The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission will be supervising the cleanup of the Bishop’s well blowout in Weld County earlier this month.

It will be approving well owner Chevron Corp.’s work plans, collecting samples to document the environmental remediation progress; ensuring that clean-up meets applicable environmental protection standards; coordinating with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies as necessary; and will be communicating remediation status to the community, according to a Wednesday news release.

Ashlea Dillard was driving by the Chevron Bishop natural gas well site on Weld County Road 51 at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, headed to her home in Galeton, Colo., when she saw what she described as “a geyser, (like) a huge waterfall in your backyard” shooting up from the well pad. Dillard drove by the geyser just as the Galeton Fire Protection District trucks were arriving on the scene of a major blowout of one of several wellbores at the Conoco Bishop well pad, located on the southwest corner of Weld County roads 72 and 51.

Dillard lives about a mile north of the well pad. She said she wasn’t sure what was going on at the time.

“There was a lot of concerns around what exactly was going on,” Dillard told The Denver Gazette. “If we were going to be evacuated, we’re just right down the street from the school, so we were close to the evacuation zone, but not knowing for sure what was going on or if there’s a risk for fire or gas, being that it’s a hazmat incident.”

Dillard said her family was notified through relatives and she didn’t receive any direct warnings such as a reverse 911 message from the county or state. She said her parents, who live in Longmont, received an emergency broadcast notification to evacuate Galeton at about 9 p.m. and called her.

Although the elementary school she lives near was closed during the six-day emergency effort to shut down the well, Dillard was not evacuated. However, 12 residents living within a half mile of the well were evacuated to hotel rooms in the area, paid for by the well owner Chevron Corp.

The well breach was brought under control at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, by Chevron contractor Wild Well Control of Houston, Texas, who performed the actual work, said Weld County officials. Residents were informed of the successful control at an already scheduled community meeting at the Galeton Fire Department #2 at 6:30 that evening.

About 230 community members attended the meeting and, while it remained peaceful, there were complaints about the lack of detailed information about the cause and effects of the blowout from officials from Weld County, Galeton Fire and Chevron. At the meeting, Galeton Fire Protection District Chief Russ Kane noted that continuous air quality monitoring during the event showed air pollution “below levels of concern for public health.”

The well pad is now under the control of Chevron, who is responsible for the investigation into the cause of the blowout and cleanup of the spill.

No cause for the blowout has yet been released.