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23,000-Gallon Gas Leak Edges Toward Animas River, Sparking Tribal Outcry Over Slow Cleanup
<p data-start="365" data-end="619">GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — A gasoline leak from a pipeline southeast of Durango is inching closer to the Animas River, raising fears among Southern Ute tribal leaders and environmental advocates that a major ecological threat may be looming.</p>
<p data-start="621" data-end="873">According to the Colorado Sun, about 23,000 gallons of gasoline spilled on Florida Mesa in December, and chemical detectors are now finding benzene, a known carcinogen, seeping into spring beds that flow toward the Animas River.</p>
<p data-start="875" data-end="1043">The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has confirmed it is the sixth-largest pipeline spill the agency has dealt with in recent years.</p>
<h2 data-start="1045" data-end="1084">Tribal Leaders: Response Is Too Slow</h2>
<p data-start="1086" data-end="1260">The Southern Ute Indian Tribe, whose reservation lies downstream, is calling for immediate acceleration of cleanup efforts by both the pipeline’s owner and the state.</p>
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<p data-start="1264" data-end="1425">“The cleanup work is moving far too slowly,” tribal leaders told the <em data-start="1333" data-end="1347">Colorado Sun</em>. “We’re extremely concerned about the risk to our lands, waters, and people.”</p>
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<p data-start="1427" data-end="1595">The tribe, whose fishing and agricultural activities depend on the Animas River, fears long-term contamination could compromise ecosystems and cultural livelihoods.</p>
<p data-start="1427" data-end="1595"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12482" src="https://budgyapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Animas-River-benzene-gas-leak-Durango-Colorado-Southern-Ute-pipeline-spill.jpg" alt="Animas River benzene gas leak Durango Colorado Southern Ute pipeline spill" width="685" height="455" /></p>
<h2 data-start="1597" data-end="1630">Benzene Detection Raises Alarm</h2>
<p data-start="1632" data-end="1824">Benzene has now been detected in nearby spring beds, which some environmental scientists consider early warning signs of groundwater mobilizing toxic elements toward surface waterways.</p>
<p data-start="1826" data-end="2015">While the state health department insists there&#8217;s no definitive evidence the Animas River will be contaminated, experts say spring detections signal the need for urgent containment.</p>
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<p data-start="2019" data-end="2212">“Benzene is mobile in groundwater and highly toxic in even small quantities,” said one hydrogeologist familiar with similar incidents. “Once it hits surface water, the game changes completely.”</p>
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<h2 data-start="2214" data-end="2252">Regulatory Oversight Under Scrutiny</h2>
<p data-start="2254" data-end="2453">As pressure mounts from tribal and environmental leaders, questions are growing around whether the state and the pipeline operator acted quickly and transparently enough after the December spill.</p>
<p data-start="2455" data-end="2610">The name of the pipeline operator has not been disclosed by CDPHE in recent briefings, and no public timeline has been issued for complete remediation.</p>
<p data-start="2612" data-end="2785">The leak’s proximity to the Animas River, which suffered major contamination in 2015 from the Gold King Mine disaster, is rekindling fears in La Plata County and beyond.</p>
<h2 data-start="2787" data-end="2825">Local Impact and Historical Context</h2>
<p data-start="2827" data-end="3075">The Animas River is a critical lifeline for communities in southwest Colorado, used for irrigation, fishing, and recreation. A potential benzene spill into the river could have cascading effects on agriculture and public health.</p>
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<th data-start="3077" data-end="3091" data-col-size="sm">Key Details</th>
<th data-start="3091" data-end="3106" data-col-size="md">Information</th>
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<td data-start="3137" data-end="3154" data-col-size="sm">Spill Size</td>
<td data-col-size="md" data-start="3154" data-end="3184">23,000 gallons of gasoline</td>
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<td data-start="3185" data-end="3200" data-col-size="sm">Location</td>
<td data-col-size="md" data-start="3200" data-end="3230">Florida Mesa, near Durango</td>
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<td data-start="3231" data-end="3258" data-col-size="sm">Detected Contaminant</td>
<td data-start="3258" data-end="3269" data-col-size="md">Benzene</td>
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<td data-start="3270" data-end="3290" data-col-size="sm">River at Risk</td>
<td data-col-size="md" data-start="3290" data-end="3306">Animas River</td>
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<td data-start="3307" data-end="3329" data-col-size="sm">Agency Response</td>
<td data-start="3329" data-end="3378" data-col-size="md">Ongoing; sixth largest spill handled by CDPHE</td>
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<td data-start="3379" data-end="3404" data-col-size="sm">Tribal Involvement</td>
<td data-col-size="md" data-start="3404" data-end="3453">Southern Ute leaders demanding faster cleanup</td>
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<h2 data-start="3455" data-end="3480">Risk Not Yet Ruled Out</h2>
<p data-start="3482" data-end="3704">Despite state assurances that no contamination has entered the Animas River so far, tribal leaders and environmental groups are calling for independent monitoring and greater transparency from the pipeline company.</p>
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<p data-start="3708" data-end="3896">“The only acceptable solution is containment and removal before the river is touched,” a Southern Ute spokesperson said. “We’ve lived through one river disaster—we won’t wait for another.”</p>
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