BROOMFIELD, Colo. — An abandoned oil and gas well in Broomfield is leaking methane.
The well is located here, off Graham Peak Way in the Anthem Highlands neighborhood.
Random testing shows it started leaking methane in May.
The city and county of Broomfield first alerted people who live nearby a few months later.
“It does concern me,” said Judy Kelly, who lives about 1,200 feet from the well, “because we know what’s happened before.”
Kelly is talking about the home explosion in Firestone in 2017 that killed two people. The cause of the blast was methane that ignited.
In that case, the methane came from an active well and was airborne.
In the current case in Broomfield, the well is inactive and the methane is staying in the soil, for now.
Just last week, the City and County of Broomfield posted this notice online that read, in part, “The COGCC reconfirmed Oct. 11 that there is not an immediate risk to the residents in this area from methane associated with this situation.”
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission confirms the well is now part of its orphaned well program to be remediated. And the well is a priority.