Environment
Summer hurricanes, wildfires and storms loom as FEMA faces pressure to step up
WASHINGTON — Another grueling summer disaster season is arriving, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is under intense pressure even as its portfolio balloons, it pleads for more money from Congress and criticism comes on several fronts. The agency manages more than 300 disaster declarations a year, a dramatic increase from the average of 108 […]
NOAA forecasts busy Atlantic hurricane season, with at least 3 major storms
WASHINGTON — The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be the seventh in a row with an above-normal number of storms, according to a forecast the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released Tuesday. NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said the agency expects there will be between 14 and 21 named storms, with six to 10 […]
Polis signs bills to reduce groundwater use, fund water conservation projects
Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed two bills into law that are aimed at conserving a precious and dwindling resource in the state: water. For the bill signings, the governor traveled to the San Luis Valley, an important agricultural region where farmers face mounting challenges from extreme drought driven by climate change. Republican Sens. Cleave […]
Climate-friendly transportation standards required for Colorado metro areas under new state policy
Colorado transportation officials on Thursday endorsed the state’s most detailed plan yet to shift billions in funding away from high-polluting road and highway projects and towards public transit and other more climate-friendly options. The state Transportation Commission voted unanimously to approve a policy directive containing detailed implementation plans for the state’s new greenhouse gas standards, […]
Colorado wildfires: Updates on the 2022 season
When Colorado lawmakers and emergency officials gave an update in April ahead of the 2022 wildfire season, their assessment was grim. “We may very well be heading into the worst fire season in our state’s history,” Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat from Boulder, said at a news conference at the Capitol. “I hope I […]
What will come of these hot, dry winds licking at winter’s back door?
This commentary originally appeared in Big Pivots. Ponds on a ranch in northwestern Colorado earlier this month were full, a rare treat in recent years for horses that have gathered like at a spa. It was a good winter there, cold and snowy. Now, a ranch owner had begun planning for a fiery summer. “It’s […]
Climate, environmental bills survive legislative ‘gauntlet’ at session’s end
A suite of environmental bills were among the measures that won passage in the chaotic final days of Colorado’s 2022 legislative session. Democratic-backed legislation to better regulate toxic air pollution, improve Colorado’s dismal recycling rates and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings all won approval from lawmakers and are headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk, […]
Democrats from the West push update of 150-year-old federal mining law
Democrats in Congress are hoping to overhaul the nation’s 150-year-old system for mining the elements needed for battery manufacturing, as high gas prices and Russia’s war in Ukraine underline the need to transition from oil and gas to renewable energy sources. U.S. House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich […]
Biden administration vows to speed up environmental permits needed for infrastructure projects
President Joe Biden’s administration will seek to hasten construction of roads, bridges, wind farms and more by tweaking the federal review process for environmental and other permits, administration officials said Tuesday. On a press call, administration officials said they were seeking to make permitting easier without sacrificing environmental standards. The new permitting plan includes five […]
Time running out for ‘must pass’ air pollution bill opposed by business groups
A coalition of environmental and community groups is urging Colorado lawmakers to back a “must pass” air pollution bill, as the clock winds down on the legislative session and a host of powerful corporate interests quietly mobilize against it. The House of Representatives passed House Bill 22-1244 on a 41-24 vote Friday, with all Democrats […]
Paper products are part of Colorado’s sustainable future
State lawmakers are considering a proposal, House Bill 22-1355, which would create new recycling regulations in the Centennial State. This bill, known as “extended producer responsibility,” or EPR, would effectively shift the costs of recycling responsibilities from local government to manufacturers, distributors and Coloradans who buy everyday products, while establishing a new command-and-control system to […]
As coal burning goes away in Colorado, money for coal workers goes up
Lawmakers in the Colorado General Assembly are poised to pass another round of funding for the state’s efforts to ensure a “just transition” for coal workers impacted by the shift to clean energy — and are again winning bipartisan support for the workforce and community grant programs that Republicans once decried as “Orwellian,” “egregious” and “offensive.” […]