Colorado oil tank blast kills worker, spurs safety questions
DENVER (AP) — An oil tank explosion in northern Colorado killed a worker and burned three others, shooting up flames just miles away from an unrelated gas blast last month and prompting fresh questions about safety in one of Colorado's largest industries — oil and gas extraction.
The fire flared Thursday when the workers completed upgrades to an oil tank battery, which is a collection of tanks that receive crude oil production from a well.
Democratic state Rep. Mike Foote said the industry and government "have an obligation to treat these incidents not as isolated or freak accidents."
The Sierra Club called for Anadarko to shutter all of its operations while state and federal authorities conduct a comprehensive review.