(The Center Square) – The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) unanimously voted in favor of levying more than $18.25 million in fines and penalties on Kerr-McGee, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, linked to a deadly 2017 home explosion near a disused flowline in Firestone, Colo.

The commission considered an Administrative Order by Consent (AOC) by the commission staff as part of the enforcement process, and heard from Kerr-McGee and Erin Martinez, who lost her husband and brother when her home was destroyed in the April 2017 explosion.

“I want to acknowledge Mrs. Martinez, for her commitment to improve the safety and the lives of all Coloradans. You are making a difference. While none of this will ever make up for your loss, your courage through this tragedy has been an inspiration to me, and everyone, ” Dan Gibbs said in a statement. Gibbs is the executive director of the state Department of Natural Resources and the chair of the oil and gas commission.

"What our Commission can do is to continue to hold oil and gas operators accountable and be forever vigilant to ensure this type of tragedy never happens again " Gibbs added.

COGCC staff director Jeff Robbins also announced that the agency is pleased with the outcome of the vote, which grants the penalties and a memorial recognition of Martinez's lost husband on future projects.

"Kerr-McGee remains committed to doing its part to make sure that something like this never happens again,” Mark Matthews, an attorney representing the Kerr-McGee, said in a statement to the media. “It’s our hope that the extensive safety efforts has taken over the past three years and the penalty now being paid will help prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.”