Saltwater disposal company Expedition Water Solutions will pay $507,325 in penalties as part of a settlement with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment over emissions violations in Weld County, the agency announced this week.
The well sites, used to dispose of wastewater from oil and gas operations, can generate emissions when water is improperly transferred from a truck to the basin. In accordance with the settlement agreement, the company will also be mandated to obtain new permits for the disposal well sites requiring them to use economically feasible technology and/or preventative practices to protect the air quality of surrounding communities, according to the news release.
Some of the money received in the settlement will go to the state’s general fund, according to the news release, and the rest will go toward the community impact cash fund created by the 2021 Colorado Environmental Justice Act, supporting the department’s environmental justice grants program.