Spring 2018 Issue

SPRING 2018 NEWSLETTER 

PEOPLE ARE 

TALKING ABOUT 

WRITTEN BY AND FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE 

COLORADO DIVISION OF OIL AND PUBLIC SAFETY

What’s 

inside 

05 Director’s Corner 

06 New Employee Spotlight 

07 Rewards & Recognition 

Recognition 

Retirements 

Kudos/Accolades 

Public Safety Star of the Month 

OPS TV Star 

15 CDLE Events: Chili Cook Off 

16 Getting to Know OPS 

17 Guess Who? 

18 Crossword 

20 Holiday Recipes & Fun Facts 

21 OPS in the News 

22 OPS Social Media 

23 OPS Partnerships

What’s 

inside 

24 OPS Changes 

25 Tech Tips & Tricks 

31 2018 Short Courses 

32 Program Updates 

Amusements 

Boilers 

Conveyances 

Explosives 

Operations/Data Management 

Release Prevention/Inspection/Weights 

& Measures 

Remediation 

PCRF 

Fund 

43 Calendar of Events

A Message from Our Director 

Director’s Corner 

Spring is one of my favorite seasons and I am so 

glad it is finally here. There are scientific reasons 

why spring is the most delightful season, but I love it 

because it is associated with new growth, longer and 

brighter days and pleasant weather – which all 

provide good reason to enjoy Colorado’s great 

outdoors... 

I also feel that spring is in the air here at OPS. right 

from the moment I step off the elevators and am 

greeted by Jack and other friendly faces in our new 

front office. The front office construction project 

seemed painfully longer and even drearier than a 

harsh winter. That is behind us now, and the future 

looks bright like our new customer waiting area, 

which is such a refreshing and welcoming change. 

There has also been a fair amount of change at OPS, with Jen Steffes and 

Steve Nelson retiring and Dave Harris and Erik Gessert pursuing new career 

opportunities. We wish them all the best and are thankful for their service at 

OPS. Some of these changes have also spurred new growth at OPS, and we 

now have several new supervisors – Bob Becker, Rob Herbert, Bobby Sonnier, 

Tiffany Becker and Jenna Petropulos. We are in the process of hiring a new 

Environmental Protection Specialist in Remediation to fill Erik’s vacancy, but I 

have held off replacing Jen’s position just yet and have assumed her duties in 

the interim. 

We have begun rolling out several new initiatives across all OPS programs. All 

of these initiatives improve the effectiveness of our programs and are focused 

on achieving high regulatory compliance through education, thereby enabling 

protection of the public and our environment. 

Spring has sprung – I hope you take some time to enjoy the refreshing 

changes here at OPS and in the great outdoors. 

Mahesh 

Content 

SPRING 2018 NEWSLETTER 5

New Employee 

New Employee Spotlight 

On February 26, Sam Walker was officially 

appointed as the new Executive Director of CDLE at 

the confirmation hearing with the Senate Business, 

Labor & Technology Committee. Sam was the Chief 

Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at Molson Coors 

Brewing Company before coming to CDLE. 

Sam has previous experience in government with 

the Employment Standards Administration and the 

Wage and Hour Division at the U.S. Department of 

Labor, and he was also acting Assistant Secretary of 

Education in Washington, D.C for a time. 

As Executive Director of CDLE, Sam’s goal is to work with common-sense 

business-led initiatives (like apprenticeships) that provide college credit and 

encourage employers to focus more on skills-based hiring. 

Sam has a son, Alex, and he has been married to his wife Cynthia for 35 

years. He loves to watch “Top Chef” and cook with his wife. He also loves to 

watch “This is Us.” He enjoys playing tennis, road biking and skiing. 

A message from Sam to OPS: 

“I wanted to thank the Division of Oil and Public Safety for your warm 

welcome. Mahesh has done a great job explaining all that your Division does. 

I'm really impressed with the scope of your activities and how many people 

and places you keep safe. I look forward to continuing to learn, and I'm proud 

to lead CDLE. Thanks and keep up the good work! All the best” 

Sam 

Welcome Sam Walker to the CDLE family! 

