CRAIG, Colo.—Colorado oil and gas regulators are being asked to find Axia Energy in violation of rules for the company’s operations of a wastewater tank at the site of a fatal accident outside Craig in January.
Jon Herod, an employee of Herod Industries, died Jan. 3 when a 300-barrel storage tank exploded at an Axia oil and gas development site north of Craig. The explosion occurred when workers used a propane torch to thaw valves while trying to transfer wastewater from a hydraulic fracturing operation.
Denver-based Axia and Herod Industries have agreed to pay a total of $16,800 in fines under settlements with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in connection with the death, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Monday ().
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is being asked to decide whether Axia violated several of the agency’s rules in its pit operations.
Agency staff had inspected the pit and an associated well in December 2012 and conducted another inspection after the explosion and fire.
Axia and commission staff differed on whether a hose was placed on the liner in violation of a condition of approval, causing the liner breach, and whether the pit had been properly fenced to protect wildlife.
Axia paid fines for safety violations in the incident. OSHA determined it exposed workers to danger by failing to make sure the tank being used to transfer wastewater was marked to indicate it contained flammable liquids or gases.
Under an agreement between OSHA and Herod, Herod is paying $11,200 for four violations, one deemed serious.
OSHA says the violations involved issues including failing to mark tanks to indicate the presence of flammable substances, a failure in training and failure to an control open flame.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
