"Natural-gas liquid is gushing near a Colorado creek, and nobody can figure out how to stop it"

[limpyhobbler]

An unidentified “liquid natural-gas product” is flowing freely into the shallow ground near a creekside gas processing plant in rural western Colorado. After 11 days of cleanup operations and investigations, the source and precise contents of the toxic spill remain a mystery.

Officials at Williams Energy, the presumed culprit in the spill, have not been able to locate the source of the leak, so they have been unable to staunch the flow of underground pollution that is threatening to contaminate Parachute Creek.

More than 60,000 gallons of hydrocarbon gunk have so far been sucked up using vacuum-equipped trucks. The underground pollution plume is believed to have grown to at least 200 feet by 170 feet and is at least 14 feet deep.

The town of Parachute, Colo., home to roughly 1,000 people, closed a headgate that’s used to divert creek water into a drinking water reservoir. That step was a precaution in case the waterway becomes contaminated.
...

from http://grist.org/news/natural-gas-liquid-is-gushing-near-a-colorado-creek-and-nobody-can-figure-out-how-to-stop-the-leak/

[limpyhobbler]

1. Creek spill is 'status quo', company says. Some locals unhappy about lack of public notification

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

PARACHUTE, Colorado — A spokeswoman for Williams Midstream, the company in charge of what some believe is a ruptured pipeline along Parachute Creek north of here, said on Tuesday that there was “nothing new to report” about a hydrocarbon spill four miles north of here next to Parachute Creek.

“Everything is status quo,” added Williams' spokeswoman Donna Gray, explaining that the actual source of the plume had not been located.

Todd Hartman, communications official for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission — which oversees the industry — said that as of late Tuesday the crews had vacuumed 10 additional barrels of “oil” from the spill site that day.

That brings the amount of what he termed “oil” vacuumed from the site to a total of 139 barrels, or 5,800 gallons, according to Hartman.
...

link: http://www.postindependent.com/article/20130320/VALLEYNEWS/130319863/1083&ParentProfile=1074

[Scuba]

2. Obviously caused by too much government regulation!

[wtmusic]

3. I'm a stanch supporter of efforts to staunch any toxic stench. nt

[pscot]

4. Got a match?

I'll find it.

[Nihil]

5. Toxic pollution from the natural gas industry? Pah ...

> After 11 days of cleanup operations and investigations, the source and precise
> contents of the toxic spill remain a mystery.

If only it had a mildly radioactive element in it then there would be some attention
paid but merely contaminating land, water, air (+ people's futures)? Meh ...

[hunter]

6. Radioactive toxins are magically more dangerous than fossil fuel toxins.

Either kind of toxin can kill you just as dead, but they make you pass through a Geiger counter at the gates of heaven.

If your soul is radioactive, they don't let you in.