Content 


Recognitions 

Rewards & Recognition 

Content 


Recognitions 

Rewards & Recognition 

Steve Nelson 

10 Years 

(Retired) 

Jennifer Steffes 

22 Years 

(Retired) 

Content 


Recognitions 


The State Lead program has completed its “check-in” period with the state 

contractors. Vinny approached me (Susan) yesterday to let me know that the 

contractors expressed their appreciation for Jenna and the prompt service that 

she provides every day. They are impressed with her organization and 

professionalism in assisting them and guiding invoices through the system so 

that they are paid quickly. 

Thank you Jenna for always going the extra mile. You are a huge part of the 

success that we have had with Finance in the past year! 

I also wanted to let you know about an interaction I had last week with a fund 

analyst that relates to what we had discussed a month or 2 ago. I had noticed 

a minor coding error (forgot to change 2B to 2D) on an application when 

submitting the eRAP. I emailed the corrected application to Johnny Bonifacic. 

He wasn’t sure what the correction was so he gave me a call. I explained what 

the issue was. He accepted the corrected application and also gave me a 

detailed explanation of the process and how he enters the eRAP in reference 

to the application. He was very professional and informative. There were times 

last year when I was instructed to withdraw the application and resubmit when 

there was a minor error. This most recent interaction was very positive. I know 

this issue was simple but I just wanted to let you know about something good. 

I am sure that you mostly only hear complaints. 

Content 


Recognitions 


I just returned from a few days in your office, working with Tom Fox and Erik 

Gessert on the final details of the ITRC LNAPL Update TechReg. I just want to 

say thank you for allowing both of these gentlemen to participate so actively in 

the team. 

I don’t work for ITRC. I’m just a consultant with a long history of participation 

on ITRC teams, and a shared passion for its mission. I’ve participated on 

several ITRC teams over the years. Mahesh, you may recall that we were on 

the MTBE and Other Fuel Oxygenates team together. Based on my 

experience with multiple ITRC teams, Erik and Tom really stand out as 

exemplary ITRC participants representing a state agency. 

As you know, Erik has served as co-leader of the team, and his steady 

leadership has been a huge benefit to all involved. Tom has led a critical 

subteam, and brings a deeply experienced perspective to the team. They both 

demonstrate an impressive grasp of the current technical and regulatory 

issues in LNAPL management and remediation. Considering how rapidly the 

knowledge in this field has been changing, it shows real professional 

commitment on their part. 

For the past two years, I’ve worked closely with Erik and Tom on various parts 

of the document, and on the upcoming web-based training program. What 

really impresses me about both of them is that they possess a rare 

combination of technical expertise, affability, and pragmatism. 

This week was “crunch time,” with a publication deadline looming. Erik and 

Tom invited me and another team member (Tom Palaia of Jacobs) to sit with 

them in their office and “hammer out” all of the important final details, with the 

aim of making the document as usable and accessible as possible. It was a 

tough couple of days, but working with these guys made it as enjoyable as it 

was productive. 

ITRC has reported that its LNAPL-related documents and training are the most 

widely-used products in ITRC’s history, reaching thousands of agency staff, 

consultants, problem owners, and other stakeholders. This next iteration of the 

LNAPL guidance is bound to have a similarly significant impact. Considering 

the number of LNAPL sites in the US, the number of people involved, and the 

resources devoted to resolving these issues, the time and expertise that Erik 

and Tom have contributed to the team will benefit Colorado, and extend well 

beyond, to virtually every other state. 

Content 


Public Safety Star of the 

Month 

Recognitions 

In September 2017, the Public Safety programs launched the Public Safety Star of the 

Month award to honor the employee who has gone above and beyond in their work each 

month. 

The most recent winner is Steve Noel for working so diligently with the Boiler Program and 

Jurisdiction Online to ensure the success of the new database. It was a smooth transition. 

Thanks Steve! 

Content 


Recognitions 

OPS TV Star 

Vicki Cole recently went to California to be a contestant on 

Her episode aired on March 26. 

Content 


Recognitions 

OPS TV Star 

VICKI’S VIDEO HERE 

Content 


Recognitions 

OPS TV Star 

Candace Garza was another TV star this past winter. She was featured in the 

video “Customer Service: Creating Customer Service Culture episode 2”. 

