In wake of Colorado floods, officials start counting oil and gas spills

[xchrom]

http://grist.org/news/in-wake-of-colorado-floods-officials-start-counting-oil-and-gas-spills/

As floodwaters recede following epic storms that hit the region around Boulder, Colo., a week ago, officials are trying to get a grasp on the extent of oil and gas pollution triggered by the deluge.

Oil spills and washed-out chemical tanks only add to the devastation of the unseasonable drenching, which killed 10 people. Another 200 are still unaccounted for, though that number is falling as phone and internet services come back online.

Nearly 1,900 oil and gas wells were shut down ahead of or amid the flooding, but that wasn’t enough to prevent contamination. On Friday, the state’s oil agency said [PDF] it was “tracking five notable releases” of oil and gas and “11 locations with visible evidence of a release, such as a sheen.” It also reported “as many as two dozen tanks overturned.”

More from the BBC:

Officials from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) said they were trying to assess the damage from oil and gas spills in the north-central area of the state. …

[Champion Jack]

1. Coming to a floodplain near you…

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. This is just the begining.

More than 25,000 gallons of oil spill into Colorado waters

High water and muddy conditions are making it difficult for oil and gas regulatory agencies to conduct ground survey of the wells impacted by the Colorado floods.

According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), the known oil releases have exceeded 25,000 gallons as of Saturday. That's the equivalent of two 300-barrel oil storage tanks.

Todd Hartman with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources says COGCC has assessed approximately 35 percent of impacted areas so far.

The number of locations with visible evidence of oil spills has increased to 12.

http://www.9news.com/news/article/356277/188/More-than-25000-gallons-of-oil-spill-into-Colorado-waters

Though of course, given the amount of general devastation, I doubt that the full extent of the oil damage will be disclosed or covered by the media who'd rather focus on property damage, and vignettes of personal loss or heroism.