WEEK OF JANUARY 16, 2025
VOLUME 36| ISSUE 2
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NATIONAL WESTERN ON PARADE Scandal
clouds water quality tests
Cold greets stock show P7
Latest twist in an expanding scandal at health department BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN
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• Vestas to lay off 200 employees
Various horse-drawn carriages were a major attraction Jan. 9 in downtown Denver for the National Western Stock Show Parade.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment suspended testing of drinking water at the state laboratory, the latest twist in an expanding water-testing scandal that’s been going on for a year. The scandal involves at least two chemists accused of cutting corners and falsifying data on quality-assurance tests — essentially practice tests run to make sure their machines are working correctly. The state says it has no evidence that public health was threatened through falsified data on tests of actual water samples sent into the lab for analysis. “At no time did we find levels that we knew would pose an immediate threat to public health,” Dr. Ned Calonge, CDPHE’s chief medical officer, said in an interview. While testing is suspended at the state lab, CDPHE has transferred testing duties to third-party labs that are certified by the federal government. Here’s what else we know so far about the testing scandal. PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ
BUSINESS
State Sen. Michaelson Jenet talks state politics for 2025 BY JACKIE RAMIREZ SPECIAL COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
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•27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
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LOCAL OBITUARIES LEGALS CLASSIFIED
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
LOCAL
On Jan. 8, the Legislature began their 75th session for 2025. Among the senators and representatives of Colorado is Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, who got into politics so the struggles she faced as a parent didn’t happen to others. Michaelson Jenet of Commerce City has represented District 21, which includes Adams and Arapahoe counties. This year, she takes on the leadership role of President Pro Tempore, a key role to
have when the president of the Senate is unavailable. With 2025 now in session, Michaelson Jenet is turning her attention to kids who need our help the most. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Colorado Community Media: To start us off, can you tell me about yourself? Who are you? Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet: I’m Dafna Michaelson Jenet and I’ve been serving in the Colorado Legislature for eight years. My husband and I run a nonprofit organization
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called the Journey Institute and what we do primarily is publish books from authors who otherwise would not be published. We believe that getting the voices out of our community is very important and so whether or not you have a large platform, we want to get your message and your ideas out to the community. CCM: I definitely can relate to that! Would you be able to share your top priorities for the 2025 session? Michaelson Jenet: So as usual, my top priorities have to do with youth and health. My
area of concern primarily is youth mental health. I started the I Matter program, which offers free therapy for any school age youth who want it, in English and in Spanish. I hope that your readers know about I Matter. This year I’m focusing on foster youth and on youth who are running away from mental health facilities. CCM: Sort of looking back at last year, what encouraged you to shift toward these priorities? Have you always had them? SEE PRIORITIES, P5
What kind of tests are we talking about?
These are tests conducted on drinking water to look for harmful levels of various things like metals or toxins. The water samples could be submitted by a community or municipal water provider or they could be sent in by individuals whose drinking water comes from a well. The specific test at issue is known as Method 200.7. It looks for metals like barium, chromium and copper. Calonge said this is not the test the state uses to look for lead. To conduct the test, a lab chemist runs a water sample through a machine, which spits out a result. The result is then compared to federal water quality standards to see if it exceeds allowed limits. SEE WATER QUALITY, P11
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