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Across the West, spills from oil and gas extraction take a toll on lands, waters, wildlife, and communities. In Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming—the Mountain West’s top oil and gas-producing states—companies report thousands of spills each year, which release toxic materials such as crude oil and polluted water.
According to a new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities, companies in New Mexico and Colorado reported an increase in drilling-related spills in 2022 as compared to 2021, while the number of reported spills in Wyoming went down as compared to 2021. Operators in New Mexico also reported a record number of methane waste events as compared to 2021 (the first year for which this data was available due to improved reporting requirements).
“Oil and gas companies in both New Mexico and Colorado appear to be polluting more than ever, while posting record profits,” said Kate Groetzinger, Communications Manager at the Center for Western Priorities. “The number of drilling-related spills and amount of methane wasted by the oil and gas industry should be going down each year, not up.”
Interior Department releases plans for Colorado River cuts
The Biden administration released draft plans to address Colorado River water shortages. The draft proposes two alternatives to cut use of the river by up to 2.1 million acre-feet in 2024. These measures aim to maintain the water levels required for Lake Mead and Lake Powell to generate hydropower. Action Alternative 1 targets Arizona and Nevada for the bulk of potential reductions in water allocations, whereas Action Alternative 2 applies cuts equally across California, Arizona, and Nevada. The draft plans will be open for public comment for 45 days, and the Department of the Interior is expected to select an alternative by the end of this summer.
“Drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin have been two decades in the making,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. “To meet this moment, we must continue to work together, through a commitment to protecting the river, leading with science and a shared understanding that unprecedented conditions require new solutions.”
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Everybody understands the significance of the crisis. I think everybody understands that, as fortunate and thankful we are for the precipitation, that nobody’s off the hook, and that there needs to continue to be unity in trying to develop solutions.”
