GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—A new report says the number of oil and natural gas wells in Colorado is growing, but inspections of well sites aren’t keeping up.
The Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project says in 2010, there were more than 43,000 active wells and 16,228 inspections by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. That rose to 46,835 wells in 2011, but there were only 12,239 inspections. The report also says few violators are penalized.
The commission has 15 inspectors.
Colorado Department of Natural Resources spokesman Todd Hartman told The Daily Sentinel ( ) in response to the report that the commission has doubled its staff during the past seven years and plans to hire seven more people, including two more inspectors, by the next fiscal year.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
