This November, Colorado has the chance to choose a new Governor—one who must be ready from day one to tackle both our state’s long-standing pollution and climate issues and the current lack of federal oversight. Fracking remains at the center of this conversation, and the facts are hard to ignore.

In the past year alone, Colorado saw 2,529 fracking-related spills. In 2026, the industry extracted 13 billion barrels of oil, 162 billion barrels of natural gas, and contaminated 24.5 billion barrels of fresh water—a staggering figure in the middle of a water crisis. For context, each barrel contains 42 gallons.

Despite the scale of extraction, the oil and gas sector—including extraction, pipeline construction, transportation, and related support industries—accounts for only 1.8% of total wages in Colorado. Meanwhile, the costs to our health, environment, and communities are enormous. State law estimates that pollution from oil and gas operations will inflict more than $13 billion in damages between 2020 and 2030.

Recent audits found that, because of exemptions and undercharging, the industry paid only about 20% of the taxes and fines it would have owed without those breaks. The burden falls on Coloradans—not the companies responsible.

It’s time to demand that our next governor stands up for our health, our environment, and our future. The true value of our communities and natural resources can’t be measured in dollars. Let’s make sure our leaders act accordingly. You can Urge your future governor to sign Safe and Healthy Colorado’s Open Letter of Support to Stop the Expansion of Fracking, and stand with Coloradans who believe that a managed economic transition away from oil and gas production is both necessary and feasible for Colorado, by sending them this One-Click Letter.