June water discharge from the refinery shot to 2,500 parts per trillion of one PFAS, when the EPA standard is 4 parts per trillion, records show.
Water Quality Control Division
Posted inEnvironment
Colorado warns Suncor it could face fines, other action after repeated benzene leaks into Sand Creek
Toxic benzene exceeded permit limits by up to 160% in water discharge, after refinery incidents
Posted inEnvironment
Suncor “forever chemicals” in metro Denver creek appear to spike
Firefighting foam from recent accidents is suspected, while state has delayed action on a renewed pollution discharge permit
Posted inWater
Brown. Smelly. Kills houseplants: Residents in a southern Colorado town boil over their tap water
Officials are looking for funds to repair the community’s aging water system, as Colorado City residents blame mismanagement for the problems.
Posted inEnvironment, News, Water
Colorado to expand probes of PFAS “forever chemicals” in biosolids from city waste
Wastewater treatment plants may have to start testing for presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in biosolids as early as next year, and those plants may be required to investigate upstream sources of the toxic substances, Colorado regulators say. State water quality officials also said Colorado’s PFAS grant program is also open to help communities test […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health, News
Colorado has been spreading biosolids with “forever chemicals” on farms, records show. How dangerous is it?
Metro Denver’s wastewater treatment system is spreading sewage biosolids laced with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” at its farm in eastern Arapahoe County and on private farms that buy the material as fertilizer, according to test records obtained by the Colorado Sun. The likely presence of the ubiquitous and dangerous chemicals on Colorado farmland, placed there […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Water
Advocacy groups force Colorado water quality commission to consider upgrades for urban streams
The state Water Quality Control Commission reversed itself this week and agreed to consider tougher protections for urban streams, another sign of activists deploying recent environmental justice laws in safeguarding local water, land and air. The commission Monday unanimously accepted demands in a petition from a coalition of conservation and advocacy groups that they revisit […]
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 […]