As Colorado’s Air Quality Declines, State Continues To “Coddle” Oil And Gas Industry

Colorado issued an operating permit to Suncor refinery in northwest Denver last week after a 12-year delay.

The Colorado Department of Health and Environment, the agency responsible for issuing the permit, blamed its failure to act for more than a decade on overly complex EPA regulations creating overly complex permitting processes.

The new operating permits require Suncor to ramp up air quality monitoring around its facility and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Critics say the permits, which increase limits on Suncor’s greenhouse gas emissions, are another example of the state’s failure to crack down on the oil and gas industry.

KGNU’s Alexis Kenyon spoke with Kate Merlin, an attorney for Wild Earth guardians about the permits and what the lack of regulation means for Colorado.

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As Colorado’s Air Quality Declines, State Continues To “Coddle” Oil And Gas Industry Alexis Kenyon

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As Colorado’s Air Quality Declines, State Continues To “Coddle” Oil And Gas Industry Alexis Kenyon

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Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon is an experienced radio reporter with more than 15 years of experience creating compelling, sound-rich radio stories for news outlets across the country. Kenyon has master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism in radio broadcast and photojournalism. She has worked in KGNU's news department since 2021 as a reporter, editor, and daily news producer. In all her work, she strives to produce thought-provoking, trustworthy journalism that makes other people's stories feel personal. In addition to audio production, Kenyon runs KGNU's news internship program and oversees the department's digital engagement.