The state is a year and a half behind on issuing permits for Cargill in Fort Morgan

Colorado is facing new legal pressure over delays in regulating air pollution from the Cargill slaughterhouse and meatpacking plant in Fort Morgan. An environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming the state is a year and a half overdue in issuing an updated air-pollution permit for the facility.

The lawsuit was filed in Morgan County District Court by the Center for Biological Diversity, represented by the University of Denver’s Environmental Law Clinic. The group says Cargill processes thousands of cattle every day, creating emissions from boilers, flaring, wastewater operations, and cooking equipment.

According to the suit, the plant releases potentially harmful materials including particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. The group argues that the state’s current permit does not properly address emissions from the facility’s wastewater system, including gases released from open tanks.

Cargill last received an updated permit in 2019. Under both state rules and the federal Clean Air Act, major facilities must renew those permits every five years. Cargill applied for its renewal in late 2022, which means the state was legally required to act by June 30th of this year. The environmental group claims the state’s Air Pollution Control Division still hasn’t acted.

The nonprofit is asking a judge to set a firm deadline forcing the state to either issue or deny the permit. Colorado officials declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation, and Cargill did not respond to requests for comment.

This isn’t the first time environmental groups have taken the state to court over overdue pollution permits. In 2022, a judge ordered state regulators to immediately act on long-delayed permits for the Suncor refinery in Commerce City.

Colorado has struggled with a growing backlog of air-quality permits, driven in part by the Front Range’s worsening ozone status. As the region moves into more severe federal ozone categories, the state is required to regulate a wider range of businesses—adding pressure to the already overburdened permitting system. The lawsuit seeks a ruling to force quicker action and ensure stronger oversight of emissions from the Fort Morgan Cargill plant.