Caitlyn Seeley George’s attempt to capitalize on the tragic Gold King Mine spill to further her group’s extreme agenda to ban fracking is outrageous (“Orange is not the new black when it comes to toxic spills,” in the Sept. 11 Colorado Statesman online edition). Even more disconcerting is that Seeley used misleading and false information in an attempt to scare readers to join her cause.

The fact is, Colorado’s stringent oil and natural gas regulations have been called a model for the nation. Through collaborative efforts by environmentalists, regulators and the energy industry, Colorado was the first state in the country to pass groundbreaking methane regulations, require water sampling both before and after drilling and publicly disclose all chemicals — and their concentrations — in fracking fluid. That information is available to anyone on FracFocus.org.

While George alleges it is inevitable that fracking will pollute drinking water and that oil spills are rampant in Colorado, the facts again prove her wrong.

The EPA has never found an instance of hydraulic fracturing contaminating Colorado groundwater. And after a multi-year, comprehensive review, the EPA found there is “no widespread, systemic impacts” on the country’s drinking water. The few cases of impacted groundwater in other states — which the EPA noted were small, compared to the number of hydraulically fractured wells — were primarily due to improper well construction, which is preventable.

Colorado’s tough laws require that each individual well be encased in multiple layers of protective, industrial-grade steel casing, which is surrounded by cement to ensure groundwater remains safe during fracking. Not only do operators test the groundwater before and after drilling, companies conduct mandatory integrity tests and keep detailed logs to provide evidence that steel and cement well casings are working properly.

Additionally, smart and strong regulations — supported by the industry — further protect against oil spills. In 2014, the volume of oil spilled decreased by 38 percent. The fraction of oil spilled — 0.03 percent — is the lowest in 16 years and means the industry is containing more than 99.99 percent of all produced oil.

Last year, stricter spill reporting requirements updated existing law so that any spills over 1 barrel (42 gallons) must be reported within 24 hours. Naturally, as a result of this stricter rule, more incidents have been reported. Yet, overall, the volume of oil spilled continues to decrease — proving that Colorado’s regulatory framework works.

In Colorado, responsible energy development continues to thrive because regulators, environmentalists, residents and industry consistently come together to seek solutions. This year, collaboration by Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Oil and Gas Task Force led to proposals aimed at solving land-use conflicts surrounding energy production. Once approved, these new regulations will further bolster the state’s already stringent regulations.

One of the many facts George chooses to ignore is that Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry is made up of employees who are protective of our land, air and water. They live here, play in the mountains and grasslands and raft and fish in our waterways. They want what most Coloradans want: responsible energy development that protects our environment while boosting our economy and putting us on a path towards energy independence.

Technology is making drilling for oil and natural gas safer than ever before. That fact ought to be celebrated, not twisted and distorted in order to scare Coloradans.

Karen Crummy is the strategic communications adviser to Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development.