Shortly after the incident started, the Unified Command initiated protocols to create a ½ mile exclusion zone, reaching out to any residents in the area to alert them of the situation and advise their voluntary evacuation.
The exclusion zone is intended to ensure emergency response teams have safe access to manage the site and keep residents away from liquids from the well. The extent of the zone was determined in consultation with the Galeton Fire Protection District, the Weld Oil and Gas Energy Department, and the Weld Office of Emergency Management. There are 13 homes within the current exclusion zone.
The team is in close contact with any residents who have made the decision to stay in their homes, and we are operating air monitors to protect public health. The results of the air quality monitoring have been below levels of concern.
As a precaution, the Unified Command and the school district decided together to close Galeton Elementary.
Responding agencies continue to monitor multiple factors, including the status of the well, the weather, air monitoring results, and amount of water on the site.