WHO BEARS THE COST?? NORTH DENVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REPORT AND DATA AUDIT

The report documents a cumulative environmental burden in North Denver and Commerce City, where industrial zoning and high-volume transportation infrastructure lead to significant pollution and health risks. Key findings include widespread EPA violations among local facilities, high levels of PM2.5 emissions from diesel traffic near schools, and systemic data gaps regarding freight rail and business impacts. The authors argue that while North Denver provides essential energy, goods, and waste services for the broader Denver Metro area, the local community bears the health costs, including higher rates of asthma and cancer risks.

• North Denver is characterized by industrial zoning that prioritizes business over residents, with estimates of 2,000 to 8,000 businesses operating in the 80216 zip code alone. This has resulted in limited access to quality greenspace; for example, less than half of Commerce City residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
• EPA data reveals significant regulatory non-compliance in the region. A January 2022 query identified 183 facilities with at least one documented violation in the past three years, and 94 facilities with current violations. Many are 'repeat offenders,' including 79 Clean Water Act (CWA) violators who were non-compliant in two or more of the last 12 quarters.
• Major energy facilities in North Denver contribute substantial pollution. The Cherokee Generating Station emitted 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide and 508.8 tons of nitrous oxides (NOx) in 2019. The Suncor oil refinery reported releasing over 2.5 million lbs of 30 toxic chemicals in 2020, including 445,000 lbs of hydrogen cyanide and 95,000 lbs of benzene.
• High-volume vehicle traffic, particularly diesel-fueled trucks, creates severe air quality issues. Approximately 175,000 vehicles daily pass Swansea Elementary on I-70, and 460,000 pass through the I70-I25 'Mousetrap' intersection. This contributes to asthma-related emergency department visit rates in North Denver that were more than twice the statewide rate in 2014.
• The region serves as a critical hub for goods production, with at least 34 food production and storage facilities, including brands like PepsiCo, Sysco, and Amazon Fresh. Some facilities, such as the Nestle-Purina factory, have been out of compliance with the Clean Water Act for the past three years.
• Freight rail operations contribute to diesel emissions and health risks, but data is severely restricted. By federal law, freight rail information for areas smaller than the state level is proprietary, preventing communities from knowing the volume or type of freight passing through their neighborhoods.
• Waste management infrastructure in North Denver serves millions of residents across the Denver Metro area. The Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility is the largest wastewater plant in the Rocky Mountain West, processing up to 220 million gallons per day, yet it has been non-compliant with the Clean Water Act for 6 of the last 12 quarters.
• The report identifies a critical lack of comprehensive health impact studies tracking the cumulative effects of multiple pollution sources on North Denver residents, though it notes a 2014 Health Impact Assessment and an ongoing study resulting from a CDOT settlement.

APA

GreenLatinos (2022). WHO BEARS THE COST?? NORTH DENVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REPORT AND DATA AUDIT. https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/engN-Denver-Report_English_Online_workinghyperlinks-1.pdf

Chicago

GreenLatinos. WHO BEARS THE COST?? NORTH DENVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REPORT AND DATA AUDIT. 2022. https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/engN-Denver-Report_English_Online_workinghyperlinks-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenLatinos |title=WHO BEARS THE COST?? NORTH DENVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REPORT AND DATA AUDIT |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/engN-Denver-Report_English_Online_workinghyperlinks-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenlatinos2022who, author = {{GreenLatinos}}, title = {{WHO BEARS THE COST?? NORTH DENVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REPORT AND DATA AUDIT}}, institution = {GreenLatinos}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.greenlatinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/engN-Denver-Report_English_Online_workinghyperlinks-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }