January 13 Update
The response team continued
to remove oil from West Douglas Creek through the week and over the weekend.
The work may result in travel delays on the north side of Douglas Pass and
Highway 139. Livestock should avoid drinking from the creek within the
area of impact until the cleanup is complete. An alternative drinking water
supply has been provided for cattle on the BLM allotment.
The team removed the bulk of
accessible oil in the initial few days. Especially with weather freezing oil in
layers to the sides of the riverbank, collection is becoming more nuanced. In
oil spills, it is typical to see the most volume of oil collected in the first
few days. The team is continuing to remove as much oil as feasible, while
taking care to limit the impact to the sensitive streambed. The team is closely
monitoring weather as this may impact cleanup operations.
Background
At approximately 1:15 pm on Monday, 1/5/2026, a
tanker trailer carrying roughly 220 barrels (approximately 9,250 gallons) of crude oil was involved in a single-vehicle accident along Highway 139 between Rangely and
Grand Junction, Colorado. The accident resulted in a complete loss of the
contents into West Douglas Creek. The spill occurred on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The truck driver was hospitalized and received care for what appears to be
relatively minor injuries.
The trucking company is working with their
insurance company and currently has vacuum trucks onsite working to recover
oil; in addition, representatives from the Rangely Fire Department constructed an
underflow dam approximately 0.75-mile downstream from the accident location and
as of approximately 5 pm, the trucking company reported that no oil had yet
reached the dam.
EPA deployed two On-Scene Coordinators to the scene to conduct further assessment. They arrived on scene on January 6.
The spill has been successfully contained within West Douglas Creek. There are no known impacts to drinking water. The spill impacted a BLM grazing allotment. The Responsible Party is providing alternative drinking water for the cattle on the allotment.
