Sinclair valve left open leads to fuel contamination in Colorado

Colorado state regulators say a fuel contamination incident across the Front Range affected 49 gas stations and more than 1,000 drivers.

Investigators say diesel fuel was accidentally mixed with regular unleaded gasoline, leaving many drivers unable to start or operate their vehicles. The issue impacted people from Breckenridge to Fort Collins and across the Denver metro area.

Cher Haavind, Deputy Executive Director with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, says this situation is rare.

"In fact, I believe in the last 20 years, this is only the second occurrence," said Haavind. 

Investigators say the contamination happened when a valve was mistakenly left open, allowing diesel fuel to flow into a regular gasoline storage tank. Officials say just over 1.6 million gallons of fuel were contaminated.

While illustrating the area's layout, Zach Hope, the spokesperson for the Division of Oil and Public Safety, said, "You can see how the diesel would have gone through this and was intended to go to the green diesel valve and in the green diesel tank. But because of the open valve, some of that fuel, it got into that yellow gas tank, as the diagram indicates."

Consumer complaints began Jan. 8, with drivers reporting engine trouble and some vehicles stalling while driving.

"Sinclair wasn't aware of this improperly open valve. Of course, they were selling gasoline from that yellow gas tank that had been contaminated with diesel fuel," said Hope. 

Officials say more than 365,000 gallons of contaminated fuel had already been sold between Jan. 7 and about 6 a.m. on Jan. 8. A fuel carrier alerted Sinclair to the issue. 

The company later recovered more than 888,000 gallons of contaminated fuel that had mixed with other gasoline already in the tanks.

State officials say Sinclair is implementing new safeguards, including requiring two employees to manually switch valves and follow a verification checklist.

Regulators issued a $365,694 fine, $1 for each gallon of contaminated fuel sold.

Officials say they will continue working with Sinclair to monitor fuel quality.

The company has nine days to request a meeting to discuss the violation and fine.