By John Upton
Fracking equipment overwhelmed by floodwaters in Weld County, Colo, northeast of Denver.
Heavy rains returned to Colorado on Sunday and hampered rescue efforts after last week’s flash floods. The confirmed death toll has risen to seven, and hundreds are still unaccounted for. An estimated 1,500 homes are destroyed. Some 1,000 people in Larimer County, north of Boulder, were awaiting airlifts that never came on Sunday — they were called off because of the foul weather.
The floods have also triggered other problems that have gotten a lot less media attention: Fracking infrastructure has been inundated and its toxic contents have spilled out. Pipelines that transport fossil fuels are sagging and snapping under pressure. Tanks that store chemicals and polluted water are being overwhelmed and toppling over. Oil and gas wells are flooding. For the rest of this story please click the link: http://grist.org/news/oil-and-fracking-chemicals-spill-into-colorados-floodwaters/?utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&sub_email=snickels%40shawneelink.net