INSERT VIDEO HERE 

Content 


Events 

Chili Cook Off 

by Catherine Johnson 

OPS had three contestants in the Chili Cook Off this year - Cindy Aicher, Melanie Moore 

and Susan DeMeules. We want to thank them for their yummy and generous 

contributions. Our own Director, Mahesh Albuquerque, was dishing out chili alongside the 

new Executive Director, Sam Walker. 

Here are the Chili Cook Off winners: 

Green 

1st Place: Cynthia Marshall 

2nd Place: Melanie Moore 

Red 

1st Place: Jim Becker 

2nd Place: Susan DeMeules 

All of this year's proceeds from the cook off are going to help CDLE employees 

experiencing financial hardship due to the payday shift. If anyone wants more information, 

they can contact Susan. All conversations and names of recipients will be kept 

confidential. 

Content 


Employee Profile 

Getting to Know OPS 

by Catherine Johnson 

Bill Hickman has answered some questions for the April 2018 OPS Newsletter to help us get 

to know him. Take a look at his picture and his answers. What a great coworker and addition 

to our Division! 

1) Bill's background 

Born in El Paso, TX and raised in Carlsbad, NM (home of the Carlsbad Caverns, 

where I worked 750 ft underground, and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, where I 

worked 2000 ft underground). My adult work history has been primarily in oil and gas, 

including a coast-to- coast natural gas pipeline company and downstream operations 

(everything after refining) with a major oil company. 

2) How long have you worked for OPS? 

22 years 

3) What are your job responsibilities? 

Being a technical resource for the Petroleum Program's regulated community, their 

service providers, and OPS staff. 

4) What do you enjoy the most about your job? 

Having the opportunity to help our owners, operators and their service providers 

understand our requirements, and why they're important to all of us. 

5) Any fascinating Compliance issues you'd like to share? 

Just because they're growing marijuana doesn't mean that pot farms don't get the 

same variances and exclusions that other "farms" might! 

6) What advice do you have for a gas station owner? 

Borrowing a movie quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Run away!" - It's a 

tough business, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for our small- and midsized 

business owners that are able to support their employees, remain profitable and 

maintain compliance these days. 

Content 


Guess Who? 

by Luz Duque 

Let’s try a new guessing game! Guess which OPS employees have these nicknames. 

Click in the picture to see the answer. 

About Us 

1 – Captain Nemo 2 - Mona 3 - Two Shoes 

4 - Stewie 5 – Snapper 6 – Chicken Bones 

7 – M sub C 

Content 


Brain Games 

Crossword 

by Melanie Moore 

Content 


Crossword 

Brain Games 

Solutions 

Content 


Holiday Recipes & Fun Facts 

by Cindy Aicher 

Spring Recipe 

Irish Soda Bread 

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 35-45 minutes; 

Yield: one loaf 

Ingredients 

4 to 4 ½ cups flour 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

4 tablespoons butter 

1 cup currants or raisins (or you can leave them out) 

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

1 ¾ cups buttermilk 

Seasonal 

Spring Fun Facts 

Spring in the Colorado Rocky Mountains begins on average 3 weeks 

earlier than it did in the 1970s. 

Holidays in Spring – Easter, Passover, April Fool’s Day, Arbor Day, 

Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Cinco De Mayo and Holi (festival of 

colors). Even though it’s technically not in Spring, we must not forget 

St. Patrick’s Day. 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. 

3. Work the butter into the flour and add currants or raisins: Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into 

the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add the currants or raisins. 

4. Make a well, add buttermilk and egg, and knead into dough: Make a well in the center of the flour 

mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to 

stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. 

If the dough is too sticky to work with add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead! Transfer dough to a 

lightly-floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note that the dough will be a little sticky and quite 

shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just 

moistened and the dough just comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will be 

tough. 

5. Score with an X and bake: Transfer dough to a large, lightly-greased cast iron skillet or a baking sheet 

(it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet). Using a serrated knife, score the top of the 

dough about an inch-and-a-half deep into an X shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get 

into the center of the dough while it cooks. Transfer to oven and bake until golden and bottom sounds 

hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If using a cast iron skillet, it may take a little longer, as it 

takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet). You can also check for doneness by poking it 

with a skewer in the center. If the skewer comes out clean, it is done. 

