Fracking operators in Colorado dodge chemical disclosure rules despite legal mandate
Colorado oil and gas companies have injected at least 30 million pounds of chemicals underground in the past 18 months without complying with state rules requiring full disclosure of their ingredients.
Joe Fassler reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Despite Colorado’s 2022 law banning PFAS use and mandating full chemical disclosure within 150 days of fracking operations, more than 60% of wells fracked since July 2023 lack required filings. Chevron, operating over 375 such wells, is the largest non-compliant operator.
- A blowout at Chevron’s Noble Bishop site in April released toxic chemicals into the air near Galeton, exposing residents to benzene levels up to 10 times the safety threshold. Students measuring air quality at the site described overwhelming fumes and health effects.
- Environmental and public health advocates say the lack of transparency hampers medical care, exposes communities to toxic substances, and undermines state efforts to protect water, air, and health. Enforcement of disclosure rules remains weak nearly two years after the law took effect.
Key quote:
“This just kind of proves that you need to be transparent about what you’re putting in those wells. Because when incidents like this happen, people don’t know what they’re breathing, they don’t know what’s going into the air.”
— Jared Stickney, graduate student, Colorado State University
Why this matters:
Colorado’s attempt to lead the nation with stricter transparency laws was meant to pierce the veil of “trade secret” protections that have long shielded the oil and gas industry from scrutiny. But the weak enforcement of these new rules leaves many residents vulnerable to unknown exposures. PFAS and other persistent chemicals used in drilling fluids can contaminate drinking water, linger in the environment, and accumulate in the human body over time. Even short-term exposure to substances like benzene is linked to leukemia and other health problems. And when spills and blowouts occur, the lack of chemical disclosure means first responders and medical professionals are left guessing about what people were exposed to.
