Oil and gas companies settle with state agency after consultants falsified environmental data
Three oil and gas companies have entered into voluntary settlement agreements with the state agency that regulates that industry. The Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission announced that it finalized six legally binding settlement agreements with companies following a 21-month investigation into falsified environmental and remediation data submitted to the agency. According to a press release, the investigation began in late 2024 after operators disclosed concerns involving third-party environmental consultants and data submitted to ECMC for subsidiaries of three operators - Oxy USA, Inc, Chevron USA, Inc., and Civitas Resources, Inc. In November 2024, ECMC announced that two environmental consultants — Eagle Environmental Consulting, Inc. and Tasman Geosciences — hired by these oil and gas operators submitted falsified lab data reports between 2021 and 2024. During its ongoing investigation, the commission found that the data manipulation affected soil, groundwater, and inorganic and organic contaminant data for about 400 oil and gas locations in Larimer and Weld counties.
Under the agreements, the companies will pay a combined total of nearly $2 million in penalties and complete corrective actions that include additional site reviews, resubmission of corrected information, enhanced quality assurance procedures, and strengthened oversight of environmental contractors.
Air quality health advisory due to wildfire smoke
Yesterday morning, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment put out an air quality health advisory for 16 counties in the state. Due to wildfire smoke mostly coming from Utah and Nevada, the advisory applies to counties in the KVNF listening area: Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, San Miguel, and Ouray. The agency says that “If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.” You can learn more about air quality and wildfire smoke near you at airnow.gov/wildfires.
Members of Colorado clemency board criticize Polis' decision to free Tina Peters
The New York Times has reported that months before Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado freed the election denier Tina Peters from prison, his own clemency board voted unanimously — twice — to reject her bid for early release. The Times spoke with two of the board’s members, who sharply criticized Polis’ decision. Peters was convicted of tampering with voting machines under her control in a plot to show that the 2020 election had been rigged against Mr. Trump. The case that made her a martyr to the election-denial movement and a favorite of President Trump, who harangued Governor Polis to free her for months. The 11-person clemency advisory board, whose members are appointed by Polis, largely operates in secret. But Polis’ decision to overrule the board’s twice-made decision prompted two of the members, both Denver-based attorneys, to speak out. One of them said of the commutation, “It really was a punch in the gut," and, “It flies in the face of justice.” The two members also told the Times that the decision had undercut Colorado’s clemency system by freeing an inmate with powerful political allies while dozens of other deserving applicants remained incarcerated. Polis will step down as governor in January of next year, as the position is term-limited. His decision to commute Peters’ sentence is likely to influence his political legacy.
Voters will decide this fall whether to set aside a dedicated portion of the state budget to fund roads and bridges
The Colorado contractors association is running an initiative to change the state constitution to require Colorado to spend roughly 2% of the budget on roads and bridges. The money would come from existing sales taxes on fuel, vehicles and auto parts. Backers say Colorado has failed to adequately fund roads and diverted funds elsewhere. Opponents, including Democrats at the statehouse, say the initiative is a money grab from the contractors that will stifle funding for other key budget priorities such as education and healthcare. Democrats passed a bill that would neutralize the ballot measure’s impact for several years, should voters approve it. For the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, Bente Birkeland brings us the story.
The Blue Sage Art Center in Paonia is celebrating its 30th birthday.
For KVNF, Marty Durlin sat down with Blue Sage executive director Ali Lightfoot to talk about how the center has shaped art and expression in the North Fork Valley for three decades.
