, PhD, devoted his more than three-decade career to diagnosing and treating rare genetic diseases characterized by fever and inflammation that often result in disabling conditions and death. His work has provided detailed molecular explanations for these illnesses.
Dr. Kastner directs the National Human Genome Research Institute’s division of intramural research and heads the inflammatory disease section. He has seen his work become the conceptual basis for effective targeted therapies. It has informed medicine’s understanding of more common illnesses as well.
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