1 week Ago By Trevor Reid
Crews began clean-up efforts Saturday as part of recovery efforts around the Bishop Well oil and gas site in Galeton, where a release led to the evacuation of 12 people within a half-mile radius of the well pad. Galeton Elementary School also remained closed throughout the week after the release Sunday evening south of Weld County Road 74. Clean-up efforts began in the periphery of the affected area, which included the school and evacuated homes, according to an update from Weld County on Saturday.
“The safety of our neighbors, workers and environment remains our top priority, and we are currently evaluating when it will be safe for people to return home,” the county’s update said. Officials will continue to conduct outreach to those who have been affected. The county posted an incident webpage , available through a banner at the top of weld.
gov . The page includes additional resources on livestock issues, including information about oil and petroleum product exposures to livestock and animal decontamination information. Officials believe the liquid released in the incident is about 80% water and 20% gas and oil, as Chevron works on a sample to confirm the composition.
Officials say it’s too soon to pinpoint the exact cause of the release, but early information suggests a failure of surface equipment led to the release. Ongoing recovery activities as of Saturday include air monitoring, surface and groundwater sampling, soil sampling, assessment of any landowner impacts and cleaning of structures, roads and vehicles. The county’s website says contamination of drinking water wells from the incident is unlikely.
Officials will communicate findings of their investigation once completed. Anyone impacted by the release is encouraged to contact the Bishop Well Incident claims line at 877-359-1285. Officials also urge livestock owners to contact their veterinarian to evaluate and monitor their animals.
A Community Information Line is available at 970-400-4264..