6. Let cool a few minutes: Remove skillet or sheet from oven, let bread sit in pan or sheet for 5-10 minutes 

and then remove to rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm or at room temperature. 

Content 


News 

December 31 

Denver Post 

OPS in the News 

Electric cars struggling to cross the valley of death in Colorado 

More than a quarter of the energy consumed in Colorado goes to transportation — and a 

big shift from gasoline toward electricity is expected in the near future. 

But before large numbers of consumers sign on, they want to see longer driving ranges on 

electric vehicles and more public charging stations, especially the kind that can recharge 

batteries quickly. 

February 24 

Boulder Daily Camera 

Boulder puts stamp on avalanche forecast and control for Colorado 

When truckers, travelers, trekkers, boarders and skiers head out into the Colorado high 

country in winter, their best bet to stay safe hinges on the work that originates from a small 

office in Boulder. 

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is based administratively out of the state 

Department of Natural Resources in Denver, and its executive director, Boulder native 

Ethan Greene, lives and works in Leadville. 

March 6 

9News 

Elitch Gardens has a new free pass program for kids 

It's a sign that summer is right around the corner: Elitch Gardens is making their 

preparations for the 2018 season. 

The Denver amusement park has announced a new park pass specifically for children. The 

new Pre-K Pass will grant free theme and water park admission to children three to five 

years of age for the entire 2018 season. 

March 7 

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel 

No firm answers in free-fall death 

State investigators examining the free-fall death of a Grand Junction woman at an indoor 

recreation park in January were unable to determine how she disconnected from a device, 

according to a final report released Tuesday. 

Content 


News 

OPS Social Media 

Click on the images below if you want to access the links. 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Content 


Education 

OPS Partnerships with the 

Colorado School of Mines 

by Jacquee Wilson 

For nearly a decade, our Explosives Program has partnered with the School of Mines to 

offer continuing education training for blasters, but now we are expanding this partnership 

to include summer internships and class projects! 

Internships 

Last summer, Petroleum Engineering student Sean Paiz interned with the Petroleum 

Program where he worked on a project to find out what resources owners would like to 

receive from us to help them stay in compliance. 

Heather Hoffman, a Metallurgical and Materials Engineering student, is planning to intern 

with the Amusement Rides and Devices Program this summer, and she will research best 

practices to prevent corrosion-related amusement ride accidents. 

Class Projects 

Each of our programs have developed lists of issues they would like to research in their 

(elusive) spare time. Bridget Wetzel, a professor at School of Mines, has selected the 

Petroleum Program’s ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) corrosion conundrum as one of the 

topics that her students are researching this semester! 

The students exploring the ULSD problem have dubbed themselves the Rust Busters, and 

they are trying to determine if there are any similarities between ethanol-related corrosion 

and ULSD corrosion. 

Zach took the Rust Busters to a gas station in Golden to give them an overview of storage 

tank operation and maintenance, and he also attended their project proposal presentation. 

We look forward to hearing the Rust Busters’ conclusions when they wrap up their 

research later this month. 

Content 


Office Updates 

OPS Changes 

by Susan DeMeules 

Our remodel is complete and the reception area is open and available to the public! 

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind: 

• The glass doors to enter our floor will be unlocked between 8:00am and 5:00pm every 

day. 

• Visitors will no longer need to check in the second floor. Jack's new location is facing the 

glass doors so that he can greet and announce all visitors. 

• Conference rooms 5A and 5C will be accessible by the public. This will be more 

convenient for everyone when we have meetings where others outside of OPS are 

invited to attend. 

• The restrooms are also accessible by the public; however, this means that you will need 

to have your employee badge with you to re-enter the secured office areas after going to 

the restrooms. 

• The furniture was donated by Jenna (the white sofas) and the Procurement and Contract 

Services office on the 11th floor (the green sofa and chairs). Thank you Jenna, for this 

generous donation. 

The new space provides an open and welcoming environment for our visitors. Thank you 

all for your patience during the months of construction! 

