On March 8, 2022, the U.S. EPA Region 8 and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Advancing Environmental Justice through Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in Disproportionately Impacted Communities. The agreement commits to collaborating on enforcement and compliance to reduce pollution in communities overburdened by environmental and public health impacts. The agreement sets a strategic direction and formalizes a state and federal agency partnership. Under this agreement, we focus on three areas: (1) strategic targeting of inspections, (2) coordinated enforcement and compliance assurance actions to address impacts on communities, and (3) enhanced community engagement.
After signing the agreement, in May 2022 the EPA and CDPHE held initial community engagement sessions targeting Pueblo and the Commerce City-North Denver areas to seek feedback on the development of this workplan. Community members shared concerns about environmental issues impacting their communities, and ideas for improving access to information and engagement with the agencies. The EPA and CDPHE incorporated community suggestions into a draft workplan and identified ways to improve how the EPA and CDPHE work with each other and with communities to identify and address environmental problems.
On September 23, 2022, the EPA and CDPHE released a draft workplan in both English and Spanish for public comment. The agencies also released a bilingual survey to seek feedback on the draft workplan. The public comment period lasted 60 days and ended on November 22, 2022. The agencies received eight public comments and 68 survey responses. The agencies carefully reviewed each comment and incorporated feedback into the final workplan. Detailed responses to each public comment are available.
The EPA and CDPHE will implement this workplan for the duration of the federal fiscal year 2023 (October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023).
EPA and CDPHE share progress on advancing environmental justice in enforcement and plan for next year
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 released a progress report demonstrating their success in implementing the first annual workplan for advancing environmental justice in enforcement and compliance. The agencies also released the workplan for the next year. This collaborative effort is dedicated to advancing environmental justice in disproportionately impacted communities through enforcement and compliance work.
- The focus areas of year two’s final workplan include:
- Setting targets to increase the percentage of inspections in disproportionately impacted communities.
- Encouraging the use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) in settlements of enforcement cases affecting disproportionately impacted communities.
- Strengthening existing public communication channels and developing new ones to elicit and receive input from members of disproportionately impacted communities.
Public Meeting on Environmental Justice in Enforcement & Compliance
On May 1, 2023, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a virtual public meeting about how they will implement their agreement to prioritize environmental justice in enforcement and compliance.
CDPHE and EPA have finalized a workplan for implementing their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) about advancing environmental justice in enforcement and compliance. You can read the final workplan here. You can read the MOU here.
During the meeting, CDPHE and EPA talked more about the final workplan and what it means for communities across Colorado. Marcus Howell, the CDPHE Environmental Justice Ombudsperson, also presented his newly launched complaint system, found here.
- Air Pollution Control Division Records (Includes an interactive map for searching for records)
- Air Quality Inspection Reports (Access air pollution records)
- Drinking Water Inspections
- Drinking Water Records, Including Inspection Reports (Access our guide to finding drinking water records here)
- EPA Echo
- Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Records (Instructions for searching by map, facility address, and more on this page)
- May 2023 Presentation on Air Pollution Control Division Inspections
- Clean water act enforcement activity at the Suncor Commerce City refinery community information sheet
- Wastewater
- Water quality Enforcement Actions
Air Pollution Contacts
Drinking Water Compliance Assurance Section
Clean Water Contacts:
- Eric Mink, Unit manager
- Andrea Nestler, Workgroup lead
- Jocelyn Brink, Individual permit domestic oversight
- Mandy Mercer, General permit domestic oversight
- Marah Green, General permit industrial oversight
- Jacob Dyste, Individual permit industrial and stormwater oversight
- Emily Clark, Drinking water enforcement workgroup lead
EPA Region 8 Contacts for Enforcement and Compliance
- Suzanne Bohan, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director
- Angelique Diaz, Ph.D., P.E.: Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Deputy Director
- R8Enforcement@epa.gov
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Contacts:
- Basic Information on EPA Enforcement: EN | SP
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Solid Waste Management
- Radiation Control
- Air Pollution Enforcement Action Reports
- Air Pollution Enforcement Actions Against Suncor
- Air Pollution Quarterly Enforcement Action Reports
- Clean Water (Pollution in Streams and Rivers)
- Drinking Water
- EPA Echo
- Hazardous Waste Inspection and Enforcement
- Solid Waste and Materials Management Inspections
- Air Pollution Control Division Records (Includes an interactive map for searching for records)
- Commerce City-North Denver
- Environmental Justice Program
- Information about Suncor Refinery
- Oil and Gas Health Information Response Page
- Public Participation Calendar
- May 2023 Presentation on Air Pollution Control Division Inspections
- Current Public Summary of Complaints Received by Oil and Gas Health Information Response (OGHIR)
- Environmental Justice Complaints (Submit your environmental justice concerns)
- Illegal Waste Tire Dumping
- OGHIR Concerns Submission Page (Health concerns, odors, questions, etc. for CDPHE)
- Report Complaints to EPA
- Water Quality Complaints and Emergencies