CDPHE and Southern Ute Indian Tribe Announce Updated Enterprise Pipeline Spill Estimate, Reaffirm Commitment to Transparency

La Plata County, Colo. (8/26/25): The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (Tribe) are providing this update on the gasoline pipeline release that occurred in December 2024 on private fee land within the exterior boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The state is leading remediation oversight in coordination with the Tribe and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Enterprise Products LLC, which owns and operates the pipeline that failed, has revised its estimate of the release. After questions from the state and the Tribe regarding the accuracy of the original estimate, Enterprise determined it had underestimated the size of the spill and increased its estimate from approximately 23,000 gallons to nearly 97,000 gallons of refined gasoline. This figure remains an estimate and may be revised further. The updated estimate underscores the seriousness of the incident, which is now estimated to be the largest refined gasoline pipeline spill in Colorado since CDPHE began tracking such releases in 2016.

The state, in collaboration with the Tribe, is requiring Enterprise to follow a corrective action plan that includes additional steps to ensure a comprehensive and protective cleanup. These requirements include:

• Expanded monitoring of groundwater and soil to track the spread of contamination.
• Installation of additional groundwater and soil treatment systems.
• Enhanced protections for residents, such as providing cisterns and water deliveries, and installing point-of-entry treatment systems in affected homes.
• Safeguards for natural resources, including a survey and monitoring of seeps and springs near the Florida Mesa to prevent potential impacts to the Animas River.
• Transparent reporting to ensure state, tribal, and local leaders, as well as the public, have accurate and timely information.

“As the original caretakers and conservationists, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe calls upon Enterprise and CDPHE to act with urgency and accountability in fully remediating the spill. The Tribe expects timely action and robust safeguards to protect the Animas River and our Tribal Membership. Anything less would be a failure to uphold the standards our community and environment deserve,” said Chairman Melvin J. Baker of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

“CDPHE is honored to work alongside the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in responding to this spill,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of CDPHE. “We share their commitment to protecting community health and safeguarding the environment, and will continue to support strong measures to ensure Enterprise meets its obligations.”

Enterprise has reported recovering more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline from the subsurface using soil vapor extraction technology. Under the corrective action plan, remediation will continue until monitoring data confirm that all regulatory standards have been met and contamination no longer poses a risk to human health or the environment.

The Tribe and CDPHE remain in close communication with residents, La Plata County, and state leadership. Weekly meetings with Enterprise and its contractors are used to review the latest data and determine next steps. Both CDPHE and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe will provide regular updates as new information becomes available and take all necessary actions to ensure the health and safety of Reservation residents and the environment. 

For more information:

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