Lastly, the office moves are complete. Jane Bral has relocated to Bobby Sonnier’s/Erik 

Gessert’s old office in the Remediation section; Jenna Petropulos has relocated to Jane’s 

old office; Julia Fraser has relocated to Brandon Jenson’s old office; and Scott Simmons 

finally (!) has a home in Jenna’s old office. 

Content 


Technology 

Tech Tips and Tricks 

by Luz Duque 

Google Calendar Update 

On February 28, our Google Calendar was updated. Read this Google article to learn 

about what’s new with the updated calendar, and if you want to see what else the new 

calendar has to offer, you can read about 8 new Google Calendar features. 

While the new Google Calendar has a lot of cool features, there is one key change with 

updating events. If you make any updates to a meeting invite, make sure you notify all 

attendees so no one misses the meeting. 

Q Drive Cleanup 

It is no secret that our Q drive is full. 

As such, we need to reorganize and clean it up. 

Cleaning up the entire Q drive will take time, but mostly it will take a lot of planning. The 

Data and Information Management Team will work with every section on records retention 

and organization. You can start by organizing your own folder, deleting files you no longer 

need or moving files to your J drive. 

More information will be provided at our next Division Meeting. 

Content 


Technology 

Using Google on an iPhone/iPad 

OPS is a very diverse group - some of us work in the office full-time, some work in the 

field full-time, and others split their work time between the office and the field. 

Those who work in the field usually have their own work phones and, in some cases, 

tablets. For those who work with an iPhone or iPad, there can be some inconveniences 

with using Gmail, as Google is not the operating system on Apple products. 

Issue #1 - Signature Block 

When we send an email from our state account, we need to include our signature. 

However, some Apple users may encounter issues with the signature block. 

There are two ways you can fix this: download the free Gmail App, which will sync your 

state email and automatically save your settings; or include the signature block using the 

iPhone email signature settings. 

Here’s how you include the signature block via the phone settings. 

Open an email that has the signature block. 

Highlight the entire signature block and select Copy. 

Content 


Technology 

Open your email app and click on 

Settings → Mail. 

Click on Signature, hold 

down with your finger 

and select Paste. Include 

your name and title. 

Content 


Technology 

Issue #2 - Seeing Other Calendars 

In your iPhone/iPad, you can see your calendar and manage your events; however, you 

cannot automatically see other people’s calendars. The only way you can view other 

calendars is by downloading the free Google Calendar app. 

Once you download the app, it will ask you to sync with an email account. Once you sync 

with your work email, do the following: 

Click on the three bars. 

Click on Show more. 

You will now be able to see 

other calendars. 

Content 


Technology 

Office 2010 vs Office 2016 

As technology advances, so do our systems and programs. Some of us are still using 

Office 2010, we will all eventually transition to using Office 2016. 

Office 2016 looks a little different from Office 2010, which may be confusing for some. 

Thankfully, we have ODT’s online classes for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2016 to make 

the process easier. 

Changing to Windows 10 

Another change on the way is that anyone who gets a new computer will get Windows 10. 

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 10 works like a tablet - it has apps, an assistant (Cortana) 

and is more user-friendly. 

On the other hand, some features that you may have grown accustomed to using are no 

longer available. For example, Windows 10 does not have Windows Picture Viewer 

available by default. Greg and Susan are working with OIT to make sure they install the 

Windows Picture Viewer app on all OPS computers, but if your new computer arrives 

without it, you will have to call OIT and request that it be installed. 

Windows 10 also has stronger security features, so whenever you click on something in 

COSTIS, you will now get a pop-up that OIT cannot remove. 

If you have any questions about Windows 10, please contact OIT for further guidance. 

Computers in 5A and 5C 

We now have desktop computers in conference rooms 5A and 5C! 

In order to use these computers effectively, please note the following: 

• Log off using CTRL+ALT+DELETE → Log off when you are finished using the 

computer. 

• Leave the computer in place, especially if it is turned on, to avoid scratching the hard 

drive. 

• Leave all computer cables connected. If you need to use your own tablet/PC, the VGA 

cable is the only cable you will need to remove. 

• OIT will be installing a new line so that the tower in 5A is directly connected to the TV. 

