“Few Coloradans know the Air Pollution Control Division by name, but every time they take a breath of Rocky Mountain air, they’re impacted by the decisions it makes.

Most notably, the APCD is currently the subject of multiple investigations relating to a March 2021 whistleblower complaint filed with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General. Represented by attorneys with the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, three whistleblowers within the APCD’s air-quality modeling unit allege a “pattern of unlawful conduct” by division leadership, including a policy prohibiting staff from modeling compliance with certain health-based pollution standards.”