Chevron has provided updates regarding cleanup efforts in Galeton following the oil spill event that occurred on April 6, which involved 5,000 barrels of liquid hydrocarbon and 20,000 barrels of total water volume. Ten out of 14 displaced families have moved back into their homes in Galeton since the spill. Chevron said that they are actively working with the remaining displaced residents to get access to their properties, conduct assessments, and to engage in cleanup efforts.
Chevron identified two root causes for the oil spill. The first root cause is “improper assembly of the installation equipment for the production tree by the on-site wellhead technician contractor.” The second root cause was “inadequate setting of the barrier (tubing hanger assembly) designed to prevent the flow of liquids.” Chevron said the company has taken immediate action to address these issues.
Air monitoring continues in the area and there are five stationary monitoring stations being utilized by Chevron. The company states that it has “not collected any readings that pose a threat to human health based on EPA standards.”
The data shows 2,203 soil samples have been collected, 730 surface water samples, 93 groundwater samples, seven well water samples, and 475 analytical air samples. The Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) is the independent organization that is conducting the soil testing on behalf of Chevron. CTEH has received criticism for alleged faulty monitoring data in multiple cases of environmental disasters in which CTEH was hired by the company at fault for the spill. This includes the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that sent oil into the Gulf of Mexico and the East Palestine train derailment followed by a controlled burn of more than a million pounds of vinyl chloride. In these cases residents became sick after being told it was safe to return home.
Dr. Paul Nony denied these allegations in a response to The Nation in 2023. He said, “CTEH’s results and methodologies do not depend upon who has hired CTEH. We report the health risks that are indicated by the data we collect.” He insisted that CTEH has found health risks on nearly every project the company has worked on in the past 25 years.
Regarding the soil samples, Chevron said they have found a “limited number of exceedances and are working to implement the necessary remediation plans.” Chevron told the Longmont Leader that the company “has conducted extensive soil sampling and air monitoring through an experienced contractor, and we remain committed to sharing key conclusions and data with all appropriate agencies. The results of these samples are used to develop appropriate remediation and reclamation activities, which are reviewed and approved by the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission.”
The Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) held a public hearing via Zoom on June 26 at 10:30 a.m. to provide updates regarding the Bishop Well incident. The recording will be posted after the conclusion of the meeting.
