'Critical Step' To Fix Pollution: Colorado Partners With EPA

DENVER, CO — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday announced a new partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The health department signed a memorandum of understanding with the EPA to advance its pursuits of environmental justice, according to a news release. A significant component of the memorandum involves "enforcement efforts for the purpose of reducing pollution burdens, increasing environmental compliance, and improving public health outcomes in these communities."

"This is a critical step towards environmental justice for those harmed by government permitted toxics. We must improve our enforcement and compliance. We should always put health and safety first," said Hilda Nucete, a member of the Environmental Justice Action Task Force. "Communities have long advocated for stronger accountability. Impacted communities see the stark difference between how the law is applied to our communities."

The memorandum, which is set to run for five years, lays out several provisions for enforcement, including prioritizing inspections of facilities located in "communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution," the news release said. The memorandum also lays out greater coordination between the EPA and the health department to increase transparency and reduce pollution burdens in those disproportionately impacted communities.

"Environmental justice and health equity are core to everything we do. Prioritizing enforcement of our environmental laws in areas with the greatest health disparities is a direct step toward eliminating systemic inequities that result in poorer health outcomes for too many Coloradans,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the state health department's executive director. "We are going to work closely with communities to determine their priorities and concerns so we can more effectively use resources to eliminate threats to public health."

Colorado, according to the news release, is only the second state in the nation to sign a similar memorandum with the EPA.

"We know the burdens of pollution are often heavier in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, which may result in significant impacts on health and quality of life,” said KC Becker, EPA regional administrator. "This agreement with Colorado focuses our compliance assurance, communication, community engagement and training efforts to address the disparities that exist in overburdened communities."