The Home Front: Cows belch 2/3 as much methane as the oil industry, a toxic spill in the Springs

“More than 150,000 gallons of water tainted with toxic Air Force firefighting chemicals was released into the Colorado Springs Utilities sewer system last week, Peterson Air Force Base confirmed Tuesday,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “The chemical in the water is a perfluorinated compound, a substance that the Environmental Protection Agency warns can cause ailments including liver and kidney damage and may trigger cancer. The EPA adjusted its maximum safe exposure to the chemical in water to 70 parts per trillion just this year. Testing on the Widefield Aquifer found levels as high as 2,000 parts per trillion.”

In times of commodity lows, sunflowers are bringing better prices for Colorado farmers, reports The Greeley Tribune. “Ron Meyer, agronomist at Colorado State University, said the sunflower harvest across Colorado looks like it will be a good one this year, as early spring rain and a dry summer helped the crop develop.”

Donald Trump tore into journalists and media during a stop in Grand Junction yesterday, according to The Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. “Thousands of people flocked to the Grand Junction Regional Airport on Tuesday to see the Republican presidential nominee and hear what played like a 2016 Trump campaign greatest hits. He covered the gamut during the nearly 44-minute speech, mentioning trade, taxes, the military, energy development, the economy, immigration, health care and more. But it was the “crooked media” and “crooked Hillary” that Trump circled back to throughout the speech.”

The Longmont Times-Call reports how two Lyons town officials are back to work after a federal probe into the struggling town. “”Being investigated by the FBI and HUD (Housing and Urban Development) was not a pleasant experience, however it offered an unusual lens for identifying and assessing vulnerabilities in the town’s processes,” Sullivan said. “The board is committed to ensuring corrective actions are implemented that result in long term improvements to town operations.”

A headline :Donald Trump goes on the attack” is juxtaposed with “Therapist: Suspect had disorder” on today’s front page of The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

“Colorado Public Utilities Commissioner Frances Koncilja subjected officials from Black Hills Energy to a grueling cross-examination Tuesday during the first day of a weeklong hearing on the utility’s request for a $9 million a year increase in revenue from Pueblo ratepayers,” according to The Pueblo Chieftain.

On today’s front page of The Fort Collins Coloradoan: “Gassy cows rival oil industry’s climate impact as research shows cattle are behind 20% of methane.” And the lede: “Here’s the thing about cows: They burp like teenage boys who’ve been chugging Mountain Dew.”

Steamboat Pilot & Today editor Lisa Schlichtman is inviting locals to an election forum Thursday night hosted by the paper, the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors, Routt County Republicans and the Routt County Democrats. “We don’t expect Hillary or the Donald to show up, but you will have the opportunity to hear from local and state candidates who will be answering questions about issues that are important to Routt County residents. Information about various ballot initiatives will also be presented, and a meet and greet at the start of the event will give you an opportunity to mingle with the candidates face to face.”

“A contentious public comment period during the Loveland City Council meeting on Tuesday had Loveland City Councilman Troy Krenning seeking to launch an independent investigation on city employees who don’t report to the City Council,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald.

The trial for a 23-year-old who stabbed a CSU-Boulder student to death last year began this week, per The Daily Camera. “There was a lot of blood.”

The Durango Herald reports on hundreds of pounds or trash cluttering local forests and how some locals are trying to clean it up.

A power line was the cause of a big fire still raging in southern Colorado, reports The Cañon City Daily Record. “As of Tuesday evening, the fire in Junkins Park east of Westcliffe has burned 16,339 acres and spans across 13 miles.”

The Colorado Springs Independent released its 2016 Best Of winners today in a cover story.

“U.S. Air Force officials Tuesday disclosed a 150,000-gallon spill of wastewater laced with invisible toxic perfluorinated chemicals, discharged at least six days ago from a tank at Peterson Air Force Base, into the Colorado Springs sewer system,” The Denver Post reports. “The spill, which Air Force officials said they’re investigating, happened as the Air Force increasingly faces scrutiny as a source of groundwater contamination nationwide.”