If you have any questions, you may ask Jenna or Tiffany. 

Content 


Technology 

Conference Call Features 

At OPS, we use conference calling a lot, so here’s some features you can use if you are 

hosting a conference call. 

These lists are also posted by the conference phones in 5A and 5C. 

Content 


Education 

2018 Short Courses - 

Changing it Up 

by Jacquee Wilson 

Now that most of you have taken the short courses we’ve offered over the last few years, 

we’re making a few adjustments to give you a chance to expand your knowledge on these 

important soft skills in a more laid-back environment. 

This year, we’re going to have brown bag discussions where we’ll watch some quick video 

clips, do some fun activities and talk about how we can continue to hone our skills in the 

areas you requested on the short course survey, which are: 

Oldies but Goodies 

• Public Speaking 

• Article Writing 

• Incident Investigations 

• Effective Team Communication 

New Topics 

• Active Listening 

• Resolving Conflict with a Coworker 

• Seeking First to Understand 

• Writing Appropriate Emails 

• Telephone Etiquette 

• Documenting Field Notes (Using Your Phone) 

We will continue to make these sessions available via GoToWebinar for those who can’t 

come in person, and we will also be recording them for you to watch when you have time. 

Stay tuned for short course meeting dates! 

Content 


PROGRAM 

UPDATES 

32

Amusement Rides 

by Scott Narreau 

Program Updates 

The Amusement Rides and Devices Program recently finalized and released the 

investigation report examining the fatal amusement ride accident that occurred on January 

4, 2018. Now that the final report has been released, we have turned our focus to working 

with stakeholders to draft a list of remedial measures. 

We held a roundtable discussion on March 9 to ask industry operators, manufacturers, 

builders and inspectors what they thought should be changed to provide safer operation of 

free-fall devices in Colorado. 

Following the meeting, we created and released a draft of proposed changes to free-fall 

device configuration and operational standards. For example, we suggested that: 

• The device involved in the accident must be equipped with a secondary attachment 

point. 

• The operator of the device must maintain constant oversight of the primary connection 

point from the device to the patron. 

We allowed 10 working days to collect feedback from the industry in regards to our draft of 

these remedial measures. We are examining the feedback and will compose an official 

notice of requirements for the operation of free-fall devices in Colorado. 

Content 



Boiler Program - Enforcement 

Boilers 

by Catherine Johnson and Bobby Sonnier 

The Colorado Boiler Program recently started enforcement for boilers that are not in 

compliance. 

The process had previously been that we would: 

1. Send an invoice (and possibly a deficiency letter) after an inspection was completed. 

2. Send a second past due invoice if the invoice wasn’t paid within 30 days to allow 15 

more days to pay the invoice. 

3. Send a final deficiency letter allowing 15 more days to comply if neither of the 

previous deficiency letters were completed and returned. 

Many of these invoices and deficiency letters slipped through the cracks, especially those 

for which boiler ownership changed. This left safety issues unresolved, invoices unpaid 

and contact information inaccurate. 

Now that Catherine is focusing on boiler enforcement, the Boiler Program will be emailing 

invoices and deficiency letters that give boiler owners 60 days to comply before 

Enforcement sends a Notice of Violation (NOV). NOVs are currently mailed, but they will 

eventually be emailed, just like the original letters. 

We strive for each active boiler to be operational and safe by having a current boiler 

certificate hanging in the boiler room so that any inspection done by a City, State or 

Insurance Company Inspector will document that owners are following the rules and 

operating safe, compliant boilers. 

Content 



Conveyances 

by Karen Klaversma 

The Conveyance Program is looking forward to May when our new Salesforce database 

will go live. In addition to streamlining our day-to-day processes, our customers will have 

more online options. These options will include applying for new and renewal licenses, 

registrations and permits and the ability for third-party inspectors to enter their inspection 

reports. Mini webinars will be available on the website to help guide our customers. 

Thank you to Tiffany, Steve, and Michael for all of your guidance, support and the neverending 

data clean-up! 

