Posted inClimate, Environment, Water

South Platte River gets no new protections after heated Water Quality Control Commission hearing

Public officials, conservation groups and citizen speakers pleaded with the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission Monday to reverse a 2020 decision and strengthen protections for the South Platte River in north Denver and Adams County, but the commissioners declined.  Opponents of the commission’s decision last year thought they had one last chance in a “town […]

Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government, Water

Colorado refuses to ease rules for how much pollution gets discharged into rivers and streams

The state Water Quality Control Commission has delayed for at least a decade a controversial proposal that would have allowed further degradation of Colorado waters already challenged by pollution  In a scheduled review of the state’s “antidegradation” provision — a key to the federal Clean Water Act — some on the commission had sought to […]

Posted inEnvironment, News

Industries could dump more pollution into Colorado rivers under proposed rule change that goes against recommendations

A year ago, the state’s water quality commissioners overruled not only their staff but other state agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with a broad and very angry coalition of conservation groups. Now, according to the conservation groups, the commission is about to do the same thing again. Only this time, the river advocates […]