Environment

Plutonium is forever, and so is the never-ending saga of the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant.

Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald talks about the most common urban wildlife seen in Denver and why sightings have been increasing of late. And while he brings plenty of data to the table, his most important sources tend to be found at ground level.

If you’re into seeing Colorado’s aspens turn their golden color each fall, you better go soon because it’s already happening.

House Democrats are pressuring the EPA to establish a maximum contaminant level for PFAS chemicals.

The third annual 14ers.com analysis of the most popular Colorado fourteeners shows that their use by hikers continues to go up in most major ranges in the state and particularly along the Front Range, where the numbers are nearly as elevated as the peaks themselves.

We asked Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, a veterinarian at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital as well as a star of two past Animal Planet programs, Emergency Vets and E-Vet Interns, and a regular on the Denver stand-up comedy scene, to share some of his rattlesnake knowledge, and the information he provides here is filled with fascinating factoids.

A Northeastern University study from 2013 showed that PFAS exposure was linked to six diseases: ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, thyroid disease, testicular cancer and kidney cancer.

When Jolon Clark proposed a new sales tax to improve and expand parks in the Mile High City, he was a Denver City Council member. Now, he’s the council’s president, and he’s thrilled that his colleagues have voted to place the measure on the November ballot.

Governor John Hickenlooper calls on the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to eliminate its backlog of orphaned wells, which pose an environmental risk of soil and groundwater contamination to the state.

The work of a small group could lead to big changes for recycling collection.

The Spring Creek Fire in Costilla County, allegedly started on June 27 five miles east of Fort Garland by 52-year-old Danish immigrant Jesper Joergensen, surpassed the 100,000 acre mark, growing by nearly 8,000 acres over a 24 hour period. Moreover, the number of structures destroyed by the blaze now stands at 132. But the news as of early July 6 isn’t entirely bad. The fire has gone from 5 percent to 35 percent contained, increasing hope that the estimate of total containment by month’s end isn’t a pipe dream.

An expert on water throughout Colorado feels the conditions that have helped fuel the 416 Fire near Durango and other blazes in the state at present could be with us for the foreseeable future.

Did the EPA head have a lotion rider?

The Colorado River has already reached its peak flow for the season, and that’s lousy news when it comes to fire danger, water supply for farmers and residential users, recreational opportunities and the health of numerous fish species, among other things. And while Victor Lee, an engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation, isn’t ready to hit the panic button yet, he concedes that bad can still turn worse.

Denver has rolled out an animated superhero series to prepare residents for a potential invasion of emerald ash borers that stars the city’s forester, Rob Davis.

Rattlesnake season in Colorado is back with a vengeance, and it can be dangerous. But our expert offers six tips to keep you safe.

Once on the rocks, the system is getting help from citizens’ groups,

Local Colorado governments have had enough of fracking and have filed a lawsuit against two of the world’s largest corporations: Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, the latter of which has a refinery in Commerce City. The lawsuit alleges that the corporations should pay up for the impacts of climate change on their local communities, and they’re demanding to have their case heard in front of a jury.

The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission ruled on Monday that Senator Vicki Marble violated state law when she allowed Extraction Oil and Gas to pick up the tab on a constituent town hall that was purporting “the facts” on oil and gas development in Broomfield, a city and county that has posed strong opposition to fracking by the very company who picked up the tab. But Marble isn’t going to drop the issue; she plans to appeal.

A taskforce that includes the initiative’s backers, representatives of the real estate industry and a few city council members could recommend changes to its language that would stay true to its intent but offer builders more options.

A Denver-based oil and gas exploration and extraction company is suing an anti-fracking activist who locked himself to a bulldozer on a drilling site under development in Greeley.

A shouting match broke out between a senator and Commerce City resident during an oil and gas-related hearing. She wanted to talk about explosions. He wanted to shut her up. Ultimately, her microphone was cut off and she was forcibly silenced. Now, a bill that would have put public health and safety over industry profits is dead.