# San Juan Oil Spill Updates?



## johndouglass (Mar 12, 2019)

We have a permit to launch the lower San Juan March 30-April 5th. We've been searching for information about the oil spill, and reading the limited articles online. Wondering if it's safe/ideal to continue as planned with kiddos? Anyone have any hands on knowledge of the condition of the river after the spill?


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## samcpa (Nov 8, 2014)

The government says no issue......sure?.....https://www.ksl.com/article/4650507...an-juan-river-in-southeast-utah-officials-say


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## EricForsman (Mar 14, 2019)

*Good question*

My group launches the next day (same exit date); I have the same question.


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## Canyon Country (Apr 23, 2012)

Not saying that my information is current or anything but....


We camped at Sand Island 2/28 - 3/2. On the afternoon of 2/29 the boat launch was a sea of white pickup trucks and a boom was stretched from the lower corner of the concrete pad across 2/3 of the river, anchored on the Navajo side by several hard-to-see yellow ropes. Lights and pumps ran all night on 2/29, 3-1. All trucks and equipment picked up and left the morning of 3/2. We didn't see a sheen on the water or smell petroleum while we were there. 



Maybe we "dodged a bullet" . . . this time.


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## Dejan Smaic (Jul 22, 2017)

Having worked as a geologist in environmental consulting and oil & gas, the only issues you may potentially have are river bank staining. 280 gallons plus an unknown amount of production water would have likely moved down river, evaporated, and diluted...including the chemicals used for oil well production optimization. Given the amount of time that has passed, I'd feel safe running the river with my 11 yo son.


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## Bug Shield (Nov 25, 2018)

I ran it from Sand Island to Mexican Hat the second week of March and saw no evidence of spillage.


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