EPA is responding to a gasoline leak in Culebra Creek near the town of San Luis, Colorado, in Costilla County. Mitigation efforts and contamination testing are underway. At this point, the Costilla County Public Health (CCPH) Department has no reason to believe any wells in the county area affected or
contaminated by this incident. However, the CCPH urges caution to anyone ingesting
well or spring water from private wells or artesian springs along the south
end of Main Street in San Luis, and encourages citizens in that area to have their water tested
if it is being consumed.
The source of the contamination is yet to be determined and the results of soil and groundwater testing are pending.
Background
At approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, a private citizen contacted the Department
of Water Resources to report gasoline odors on a pedestrian bridge over Culebra Creek. Costilla County Emergency Management and Public Health were first on the scene and determined that there was a sheen and organic vapors coming out of the stormwater discharge pipe into Culebra Creek at that location.
San Luis Public Works investigated manways throughout the stormwater collection system and determined that the vapors were localized around one of two fuel stations in town. The Costilla County HAZMAT team responded to the discharge and investigated the presence of visible sheen, and the San Luis Valley HAZMAT team deployed sorbent boom on Culebra Creek at the stormwater outfall to absorb the fuel. Based upon the assessment, the Costilla County Emergency Manager contacted the EPA National Response Center on January 15, 2026 to report the spill and coordinate with EPA Region 8.
Details
EPA deployed an on-scene coordinator (OSC) to the site on January 15, 2026.
EPA and Colorado
Oil and Public Safety (Colorado OPS) are working to schedule a contractor to scope the town's storm drains and assess for the presence of potential sources or leaks in the system.
The Costilla
County Fire Protection District, San Luis Water and Sanitation District,
Sanchez Ditch and Reservoir Company, San Luis Valley HAZMAT, Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado OPS, Colorado
Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Colorado
Parks and Wildlife are collaborating with EPA in response to the incident.
