Are there significant numbers of oil and gas spills?
Yes. In a five year period between 2008-2012, more than 2,000 Colorado leaks were reported by the industry itself (averages about 1 per day). 17% of these resulted in verified groundwater contamination. The verified groundwater contamination rate was 40% in Weld County, frack central of Colorado. In the period 2012-2014, that self-reported* spill rate increased to almost 2 per day.
As a result of the Colorado floods in 2013, the industry’s own COGCC reported spills of oil/gas-related fluids totaling more than 90,000 gallons.
(Sources: Denver Post / Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Committee)
*With only 17-20 full-time state inspectors responsible for 45-50,000 wells, each is responsible for more than 20,000 wells, making meaningful, independent, physical oversight farcical.