Activists Call for Polis to Expand Fight Against Environmental Racism

As efforts to reform law enforcement gain momentum in Colorado, some groups are renewing their efforts to fight environmental racism.

Along with 34 other nonprofits, 350 Colorado has been pushing a petition that calls for a complete halt of the release of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other forms of air pollution for thirty days, or at least until the coronavirus pandemic is contained. The effort, which began in April, has gotten a recent boost, with over 2,600 signatures now submitted to Governor Jared Polis.

VOCs are often released right next to residential areas or neighborhoods, at sites like the Suncor Oil Refinery in Commerce City; they're also released at the more than 50,000 active fracking wells in Colorado. Despite a recent drop in drilling in Colorado, thousands of people still face the effects of VOCs from fracking sites, coal plants and refineries. “It’s completely inappropriate to have these types of industrial facilities next to where people are living,” says Julia Williams, director of communications and development for 350 Colorado.

The petition connects the harmful effects of air pollution on vulnerable people to the deadly virus, citing a Harvard research study that found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with an 8 percent increase in the COVID-19 death rate. Researchers said their results “underscore the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.”

Read more: https://www.westword.com/news/colorado-activists-call-on-governor-to-expand-fight-against-environmental-racism-11724689