Incidents and Community Protection
Six Lives Lost in Deadly Gas Exposure at Colorado Dairy Farm
A tragic incident has claimed the lives of six individuals at Prospect Valley Dairy, a dairy farm located at 32063 Weld County Road 18, east of Keenesburg. The victims, identified as Oscar Espinoza Leos (17), Carlos Espinoza Prado (29), Noé Montanez Casanas (32), Jorge Sanchez Pena (36), Ricardo Gomez Galvan (40), and Alejandro Espinoza Cruz (50), were found dead this week from a potential gas exposure.
Alejandro Espinoza, the father of Oscar Espinoza, was a well-known member of the community. Oscar attended Highland High School in Ault. The Weld Re-9 School District has confirmed the tragic loss of one of its students.
The owners of Prospect Valley Dairy, the site of the recent incident, have not publicly addressed the deaths and could not be reached for comment. County tax records list a Bakersfield, California, address for the owners.
The subsequent OSHA investigation found multiple violations at Western Sugar Cooperative and issued fines exceeding $168,000. The company settled with OSHA, accepting $59,917 in penalties. It is unclear if OSHA will conduct a similar investigation at Prospect Valley Dairy. So far, no state or federal action has been taken regarding the safety protocols at the dairy farm.
Project Protect, a Colorado-based advocacy group, is calling for stronger, enforceable safety protocols, consistent enforcement, and culturally appropriate training to ensure worker safety in agricultural settings across Colorado. The group is particularly concerned about the lack of state certifications or training required for people who work in areas with potential high exposure to hydrogen sulfide, the gas believed to be responsible for the fatal incident.
OSHA stated that hydrogen sulfide can cause mild irritation to people's eyes and respiratory system in low doses, but exposure to large amounts in a confined space can be deadly. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has not yet responded to Project Protect's call for action.
This is not the first tragedy of its kind in the area. A similar incident occurred at the Western Sugar Cooperative in Fort Morgan a year ago, resulting in one death and four hospitalizations due to hydrogen sulfide exposure.
Four of the deceased were connected to a Greeley man named Juan Mendez, who organized a fundraiser for their funerals. A separate GoFundMe campaign was set up for Noé Montanez Casanas. Four family members worked on machinery repair at various dairies in the area.
The dairy farm, which operates a 32,500-square-foot dairy milking parlor and two free stall barns, one built in 2017 that is more than 450,000 square feet and another built last year that is more than 100,000 square feet, is currently under investigation by both the Weld County Sheriff's Office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. The operator of Prospect Valley Dairy mentioned in the article is not explicitly named in the search results and thus remains unidentified.
