Zornio: What’s next for Colorado, the EPA and KC Becker under Trump?

With the Biden administration on the way out, many Coloradans are concerned about changes to the Environmental Protection Agency. So I reached out to EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker to learn more about what she thinks is in store for the agency.

For background, Becker’s Region 8 appointment serves Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 28 federally recognized tribes. Becker has also spent over 20 years in federal, state and local government roles, including four terms in the Colorado legislature, with two of those years as House Majority Leader and another two years as Speaker of the House. At the time, this made her one of only seven female speakers in the United States.

A new governor will be elected in Colorado in 2026, and in April, I listed Becker as one of the top Democratic Colorado women to watch for this seat. With her current appointment under President Biden changing, I’d increase Becker’s availability for office in 2026, not only for Colorado’s governor, but potentially Colorado’s attorney general should Phil Weiser run for governor as rumored.

Zornio: You were announced by the Biden administration for the Region 8 administrator position in November 2021. Three years later, the Biden administration is leaving, and so you will be leaving your position as well. What has serving in this role meant to you, and how do you feel about it coming to an end?

Becker: “Serving as Region 8 Administrator has been an honor, and I’m grateful that I was able to serve in this role during such a transformative time at the EPA. … Over the past four years EPA has updated regulations to protect communities in a range of ways: requiring the removal of lead pipes and acting on forever chemicals like PFAS to protect people from harmful toxins in their water, holding polluters accountable and making sure they pay for cleanup, slashing emissions that harm the climate and the air we breathe, and banning dangerous chemicals like asbestos, TCE and PCE, among many others. We have acted on key public health issues and look forward to seeing the benefits for the people we serve.

“As this chapter concludes, it’s bittersweet. The work is demanding and there’s always more to be done, but it’s been deeply rewarding. I’ve been fortunate to work with an incredible team at EPA and alongside partners who share a commitment to this mission. Naturally, there is some uncertainty about what comes next, but I take great pride in the progress we’ve made.”

Zornio: Let’s jump right in to Colorado air quality. Shortly after your appointment to Region 8, Colorado saw a long-overdue downgrade in air quality that placed more stringent guidelines for pollution per federal standards. This was needed, but the change wasn’t easy. What was your role in this downgrade, and did you face any obstacles to increasing oversight? 

Becker: “The reclassification of Colorado’s air quality was required by law. My role as the regional administrator was to oversee this process and ensure the reclassification adhered to federal law, while also using every available resource to work with the state toward returning to attainment.

“Air quality challenges in this region are complex and driven by multiple factors, and solutions will require collaboration across all sectors — state and local governments, businesses and communities.”

Zornio: One of the state’s top polluters for air quality is Suncor. When you took the appointment, there was already a lot of contention surrounding the oil and gas refinery. Pushback has continued, rightfully so, as local communities continue to struggle with excess pollution and a lack of resources. Do you think you’ve been able to help these communities during your tenure, and what still needs to be done moving forward?

Becker: “Suncor has been all-encompassing at times and a learning process in terms of what we can do under the law and as partners with the state. I can’t think of another issue that has involved as much time, energy and engagement with my teams — across all levels of compliance — as Suncor.

“Over the past three years, we conducted multiple inspections and compliance evaluations at the refinery under air, water, waste, emergency planning and toxics programs, and have taken significant enforcement and permitting actions. Each of these actions represents progress toward improved conditions, and the EPA is not done. Getting results from this level of attention and scrutiny takes time; the process from completing an inspection to implementing facility improvements involves evaluating complex data and information, then going into the legal enforcement process, resulting in legal actions and settlements that include penalties, corrective actions, and mitigation measures. Our success over time will be measured in facility control and process improvements, better permits and reduced violations, incidents and emissions at the refinery. We all would like to have been able to get from A to B more quickly in realizing some of these improvements, but these efforts will ultimately result in a safer facility and community in the years to come. 

“Additionally, the work we’ve done to promote environmental justice will continue to generate awareness and deliver results for communities surrounding Suncor. In 2022, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) outlining our partnership and enhanced focus on enforcement and compliance in communities that are heavily impacted by pollution, such as the Commerce City-North Denver area. Under this agreement, we focus on three areas: (1) strategic targeting of inspections, (2) coordinated enforcement and compliance assurance actions to address impacts on communities, and (3) enhanced community engagement. As part of our efforts to keep communities updated we are now posting enforcement information online, including inspection reports, to provide increased awareness of these actions.”

Zornio: Speaking of Suncor, a new study was recently published by Dr. Detlev Helmig regarding elevated levels of airborne radioactivity downwind of the refinery. In the paper, he and his team cite the implications as the following:

“Regulatory agencies currently do not mandate or conduct monitoring of radioactivity releases and public exposure from petroleum industry air emissions. This study reports elevated radioactivity from radon gas and nonvolatile radon decay products attached to particulate matter, at about 2–3 times above background levels in proximity to Colorado’s largest oil refinery. Observations were within an environmental justice community of concern that experiences well above-average exposure to many other harmful atmospheric pollutants, suggesting potential adverse health effects from this cumulative exposure. Our findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and affected communities alike.”

