Coloradans Endangered by State Pollution Control Manager’s “At All Costs” Permit Approvals
Colorado Rising Calls on Attorney General to Conduct Independent Investigation Into the Air Pollution Control Divison’s Unlawful Actions While Putting the Public at Risk for Years
DENVER, CO, April 2nd, 2021 – In a complaint recently filed by whistleblowers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General, and as reported this week in the Colorado Sun, allegations surfaced that for years, managers of the state’s Air Pollution Control Division took illegal actions to approve permits “at all costs”. In addition to the falsification of crucial data and modeling required by the Federal Clean Air Act, the whistleblowers allege that managers expedited approval of those permits by bypassing federal air pollution modeling rules in order to avoid any record should the state be confronted by legal action from environmental advocacy organizations.
In response to the disturbing whistleblower’s complaint, Colorado Rising’s Executive Director, Joseph Salazar states, “For years, we’ve been asking the state to do a better job tracking air pollution, ensuring air quality standards are met, and holding the fossil fuel industry accountable. Now, we know why our requests continuously fell on deaf ears. This complaint right here is a prime example of state employees breaching their fiduciary duty owed to Colorado taxpayers. They should be charged criminally and civilly. As a state, as human beings, we deserve so much better.”
The health and safety of all Coloradans should be the state government’s top priority, and any state officials who willfully put the public’s health at risk for the gain and favor of a hazardous and irresponsible industry should be and will be held accountable. It is in this spirit that Colorado Rising calls on Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to conduct a full and independent investigation into these unlawful actions by the state’s Air Pollution Control Division.
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Colorado Rising is a statewide, 501(c)4, powering a grassroots movement to protect our health, safety, quality of life, and the future of our climate from the harms and impacts of oil and gas operations.
