Colorado's Chemical Injection


 

Publication Date: June 2007

Publisher: Environmental Working Group

Author(s): Dusty Horwitt

Research Area: Energy

Keywords: oil; gas

Type: Report

Coverage: Colorado

Abstract:

Oil and gas companies in Colorado are injecting wells with millions of gallons of unknown fluids that contain dozens of dangerous chemicals linked to respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, immune, and other disorders, including cancer.

According to industry data, at least 430 million gallons of chemical-laced fluids have been injected into more than 9,000 oil and gas wells in the state, mostly along the northern Front Range and the Western Slope. The amount of fluid injected may be far greater than reported: There are currently more than 35,000 wells operating in Colorado and one industry expert has estimated that 90 percent of all wells receive chemical injections (COGCC 2008, Carrillo 2005).