The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have released an updated estimate for a gasoline pipeline spill that occurred in December 2024 on private land within the boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in La Plata County. The incident is now considered to be the largest refined gasoline pipeline spill in Colorado since CDPHE began tracking such events in 2016.
Enterprise Products LLC, which owns and operates the failed pipeline, revised its original spill estimate after questions from state and tribal officials. The company increased its estimate from about 23,000 gallons to nearly 97,000 gallons of refined gasoline. This figure may change as further assessments are conducted.
In response to the new information, CDPHE and the Tribe are requiring Enterprise to implement a corrective action plan. The plan calls for expanded monitoring of groundwater and soil, installation of additional treatment systems, enhanced protections for affected residents including cisterns and water deliveries, safeguards for natural resources near Florida Mesa to protect the Animas River, and transparent reporting to ensure public access to timely information.
“As the original caretakers and conservationists, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe calls upon Enterprise and CDPHE to act with urgency and accountability in fully remediating the spill. The Tribe expects timely action and robust safeguards to protect the Animas River and our Tribal Membership. Anything less would be a failure to uphold the standards our community and environment deserve,” said Chairman Melvin J. Baker of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
“CDPHE is honored to work alongside the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in responding to this spill,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of CDPHE. “We share their commitment to protecting community health and safeguarding the environment, and will continue to support strong measures to ensure Enterprise meets its obligations.”
Enterprise has reported recovering more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline using soil vapor extraction technology. Remediation efforts will continue until monitoring shows that regulatory standards have been met and contamination no longer poses a risk.
State officials remain in close contact with local residents, La Plata County authorities, and state leadership through weekly meetings with Enterprise representatives. Both CDPHE and tribal leaders say they will provide regular updates as new details emerge.
More information can be found at:
Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Environmental Programs Department webpage
CDPHE’s La Plata County gasoline spill incident webpage
