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Plan for up to 10 oil trains a day through Colorado on track for administration’s approval – Colorado Newsline

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Plan for up to 10 oil trains a day through Colorado on track for administration’s approval – Colorado Newsline


The Biden administration is ready to approve one other key allow for a brand new railroad in Utah that’s anticipated to drastically improve the quantity of crude oil hauled by way of Colorado by rail, dismissing objections from environmental teams and Colorado communities alongside the impacted route.

Officers with the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday rejected a problem to its determination to permit a part of the proposed 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway to cross a protected roadless space within the Ashley Nationwide Forest. Securing the right-of-way is a vital step for the venture, which is backed by a public-private partnership between seven Utah county governments, Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Companions and the Rio Grande Pacific railroad firm.

Utah’s oil and fuel business has eagerly supported the proposed rail line, which is projected to considerably improve oil manufacturing within the Uinta Basin by connecting the area to the nationwide rail community, permitting crude oil to be transported over the Rocky Mountains to refineries alongside the Gulf Coast. An environmental affect assertion ready by federal regulators estimated that the elevated manufacturing from the Uinta Basin alone might improve complete annual U.S. greenhouse fuel emissions by practically 1%, at a time when scientists are urging drastic world emissions cuts to keep away from the worst impacts of local weather change.

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“President Biden ought to be doing all the pieces in his energy to answer the local weather emergency, however he’s about to gentle one of many nation’s largest carbon bombs,” Deeda Seed, a senior campaigner with the Middle for Organic Variety, stated in an announcement. “That is pouring one other 5 billion gallons of oil on the fireplace yearly and bulldozing a nationwide forest within the course of. It’s a horrifying step within the improper course.”

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A lot of the extra crude oil produced because of the Uinta Basin Railway can be hauled by way of Colorado on a route that passes by way of Glenwood Canyon alongside the Colorado River, then by way of the Moffat Tunnel and central Denver. As much as 10 two-mile-long trains would journey the route every day, and since the Uinta Basin produces a sort of oil often called “waxy” crude, the tank vehicles used to move it must be heated, creating extra security and environmental dangers.

Dozens of cities, counties and water districts alongside the route have voiced opposition to the venture, together with Glenwood Springs, the place metropolis officers fear about potential impacts to the Colorado River Basin, and Eagle County, which has joined environmental teams in suing the U.S. Floor Transportation Board in a federal appeals court docket over its 4-1 vote to approve the venture as a complete in December.

That is pouring one other 5 billion gallons of oil on the fireplace yearly and bulldozing a nationwide forest within the course of. It’s a horrifying step within the improper course.

– Deeda Seed, a senior campaigner with the Middle for Organic Variety

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A minimum of 21 oil practice derailments have occurred within the U.S. and Canada since 2013, in line with a 2021 report from the nonprofit Sightline Institute. Such incidents incessantly lead to fires and spills, together with the 2016 derailment of an oil practice in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge, through which an estimated 42,000 gallons of crude oil had been spilled.

The partnership behind the railway venture says it’s “dedicated to minimizing and mitigating environmental impacts the place attainable,” and can adjust to “all federal, state, and native environmental rules.”

In a discover despatched on Tuesday, Forest Service officers rejected the Middle for Organic Variety’s problem to the Ashley Nationwide Forest right-of-way allow, writing that regardless of some “considerations” in regards to the environmental affect assertion ready by the Floor Transportation Board, the company believes the evaluation “helps allow issuance.”

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“There may be nothing within the proposal that will counsel that the Forest Service should reject the proposal or deny the applying,” wrote Deb Oakeson, deputy regional forester for the USFS Intermountain Area. “Evaluation within the (environmental affect assertion) has led to sure protecting measures and mitigations that will be stipulated circumstances of any potential particular use allow.”

Backers say the $1.5 billion Uinta Basin Railway can be the biggest new railroad venture in the US in practically 50 years. Development might start as early as subsequent 12 months.

Opponents, nonetheless, nonetheless hope to prevail in a number of authorized challenges, together with Eagle County’s swimsuit in opposition to the Floor Transportation Board and a separate criticism alleging misuse of state funds in reference to the venture’s financing. Eagle County and different petitioners within the federal lawsuit are scheduled to file opening briefs within the case by Aug. 4.

In a letter despatched earlier this 12 months, greater than 50 Colorado metropolis and county governments urged Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper to talk out in opposition to the venture. Each senators have stated that they share Colorado communities’ “considerations” in regards to the proposal.

In the meantime, greater than 100 environmental teams from Colorado, Utah and different Western states have voiced their opposition, objecting to the railway’s potential to do “super hurt to the atmosphere.”

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“This space is already going through water and air high quality points,” Jonny Vasic, government director of Utah Physicians for a Wholesome Setting, stated in an announcement Wednesday. “The railway will quadruple manufacturing of oil within the Uinta Basin, leading to dire penalties for air high quality, public lands, water, public security and the local weather.”



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Colorado Republicans critical of Secretary of State after voting system passwords posted online

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Colorado Republicans critical of Secretary of State after voting system passwords posted online


Secretary of State Jena Griswold is trying to reassure voters after a major security breach at her office.

