climateadaptation:

Colorado: 350 oil and gas spills in less than two years; benzene found in groundwater; fines are almost non-existent

Just this summer, one company had three spills in Weld county (Colorado) alone that included highly toxic substances. Benzene, a known carcinogen, was confirmed to be found in groundwater.

In Colorado, about eight wells are being drilled each day. But The Post found that:

• spills are happening at the rate of seven per week.
• so far in 2011, more than 2 million gallons have been spilled of diesel, oil, drilling wastewater and chemicals.
• state regulators rarely penalize companies responsible for spills — issuing only five fines for spills that happened three or more years ago. What’s more, state regulators have commended these companies for environmental excellence.