Whistleblowers Say Colorado Air Director Ordered Illegal Permits

摘要

A coalition of environmental groups is urging Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to remove the state's top air quality regulator after three whistleblowers accused him of directing staff to falsify records and illegally approve permits for companies even as air pollution is on the rise in the state. The groups also want the state to revoke any company-held air permits that were issued illegally or improperly. The serious violations identified by the whistleblowers-three air quality modelers for the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division-have resulted in increased air pollution in the Denver metro area, they say. "This is our Flint," said Ean Tafoya, co-chair of the Colorado Latino Forum, one of the groups calling for Polis (D) to remove Garry Kaufman, director of the division. "People in Flint felt like their health was being sacrificed for profits, and that's exactly what's going on in Colorado - with the involvement of the government," Tafoya added. Polis is taking the allegations seriously and will conduct a full investigation, according to a statement issued by his office. "It's important to note that Colorado is not in violation of any state or federal law or regulation with regard to modeling," according to the governor's office. "There are no federal or state laws in place governing the threshold to have modeling done for minor source permitting." Kaufman hasn't issued a response. He has held his position for just over four years, according to his LinkedIn profile.