On March 1, 2019 a wellhead gathering facility outside of Montezuma Creek, UT leaked an estimated 28 barrels of mixed produced water and crude oil into Bucket Wash that drains into the San Juan River in San Juan County, UT. The oil field operator, Elk Operating Services (EOS), reported that 3 to 4 barrels of product reached the San Juan River. Cleanup and remediation efforts are underway by EOS. EOS has dispatched an Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO) contractor to deploy boom in the San Juan River at Bluff, UT. The location of the spill is on State and BLM land but is very close to the Navajo Nation.
EPA deployed an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) on March 1 and was able to access the Site on March 2. State, Local, and other Federal Agencies are working together to provide oversight. The UT Division of Water Quality Director requested EPA Region 8 support and has coordinated with the Navajo Nation. UT shares jurisdiction of this section of the river with the Navajo Nation EPA.