Explosives 

by Candace Garza 

Explosives Inventory Discrepancy Incident 

On Monday, March 19, our office received a notification from CDOT indicating that they 

experienced a discrepancy in their explosives inventory during one of their rock blasting 

missions on Wolf Creek Pass. The CDOT blasters followed the correct procedures and 

promptly contacted the local law enforcement entity in Pagosa Springs. They also 

contacted CDOT’s Responsible Party, who in turn immediately contacted our Program and 

provided a detailed account of the event per the blaster-in-charge and followed up 

regarding subsequent requirements. Scott met with the blaster-in-charge during his field 

visits and followed up with him to discuss the event and review documentation. 

In response to events such as these, our Program requires several sets of documentation. 

The permit holder is required to complete ATF’s Report of Theft or Loss - Explosive 

Materials form. The information gathered from this form is reported to the U.S. Bomb Data 

Center. We also require the permit holder to submit relevant blast reports and inventory 

reports. 

CDOT is exempt from ATF’s regulations; however, we recommended that they complete 

the form and submit it to ATF along with their blast reports and inventory reports. 

This incident exemplifies the importance and success of transparency and communication 

between permit holders and the Explosives program. 

Content 



Operations/ 

Data Management 

by Tiffany Becker and Susan DeMeules 

On February 1, the Operations Program created the Data and Information Management 

Team. The group, consisting of Jack Christos, Christa Sanchez, Michael Leal, Melanie 

Moore, Amy Miller and Tiffany Becker, will support the Division in providing data and 

information to both internal and external customers while partnering to find solutions and 

manage various technologies to facilitate the division’s ability to accomplish our mission of 

protecting the public and the environment. 

• Our first endeavor is a division-wide effort to help staff organize the Q Drive. We’ve 

organized a support team to assist by: 

• Providing document management guidance and tips. 

• Conducting meetings to discuss solutions and task management with specific 

Team/Program folders. 

• Working to create a sustainable plan, developed by the Team/Program, to keep Q drive 

folders organized in the future. 

• Working with supervisors to ensure goals and deadlines are met. 

Our mission is to provide support and guidance, not to make decisions for you or your 

team. 

We look forward to working with you. 

Content 



Release Prevention/Inspection/ 

Weights and Measures 

by Alisha Humphrey and Mike Kwiecinski 

Weights and Measures 

March 1-7 was Weights and Measures Week, and we commemorated it by sharing a 

proclamation from Governor Hickenlooper on our website and through social media. We 

also collaborated with our industry partners at the National Conference on Weights and 

Measures to share information on social media about how weights and measures 

inspectors check gas pumps for accuracy. 

To wrap up this year’s Weights and Measures Week, Scott Simmons worked with Bill 

Thoennes from the Office of Government, Policy and Public Relations to arrange a 

demonstration of a weights and measures inspection and a visit to our fuel quality lab for a 

Fox31 news story. This story should air in the coming weeks. 

The theme for this year’s Weights and Measures Week was #thankaninspector, and we 

certainly want to thank our inspectors who work diligently to ensure that consumers get 

what they pay for at the pump. 

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Content 



NCWM Meeting 

Mahesh recently attended the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) 

meeting. NCWM is a standards development organization for weights and measures 

regulatory agencies of the states, counties and cities of the U.S., as well as for federal 

agency use. 

A major objective of NCWM is to foster understanding and cooperation among weights and 

measures officials and all industrial, business and consumer interests. At the meeting, the 

teams reviewed the proposed changes to Handbook 44 (Specifications Tolerances for 

Weighing and Measuring Devices), Handbook 130 (Model Laws and Regulations) and 

other items. 

Some of the topics covered included: 

• Commercial scales 

• Required equipment 

• Packaging and labeling 

• Hands-on training on finding credit card skimmers 

• Inspector safety 

Meter Calibration 

If an OPS calibration inspection of a gas station’s meters found them to be giving away fuel 

(the meter registered less fuel volume than actually delivered), we used to inform the 

owner and leave it up to them to correct the meter if they chose. 

However, in the interest of ensuring market equity, we are now marking that situation as a 

violation that must be remedied within 30 days. 