Acknowledging you will not be in this position moving forward, what would you hope to see for federal and state oversight as related to these findings? Should Colorado be monitoring for airborne radioactivity related to oil and gas refining regularly?

Becker: “Our guide as regulators is the framework established by the Clean Air Act. We recently received a copy of Dr. Helmig’s paper and would need the study’s data in order for our Air and Enforcement teams to determine whether it signals any actionable violations to law. Moving forward, I would like to see states, local governments and communities continue to expand their air monitoring networks, and continue inspections and enforcement activities.”

Zornio: Let’s talk politics. With the incoming Trump administration, many are concerned about changes in leadership and funding for the EPA. Do you have concerns as well? And do you worry any changes might affect Colorado? What can we do to prepare?

Becker: “Any transition in leadership brings a level of uncertainty. Most of the laws that EPA implements, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, don’t just rely on EPA and states to enforce. These laws include citizen suit provisions, which allow private citizens and organizations to act as private attorneys-general to enforce the laws as well. I think these provisions provide important avenues for protecting our clean air and water no matter who is leading the EPA. 

“It’s true that changes in funding or priorities at the federal level could pose challenges. EPA had a big role in implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, and nearly all of that funding — whether it be to update water infrastructure or clean up contaminated sites — is obligated, meaning it has gone to the state and local partners who applied for and were awarded the dollars. Work is underway, making it difficult to pull back. It’s also important to recognize that these dollars support infrastructure projects and efforts to clean up air, land and water pollution in every corner of the country.

“At the end of the day, the benefits and outcomes we deliver for individuals and families aren’t partisan. I have no doubt my successor will find that projects are meeting important needs of their communities and are worthy of continued investment.”

Zornio: We covered why Suncor took up a lot of time and attention. What other issues have you worked on that, while important, Coloradans might not be aware of?

Becker: “Overall, one of the things I’m most proud [of] is our enforcement actions under EPA’s climate National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative. In the last year alone, we concluded four Clean Air Act (CAA) enforcement actions aimed at mitigating climate change, including with Marathon Oil Company which is the largest CAA stationary source settlement in EPA history. This enforcement action will reduce emissions by 43.6 million pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) per year from oil and gas facilities on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. It also requires payment of a $64.5 million penalty and an estimated $177 million investment in compliance measures. Other enforcement actions we’ve taken include settling a CAA action with Ovintiv Inc. in the Uinta Basin, Utah (including the Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation), which will reduce emissions of VOCs by over four million pounds per year.

“In addition, here in Colorado, two of the most important tasks I’ve worked on have been rolling out investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Some of my favorite projects we’ve been able to support with these historic laws in Colorado include deploying new clean school buses in rural communities like Steamboat Springs and across the region, South Adams County’s new PFAS treatment facility, restoring Central City’s historic Belvidere Theater, celebrating Colorado’s $329 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to help guide and fund our climate actions for years to come, and awarding over $129 million to the Colorado Energy Office under our Solar for All program to deploy residential solar across the state. Colorado is a hub for clean energy and these programs will not only help to protect our natural resources, but they will expand our green economy and create good jobs as well.”

Zornio: It’s clear you’ve had many successes under your leadership. But success is not without some setbacks. What is one thing you wish you could have accomplished but weren’t able to? Is there anything you’d do differently looking back?

Becker: “Coming into the EPA — an agency with such a vast scope and complex challenges — there’s a significant learning curve, no matter how prepared you are. I don’t necessarily look back with regrets, but I think greater awareness of just how intricate the systems are — how long it can take to implement programs, build relationships, and see the impacts come to fruition — would have been valuable earlier on. Meaningful change, especially in the environmental space, is a long game that requires persistence and collaboration. 

“In terms of what I wish I could have accomplished, there’s always more work to be done! For example, the Mountains and Plains Thriving Communities Collaborative technical assistance resource is something I’m especially proud of. This regional program provides free technical assistance to help community groups, local governments and tribes — particularly in small or rural areas — learn about, apply for and manage federal grants. Getting that technical assistance center up and running was a major milestone, but the real impacts — the partnerships built, the grants secured, and the communities transformed — will take time to unfold. I wish I could be here to see it through and to continue supporting those communities as they take full advantage of the historic resources now available to them. 

“There are additional enforcement actions I would have liked to continue working on because polluter accountability is so important. I’d like to be around to see further progress on the cleanup of some Superfund sites and continue to make progress on contaminants like PFAS. There’s so much more to do!”

Zornio: Now for the question on everyone’s mind: What’s next for KC Becker? 

Becker: “Public service has been at the heart of my career and working at the EPA has been especially meaningful. … At a time when the challenges we face are so urgent — whether it’s climate change or environmental justice — this work has been incredibly rewarding. 

“I don’t have a clear next step to share just yet, but I know I’ll continue to be drawn to work that makes a difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s policymaking, public service, or another avenue, I’ve always believed in our collective ability to make impacts and benefit communities. It’s a commitment I’ll carry with me as I look towards what is next.”

Trish Zornio is a scientist, lecturer and writer who has worked at some of the nation’s top universities and hospitals. She’s an avid rock climber and was a 2020 candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado. Trish can be found on Twitter @trish_zornio

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