Investigation Finds Cause of Colorado Gas Contamination

2026 started off not so fun for some Coloradans who filled their vehicles with gas, only to find the fuel was contaminated. Over four dozen gas stations across the Front Range received the bad fuel, totaling more than 360,000 gallons, according to KDVR.

Contaminated Gas Across Colorado

The bad gas led to issues with many vehicles in the state, and more than 1,000 complaints by customers were filed. The investigation into how the error occurred has concluded, and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Division of Oil and Public Safety says that the incident could have been prevented.

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The investigation found that a manually operated valve was improperly open while the Sinclair terminal was receiving a pipeline shipment of diesel fuel. This resulted in 365,694 gallons of contaminated regular unleaded fuel being delivered to 49 Front Range gas stations.

Fine Issued to Fuel Company

The incident resulted in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Division of Oil and Public Safety issuing a "Notice of Violation" to HF Sinclair, including a $365,694 fine. The fine equates to one dollar per gallon of contaminated gas.

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The result of the gas debacle was summed up in two words. Human error. A proposed class action lawsuit was filed in January on behalf of the drivers who experienced vehicle and engine problems stemming from the contaminated fuel deliveries across the Denver Metro Area and the Northern Colorado region.