Oil & Gas Chemicals Still Secret In Colorado:
Little Compliance With 2022 Law Designed To Prevent Toxic Exposures
In 2022, Colorado passed a law requiring public disclosure of all chemicals used underground in oil and gas wells, including a ban on PFAS. This report—by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), PSR Colorado, Colorado Sierra Club, and FracTracker Alliance—analyzes implementation of that law. As of May 1, 2025, chemical disclosures are publicly available for only 39% of the 1,114 wells for which reporting is required by the law. The findings raise serious concerns about compliance, enforcement, and the potential for continued use of toxic substances, including PFAS, in violation of state law.
Key findings from the report:
As of May 2025, chemical disclosures were available for only 439 of at least 1,114 oil and gas wells for which disclosure was required by the 2022 law, a reporting rate of just 39 percent. Of the 31 companies operating these wells, 20 – almost 65 percent – had no chemical disclosures appearing on the state’s website.
Based on the best available data, it appears that at least 30 million pounds of chemicals injected into over 600 of the state’s oil and gas wells during the first 21 months covered by the law should have been disclosed, but were not.
Industry giant Chevron and its subsidiaries PDC Energy and Noble Energy together operate 377, or more than half, of the 675 wells with no chemical disclosures.
Explore the Map: Where Colorado's Chemical Disclosures Fall Short
This interactive map shows at least some of the oil and gas wells in Colorado that, under state law C.R.S. 34-60-132, should have publicly available disclosures of chemicals used in underground operations—such as drilling or hydraulic fracturing—by May 1, 2025. The law applies to any well with underground activity on or after July 31, 2023.
Data is drawn primarily from FracFocus, the official repository designated by the state for chemical disclosures. However, as of the date of analysis, only about 39% of the 1,114 wells covered by the law had chemical disclosures available. Wells with reported disclosures are marked in gold; wells lacking disclosures are marked in red.
Public disclosure depends on both chemical suppliers and well operators submitting timely data, and on oversight by the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). This map reflects the public data available as of May 1, 2025.
