Thornton announced Monday that it will direct city staff to publicize state-mandated inspection results for all oil and gas wells operating in the city so that the public can easily access the data online.
In addition, the City Council will continue updating regulations to further improve safety standards for oil and gas development in Colorado’s sixth-largest city.
Thornton’s announcement comes in the wake of a recent home explosion in Firestone, which was connected to a nearby Anadarko Petroleum Corp.-run well that had not been properly capped.
“The recently disclosed conclusions of the investigation into the tragic home explosion that occurred in Thornton’s neighboring community of Firestone a few weeks ago has revealed several troubling issues that Thornton City Council believes need to be addressed,” the city said in a release Monday. “The safety of people living and working in Thornton is of primary concern for city council.”
Specifically, city staff will be tracking to ensure oil and gas facilities in Thornton are operating in compliance with state guidelines. On May 2, operators statewide were given 30 days to inspect and test oil and gas flowlines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings to ensure they are working properly.
That means results from those inspections, which will be posted to , won’t be available until early next month at the earliest.
Thornton has long been a flashpoint for an issue that has gotten increasing attention — the proximity of oil and gas operations to residential neighborhoods — as the city sits on the edge of the mineral-rich Denver-Julesburg Basin. Crowds have shown up in council chambers to in the city.
Firestone is less than 10 miles from Thornton’s northern boundary.
