DENVER (AP) — Colorado health officials have delayed a decision on a mining giant's request to weaken statewide limits on pollution of streams, including a creek that flows into Denver's drinking water supply.
The Denver Post reports that officials on Wednesday pushed their decision back two years to November 2019, ignoring calls by state scientists to shutter Climax Molybdenum's campaign.
The company produces and supplies molybdenum, a metal. It wants the state to allow 43 times more molybdenum to be discharged into streams.
Denver Water estimates that weakening pollution limits could cost ratepayers up to $600 million for expansion of a water treatment plant.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment scientists say that molybdenum pollution at the proposed new limits would kill fish and could hurt people.
