Environmental pollution

Local News

La Plata County Jail needs to expand, but ground contamination is a hurdle

industrial site left chemicals in soil and groundwater

April 21, 2026

Local News

EPA activity releases sediment from Bonita Peak mine into Animas River tributary

Impacts were minimal, no adverse effects to water quality observed

August 14, 2025

Local News

Southern Ute Indian Tribe criticizes company over gasoline spill response

A pipeline south of Durango burst in December, spilling 23,000 gallons of fuel

May 8, 2025

Local News

Through clear skies, Four Corners energy transition underway

Shuttered San Juan Generating Station replaced by expansive solar projects

March 2, 2025

Local News

Details scant as operators remains tight-lipped about pipeline failure south of Durango

Enterprise Products, the company responsible for the spill of 23,000 gallons of gasoline, has refused to answer questions

February 20, 2025

Local News

23,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into their yard; now, this Durango couple can’t go home

A pipeline burst in La Plata County in December, contaminating several wells

February 3, 2025

Local News

Southern Utes take federal regulatory authority of minor air pollution sources

is first in the nation to do so, EPA official says

July 14, 2024

Southwest Life

Why did it take so long for the Navajo Nation to secure a Superfund designation?

from 40 years of uranium mining has contaminated watersheds across the reservation

April 2, 2024

Regional News

Locals wary of plan to recycle Leadville’s mining waste

Residents concerned plan to process historic mine waste could threaten Arkansas River, unearth town’s long-buried history

March 31, 2024

Regional News

New EPA methane emissions rules celebrated by some, cause concern for others

rules will limit leaks from over 20,000 oil and gas wells in the Four Corners

December 5, 2023

Local News

How did Silverton save a seat at the table?

small town sits adjacent to a Superfund site; it fought to have a voice

July 12, 2023

Local News

E-bike rebate recipients begin to receive new wheels

Durango program aims to provide eco-friendly, reliable transportation to community members

June 16, 2023

Local News

Colorado attorney general meets with stakeholders in Durango on Gold King Mine settlement spending

was to explore how best to leverage funds

May 18, 2023

Local News

Colorado told La Plata County to clean up its landfill; now the state will pay for it

A bill awaiting governor’s signature dedicates money to remediation at sites like the one in Bayfield

May 14, 2023

Local News

Durango School District 9-R flips the switch for Earth week

Classes turn off lights for 15 minutes to demonstrate how much electricity can be saved

May 2, 2023

Local News

Environmentalists sound alarm on Animas River water quality

Sediment and biohazard loading from Lightner Creek jeopardizing fish habitat

March 23, 2023

Regional News

How to live next to radioactive waste

activists have been fighting for the cleanup of the Cotter Uranium Mill Superfund site for decades

March 6, 2023

Local News

Free reusable bags available at various locations in Durango

Revenue collected from plastic and paper bag fees to fund waste-reduction efforts

February 7, 2023

Local News

What was the social impact of Gold King?

Environmentally, the spill was negligible. But seeing a mustard-yellow river spurred action to clean up mines

January 8, 2023

Regional News

Colorado is falling behind on its mandate to cut greenhouse gases

state assessment shows big gaps in goals for transportation emissions

September 19, 2022

Regional News

Microplastics are seemingly everywhere – including Colorado’s snowpack

Samples find growing rate of shredded plastic fibers

August 1, 2022

Local News

San Juan Mountains Association hosts events with ultrarunners Kilian Jornet, Dakota Jones

Conservation group will guide trail work in Silverton ahead of the Hardrock 100

July 12, 2022

Local News

How citizen scientists are testing our streams and rivers for contamination

Mountain Studies Institute, Fort Lewis College partner to measure E. coli in San Juan National Forest’s waterways

July 6, 2022

Southwest Life

Could prescribed burns curb the health impacts of wildfires?

Controlled fire seen as a tool to mitigate some of the harm, report says

June 23, 2022