Erie neighborhood fears health risks as cleanup of oil well leak continues

ERIE, Colo. — In the middle of an Erie neighborhood, surrounded by homes and walking trails, an old oil and gas well leaked and contaminated the ground.

The operator, Civitas, discovered the leak late last year and is working to clean up the area. As excavators dig up soil this week, some living in the community are worried about potential health risks and are calling on local and state officials to share more information.

Sara Amodio has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. She knew about the well when her family moved in. But she never expected a leak.

Amodio can see the cleanup process taking place from her backyard. She has a rare lung condition known as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. During the cleanup, she wears a mask whenever she goes outside and has air filters running inside.

“It’s a known trigger for my condition,” she said.

Civitas discovered the leak last November. The well, known as Erie 1-24, was drilled in 1982. Civitas told Denver7 it was part of its normal course of business to remove “all of the legacy equipment” and restore the area.

“During our plugging and reclamation, we identified some stained soil and immediately notified state regulators and the Town of Erie before removing and replacing with fresh topsoil,” a Civitas spokesperson said.

Civitas removed the old wellbore and started removing contaminated soil earlier this year. Now, the company is excavating more soil after tests showed some chemicals remained.

Civitas told Denver7, “As with all of our plugging and reclamation efforts, we work closely with state and local regulators to follow all regulations, which remain the toughest in the country.”

Read the rest of this article and watch the accompanying video on Denver7.com