An air quality test in Weld County on Monday revealed a pipeline-related gas leak near a school bus stop north of Fort Lupton, according to Colorado health officials.
The test identified elevated levels of benzene near the bus stop, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Methane was also detected “during targeted monitoring closer to gas infrastructure.”
Benzene is highly flammable and can cause dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion and loss of consciousness when breathed in, according to the .
The gas leak was found on Weld County Road 20, less than a mile east of U.S. 85, Colorado health officials stated in the release.
Energy and Carbon Management Commission crews used drone mapping, optic gas imaging and remote methane leak detection technology to identify the gas line causing the leak, according to the release.
The oil and gas operator responsible for the line, which was not identified in the release, shut in and depressurized the leaking section, according to state health officials. The operator will investigate the cause of the leak and repair it.
State investigators continue to monitor the site and are sharing information with the Weld Re-8 School District “out of an abundance of caution,” officials stated in the release.
The Weld Re-8 School District includes both Fort Lupton Middle School and Fort Lupton High School.
