Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Colorado tightens air pollution rules after staff shake-up, whistleblower complaint
Policies that weakened oversight of small polluters have been tightened. But they still may have "backdoor exits" one environmental group says.
Colorado has just 120 intensive care beds available statewide as COVID hospitalizations rise
Gov. Jared Polis urgently pleaded with Coloradans to get vaccinated as more than 1,100 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19
Colorado is still struggling to attract kids to its school COVID testing program
As the number of students tested under the state program (slowly) grows, so does the number of kids testing positive for the virus
Colorado may have more sites with dangerous “forever chemicals” than any other state
A new analysis of an EPA database shows demand for PFAS in fracking and other industries puts Front Range at the top of the contamination list.
Colorado health officials back off plan to weaken coronavirus vaccine mandate for hospitals
The head of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the state would instead wait until a forthcoming federal mandate is finalized
Colorado air pollution director Garry Kaufman reassigned after conflict of interest investigation
A special investigator found a failure to report professional conflict and raised questions about Colorado’s pollution modeling. Kaufman is moved to a newly-created job less than a month later.
Colorado officials may weaken coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers
The proposal would require only 90% compliance for hospitals and nursing homes and would give more latitude to religious exemptions
Not enough kids are using Colorado’s school COVID testing program for it to work, governor says
Fewer than 5,000 kids — less than 1% of Colorado’s K-12 student population — are signed up for the state’s weekly testing program launched earlier this month
Whistleblowers raised valid concerns about Colorado air pollution monitoring, probe finds, but problems were unintentional
An independent investigation commissioned by the Attorney General also says boss of Air Pollution Control Division should have disclosed his prior work for Newmont Corp. when a pollution permit for a Teller County mine came before him.
Colorado parents are trying to get around school mask mandates with dubious doctor’s notes
Pediatricians across the state are being bombarded with requests for doctor’s notes as parents try to get their kids exempt from wearing a mask at school despite few medical-based reasons to do so.
Security workers called in to protect Jefferson County mobile coronavirus vaccine clinics
Attackers used a car to knock down signs advertising free shots. Another time someone threw live fireworks into a tent.
$100M lawsuit over smelly Weld County fertilizer plant can go ahead after high court declines to hear appeal
The Colorado Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment about a biogas plant that generated complaints about the smell from neighbors
Colorado is betting big on vaccine influencers. It’s unclear if people will “like” their message.
This is a new frontier in public health messaging, testing the argument that the most persuasive voice is the one that’s most trusted in a community.
State board requires COVID vaccines for staff at Colorado hospitals and other health care facilities
The rule requires health care workers at thousands of facilities to get their first dose of vaccine no later than Sept. 30, though state regulators indicated they will be lenient about the deadline
COVID hospitalizations in Colorado reach their highest level since January
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported there were 705 people hospitalized because of the virus at the end of this week
Many Colorado students are back in class, but the state’s expanded school COVID testing program won’t start for weeks
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is behind schedule to sign contracts for a weekly COVID-19 rapid testing program available to schools statewide
Thousands of Coloradans may have already received an extra dose of coronavirus vaccine
Federal authorities have yet to authorize COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, but an influential committee is meeting Friday to discuss the possibility
Answers to readers’ questions on the coronavirus vaccine, masks and the delta variant in Colorado
Yes, your vaccine is still effective, but you need to take precautions for unvaccinated children
More than 36,000 Colorado kids from low-income families could miss out on the Child Tax Credit, advocates fear
While families that file taxes with the IRS will get checks or deposits automatically, parents who don’t file will need to sign up
These 10 charts show why Colorado leaders decided to get tough on coronavirus vaccine mandates
The stagnation of COVID-19 vaccination rates, the delta variant’s surge and fears of a coming wave of deaths and hospitalizations all played a part
