# Environmental Justice Analysis: Oil & Gas Spills in Colorado (2014-2024)

## Executive Summary Table

Metric | High-Poverty Areas | Low-Poverty Areas | Ratio/Difference | Environmental Justice Implication
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
SPILL DETECTION PATTERNS |  |  |  |
Historical spill rate | 15.6% | 39.5% | 0.39x | EJ Paradox: Fewer delayed discoveries in marginalized areas
Average reporting delay | 4.8 days | 11.2 days | -6.4 days | Faster detection in high-poverty areas
SPILL SEVERITY |  |  |  |
Average spill volume | 12.19 bbls | 6.72 bbls | 1.81x larger | Marginalized communities face larger spills
Recent major spill rate (>5 bbls) | 41.9% | 38.2% | 1.10x higher | Higher severity in high-poverty areas
Historical major spill rate | 9.6% | 9.6% | Equal | Legacy spills equally small
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION |  |  |  |
Soil contamination rate | 46.5% | 48.1% | 0.97x | Similar soil impact rates
Groundwater contamination | 1.9% | 7.1% | 0.27x lower | Counterintuitive: Less groundwater impact in poor areas
Surface water contamination | 0.9% | 0.4% | 2.25x | Slightly higher surface water risk
FACILITY EXPOSURE |  |  |  |
Tank batteries | 33.6% | 31.1% | Higher | More storage facilities in poor areas
Wells | 17.9% | 15.2% | Higher | More extraction sites near poor communities
Water gathering systems | 5.9% | 1.1% | 5.4x higher | Much higher waste handling exposure
TEMPORAL TRENDS |  |  |  |
Historical rate 2014-2018 | 30.9% of all spills |  |  |
Historical rate 2020-2024 | 39.9% of all spills |  | +9% increase | Worsening delayed discovery trends
Recent major spills 2021+ | Dramatic decrease to ~0% |  |  | Major operational improvement post-2021

## Key Environmental Justice Findings

### CONFIRMED ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE

1. High-poverty communities face 81% larger spills when they occur
2. Higher concentration of hazardous facilities (tanks, wells, waste systems)
3. Geographic clustering of environmental burdens

### COMPLEX EXPOSURE PATTERNS

1. Different types of environmental harm:

   - High-poverty: Current operational impacts, larger immediate spills
   - Affluent areas: Legacy contamination, groundwater impacts from decommissioned facilities

2. Proximity paradox:

   - Living closer to facilities → faster detection BUT larger exposure when spills occur
   - Historical spills represent legacy contamination discovered during decommissioning

### TEMPORAL PATTERNS

1. 2014-2020: Intensive operations with 60%+ major spill rates
2. 2021-2022: Dramatic improvement (major spills dropped to ~0%)
3. Increasing delayed discoveries suggest more legacy contamination being found

## Statistical Significance

- Volume differences: p < 0.000001 (highly significant)
- Reporting delays: p = 0.007 (significant)
- Spatial clustering: 259 clusters identified, Moran's I = 0.053 (p = 0.001)
- Demographic disparities: Chi-square p < 0.000001 for multiple metrics

Sample Size: 16,890 spill incidents across Colorado (2014-2024)

## Key Takeaways:

### The Paradox Explained:

- High-poverty areas: Live closer to facilities → faster detection + larger spills
- Affluent areas: Legacy contamination from older, decommissioned facilities

### Clear Environmental Justice Evidence:

- 81% larger spills in marginalized communities
- 5.4x higher exposure to waste handling facilities
- Geographic clustering of environmental burdens

### Different Types of Environmental Harm:

- Acute exposure: Immediate, larger spills (high-poverty)
- Chronic exposure: Groundwater contamination from legacy sites (affluent)

### Policy Success Story:

The dramatic 2021 improvement shows effective interventions are possible - need to identify and scale what worked.

This analysis moves beyond simple "more pollution = environmental injustice" to show the complex patterns of environmental harm across communities. Both acute operational impacts AND legacy contamination represent environmental justice concerns requiring different policy responses.

The data provides strong evidence for targeted interventions, cumulative impact assessment, and community-specific environmental protection strategies.