Passwords to voting systems statewide were leaked online in June. They remained publicly available for five months before they were flagged.

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 Griswold declined an interview with CBS Colorado but her communications director, Jack Todd, says an employee accidentally made the passwords public.

The office learned of the breach last week but didn’t tell county clerks, who are in charge of securing voting systems.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks’ Association says, if not for a press release from the Colorado Republican Party, clerks wouldn’t have known about the leak and neither would voters.

“Unfortunately, clerks found out about it from an email that came from the state GOP, which was incredibly disappointing,” Crane told CBS Colorado. “If a mistake happens in a county, counties have to report that out to the state immediately. And so with something like this, when it is such so severe in nature, potentially severe, we think that the first call should have been to the county, so that we could have taken a look at our systems and at our security processes and make sure that everything was okay.”

The passwords are used to access equipment like vote tabulating machines, computers used by election judges and servers that compile all of a county’s voting data. Every county has its own password, and all but one of them were leaked.

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Secretary Griswold says one password is not enough to gain access. Former Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Taheri disagrees.

“She’s trying to say that in order to get in, you need both passwords,” Taheri said. “Well, not really. The first password, as long as you’re physically there, you could then plug a USB into the computer, bypass the system password and get in and start doing whatever you wanted with the software.”

Taheri says, fortunately, county clerks keep their election equipment in secure locations with restricted access and 24-hour surveillance. She’s not worried that the system was hacked, but she says she is worried that Griswold tried to cover up the breach.

“We need to actually know from a third party did anybody breach the system?” Taheri said. “And we don’t know that, and we don’t have somebody we can trust to tell us because she’s investigating herself.”

When Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters posted passwords for her voting systems online, Griswold called it a serious breach of voting system security protocols. In this case, she says there is no immediate security threat. Taheri said that is a double standard. 

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“[She] said it was very serious when it happened in Mesa County,” Taheri recalled. “She said the release of that one password alone was a very serious election breach. And now, she’s trying to say the release of a mass amount of passwords — no big deal. Almost the worst part of this entire fiasco is that she hid it from the people who needed to know the most.”

Instead, Griswold quietly launched an internal investigation, told staff to change all the passwords and to check access to logs to make sure no one breached the system. She is now asking for a third party to investigate. Meanwhile, the Colorado GOP is demanding an audit of the office and Griswold’s resignation.

Crane says clerks too want answers, but despite the breach, he says the integrity of Colorado’s election is protected by paper ballots.

“We audit the paper after each election,” Crane said. “So if there’s something wrong with the count, let’s say on the really far-off chance someone was able to do something nefarious, we would be able to tell when we were auditing the paper ballots post-election.”

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FOX Sports commentator says Colorado’s ‘Home Run’ hire paying off

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FOX Sports commentator says Colorado’s ‘Home Run’ hire paying off


Joel Klatt has lauded Deion Sanders’ impact as head coach at Colorado, calling him a “home run” hire, an assessment many now share as the Buffaloes stand at 6-2, ranked No. 23, and bowl eligible. This meteoric rise is remarkable for a program that only two years ago was struggling with one win, suffering double-digit losses in every game. Klatt’s analysis underscores the unprecedented turnaround Sanders has orchestrated, bringing new energy, a competitive edge, and strategic success to a team previously written off as one of the weakest in the Power Five.

The FOX Sports commentator highlighted Sanders’ coaching skills, especially praising his efforts to strengthen the team’s offensive and defensive lines. “Deion Sanders has been an unequivocal success… his team plays tough at the line of scrimmage,”

Klatt also noted the team’s discipline with ball handling and improvements in their running game. Sanders’ approach, which includes a strong transfer portal strategy and attracting high-caliber players like his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and standout Travis Hunter, has revitalized Colorado football. The games are packed, and fan enthusiasm is at an all-time high, a stark contrast to previous years.

Stephen A. Smith hints at Deion Sanders being disrespected before Colorado

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This transformation has not only elevated Colorado’s on-field performance but has also ignited broader enthusiasm across the university. The increased attention has translated into record attendance, university applications, and a reinvigorated campus spirit, showcasing how Sanders’ impact reaches beyond the football program.

Deion Sanders starts bye week spending time with his grandson

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum also acknowledged Sanders’ accomplishments, recognizing the challenges he faces as a high-profile coach who’s drawn extensive media attention and celebrity presence at games. Finebaum suggests that with the hype settled, Sanders can now focus on coaching — and he’s proving to be highly skilled at it.

As Colorado heads into its final games after a bye week, the Buffaloes maintain an outside chance at the Big 12 title and even a spot in the College Football Playoff. Klatt’s optimism, backed by Sanders’ performance thus far, indicates that Colorado’s football resurgence may only be beginning.



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First Alert Weather Day: Much colder across Colorado with rain and snow in the Denver area

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First Alert Weather Day: Much colder across Colorado with rain and snow in the Denver area


First Alert Weather Day: Much colder across Colorado with rain and snow in the Denver area – CBS Colorado

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Watch Alex Lehnert’s forecast

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