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MorningMagazine_2024-11-20 Jack Dawson
Governor Polis unveils vision for Colorado transportation
Governor Jared Polis wants to meet Colorado’s transit goals by 2035, and has a plan for how he wants to get there.
Polis said in a press conference yesterday that he aspires for livability, sustainability and affordability.
The multi-tiered plan outlines some clean energy goals as well.
The new plan incentivizes more Coloradans to walk, bike, or take public transit to cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The governor said that these efforts will require some changes – like an 81% increase of constructed bike lanes, a 52% increase in housing built near transit, and an extra 145 million miles served by transit.
As it stands now, nine percent of trips utilize these alternate forms of transportation. Polis wants to get over 19% of trips in this category by 2035.
Polis’ plan also acknowledges the state’s need to tap on Congress and the federal government to regulate some aspects of transit. The money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that’s currently helping the state transition to more eco-friendly transit is set to run out in 2026.
The governor’s office has set up two dedicated funds to support transit: one from oil and gas fees and another from rental cars. Between federal money, state funding, and revenue from passengers themselves, Polis says they expect to get the Front Range Passenger Rail and mountain rail developed through this plan.
Colorado chemist manipulated data, affecting thousands of water tests since 2020
The EPA has revoked a testing certification for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) water quality lab, after an investigation found a chemist intentionally disregarded protocol and manipulated data while testing for trace metals in water.
The chemist’s manipulations trace back to 2020, skewing thousands of water tests since then.
According to Denver7, the state learned of the data manipulation back in December, but a response was delayed due to communication breakdowns, “a culture of fear” within the agency, and reluctance to report issues.
CDPHE is responsible for testing all Colorado water, including the water that homes rely on in 80 different water districts. The tests that were manipulated by the chemist specifically deal with detecting metals like copper, barium, and chromium.
The investigation identified some factors that contributed to the data manipulation: inadequate oversight, outdated equipment and technology, resource constraints and staffing issues, and communication and cultural challenges.
The chemist responsible was placed on leave in February, but resigned on May 31. Some factors that led to the data manipulation were inadequate oversight, outdated equipment, resource constraints and staffing issues.
A CDPHE spokesperson emailed Denver7, saying there is no evidence of public health risks and that the incident has prompted the organization to provide additional training and hired laboratory consultants to review quality assurance processes. You can read the full email text below.
“In February, the State Public Health Laboratory discovered a quality control lapse affecting one of our water quality methods, method 200.7, which tests for metals and trace elements, including copper, barium, and chromium. Our latest information shows that this affected primarily smaller systems that represent approximately 3% of Colorado’s drinking water systems. After the managing chemist discovered anomalies in test results, we removed the acting chemist from all laboratory testing and began an investigation. Lab supervisors took the time to re-analyze an extremely large amount of data, which led to the discovery of an intentional disregard of protocol by the acting chemist. After we notified the EPA, they revoked the lab’s certification for this method. In order to maintain service, CDPHE is contracting with certified commercial labs to perform these tests.
In August, the EPA prematurely revoked other methods performed by the chemist, prior to the completion of a third-party audit. CDPHE has no current information that demonstrates similar intentional disregard of protocols with the other revoked methods. We have appealed this decision to the EPA, as we wait for third-party data analysis results.
We are in the process of formally notifying and recalling data for the specific water systems, which are primarily smaller systems. At this time, we do not have any evidence of acute public health risks. This third-party investigation is expected to conclude next month.
The State Public Health Laboratory takes quality assurance very seriously. This incident has prompted us to provide additional staff training, and we have hired laboratory consultants to review quality assurance processes across the lab.”
40 kids abandoned on bus ride
Students at Clear Sky Elementary in Castle Rock were abandoned by their bus driver on their way home from school. The kids were forced off the bus by a substitute bus driver near an intersection on Monday.
The incident started when the bus driver wouldn’t leave the school until everyone stopped talking. When they finally left, the bus driver skipped all their stops, and finally stopped the bus and forced the kids off. It was around 5 p.m., and it was dark and cold outside. Parents were infuriated and are demanding answers from the Department of Transportation.
The bus driver is on leave while the Douglas County School District investigates what happened.
Nederland considers plan to buy Eldora Mountain ski area
The Town of Nederland is considering an ambitious plan to buy Eldora Mountain Ski Resort. The plan was discussed by leaders of the town last night.
Eldora Mountain’s parent company announced it was for sale last August. According to The Denver Post, town administrator Jonathan Cain says the idea is a longshot for Nederland, which has only 1,500 residents, but he maintains there is a “plausible path forward.”
The town has compiled a lengthy FAQ page about buying the ski area. You can find that linked at kgnu.org.
According to that page, the town is pulling together a coalition of supporters, investors, and partners to consult about the potential acquisition.
Denver activates cold weather shelters
Denver activated its Cold Weather Shelter Plan yesterday. The Department of Housing Stability will provide 24/7 shelter until today at 11 a.m. at several locations. These include the Stone Creek shelter, 4595 Quebec St., and city facilities located at 2601 W. 7th Ave. and 375 S. Zuni St.
The city also says individuals in need of shelter should be referred to the “front door” shelter access points. Those include the Lawrence Street Community Center (for men), the Samaritan House (for women), and Urban Peak (for youth ages 15-20). Families in need of shelter can call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.
For more information about shelter access, visit denvergov.org/findshelter.
