On the Ground at Colorado’s Largest Gasoline Spill

Last week, we visited the site of the largest gasoline spill in Colorado history.

In 2024, a pipeline ruptured just outside of Durango, releasing at least 97,000 gallons of gasoline. That’s 2,300 barrels!

The spill seeped into groundwater and wells nearby – posing a serious public health risk to everyone who lives here.

The standard for an accident like this should be “zero.”

But the immediate focus has been on resolving the ongoing threat.

We met with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, local, state, and federal officials and heard how the cleanup efforts – led by Enterprise Products, the company responsible for the spill – were going. We also heard about the damage already done to local water resources.

Here’s the bottom line: the cleanup must stay ahead of the spread and this should never happen again.

We’ll keep supporting the Tribe and these communities and pushing for accountability to protect public health and the environment.

While in the Southwest, we also stopped by Agile Space Industries, one of Colorado’s incredible space companies, to check out their expanded facility and celebrate their growing footprint in Durango.

Later, we went to the opening ceremony of the Durango Powerhouse’s brand new WonderLab Early Learning Childcare Center. We highlighted the importance of funding childcare in Colorado at a time when slots are at a premium.

We also met with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council (UMUT) to hear about the Tribe’s priorities, including their water infrastructure projects, law enforcement needs, and the recently terminated Bears Ears Commission. They gave us an update on how the federal funding we secured for multiple UMUT projects is helping their community as well.

Next, we convened water managers, county commissioners, farmers, and other experts at the McPhee Reservoir outside Dolores and Cortez to discuss how the extreme drought is affecting the surrounding community.

McPhee has dropped an additional 15 feet in one year and now stands at 42% capacity. That’s 65 feet below the reservoir’s capacity!

Unfortunately, it’s just one extreme example of the impact this record 1,200-year drought is having on everyone in the West.

On Friday, we made it over to Ouray to highlight federal funding we secured to reduce wildfire risk. West Region Wildfire Council will use the funding to remove dead wood, brush, and dense trees to improve forest health and help keep the City of Ouray safe.

Ouray County officials also showed us the damage from the Gold Mountain Fire and subsequent flooding and debris flows. We’re continuing to push for federal relief to help the community recover from these disasters.

We wrapped up our Southwest stops by meeting with local business owners and leaders to discuss how the warmer winter, which forced them to cancel their Ouray Ice Festival, and the Gold Mountain Fire has impacted their business. But, their doors are still open and they’re ready for people to come up to enjoy this beautiful part of our state!

Thank you to everyone who came out to meet with us and say hello. Thank you to everyone who came out to meet with us and say hello. We’re committed to lowering costs, protecting Coloradans’ public health, helping families rebuild after natural disasters, and fighting climate change, which is making droughts and wildfires so much worse.

More to come!