Content 



Remediation 

by Michelle Howard 

Over the last quarter, the Remediation section has 

had several exciting personnel changes. Erik 

Gessert found a new/old job at Terracon consulting, 

a perfect position with his OPS experience. Rob 

Herbert has stepped up to the plate to lead the 

Remediation section forward. We were also able to 

recruit Jane Bral back to the team to help review 

reports and reimbursement costs. Now we are all 

looking forward to the teams Grand Slams! 

We continue to add more Recognized Environmental Professionals (REPs) - we are 

currently at 83 applicants. Tom Fox has stepped up to the plate to lead the REP program, 

with Jen Strauss assisting in application reviews and presentation to the Application/Peer 

Review Group. 

Jen is planning to present the REP program at the Rocky Mountain Association of 

Environmental Professionals meeting this month. She is also working on the next REP 

class on Conceptual Site Model training (with a guest appearance from Erik Gessert), 

which is scheduled for June! 

Lookout Colorado Rockies - the Remediation team is gearing up to hit another quarter out 

of the park! 

Content 



PCRF 

by Michelle Howard 

Not only has Jane joined the Remediation team, but she now leads the Petroleum 

Cleanup and Redevelopment Fund with her knowledge and experience from the 

Petroleum Storage Tank Fund. Jane led her first site selection meeting at the beginning of 

February, where Application #35, the first pre ‘88 release application, was approved. 

Application #35 - Stop ‘N Save 

723 Horizon Dr., Grand Junction 

This site is currently Murray’s remediation event, but it is non-reimbursable since the 

release occurred prior to 1988. The site is one of Grand Junction’s Gateway to the City 

properties. The plan is to remove the tanks and upgrade the station with new tanks and 

dispensers, allowing for excavation of the impacted soils. The store will also be upgraded 

to be more environmentally sustainable, which may possibly include adding a few electric 

charging stations. 

As of the end of the first quarter of 2018, the PCRF has received a total of 35 applications, 

removed 45 tanks and allocated $1,000,000 in funds to clean up properties for 

redevelopment. 

The PRCF team is looking forward to educating and sharing our success stories with 

citizens, developers and city leaders this spring. 

The first outreach is April 10-13 in Boulder at Downtown, Colorado Inc.’s Annual 

Conference. The second one is in May at Orchard City Town Hall in Austin, Colorado. 

If you have any questions or know of potential petroleum clean up sites that may meet the 

PCRF requirements, please let the PCRF team (Jane, Jen, Tim and Michelle) know. 

Content 



Fund 

by Jenna Petropulos 

The Fund has seen a lot of changes recently. 

• Jane has officially moved to the Remediation team, and I have officially taken on the 

supervisory role for the Fund. 

• We are now three months into the new process for the reimbursement application 

review. 

‣ In the new process, Remediation is reviewing costs and has been doing well with 

the cost review. 

‣ The Fund is working toward integrating the intake process into the application 

review and the fund payment report reviews. 

‣ Luz has updated the ESS form for original applications to make the form more 

user-friendly. 

• Committee deadlines for any internal and external changes on records have been set 

and implemented. 

‣ This will ensure that the information presented in Committee is concise and 

accurate. 

‣ Luz has created a calendar for these dates, which is shown below. 

• As of March 1, we are no longer accepting eRAPs and have fully moved to the RCR 

application. 

Content 


Calendar 

Calendar of Events 

CDLE All-Staff 

Meetings 

May 3 

June 7 (R&R) 

August 2 

Employee 

Relations 

Committee 

April 26 

May 24 

June 28 

July 26 

August 23 

Diversity 

Committee 

April 11 

May 9 

June 13 

July 11 

August 8 

Customer 

Service 

Initiative 

April 12 

May 10 

June 14 

July 12 

August 9 

Employee 

Advisory 

Council 

April 6 

June 1 

August 3 

Employee 

Engagement and 

Accountability 

Initiative 

May 8 

July 10 

Process 

Improvement 

Initiative 

April 11 

July 11 

Safety & 

Wellness 

Committee 

April 19 

May 17 

June 21 

July 19 

August 16 

Technology 

Initiative 

April 3 

May 1 

May 29 

June 26 

We need new OPS representatives on the Employee Advisory Council 

and the Employee Engagement & Accountability Team, so if you’re 

interested, please let your supervisor know. 

Content

Spring 2018 Issue

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