About EPA Region 8

EPA's Region 8 office in Denver works to protect human health and the environment in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 sovereign tribal nations. We share this challenging work with many partners – state, local and tribal governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, communities and individuals.

EPA Region 8 is unique. Our states encompass the heart of the American West, including much of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Colorado Plateau. Over two-thirds of our roughly 10 million people live in two distinct bands of urban development – Colorado's Front Range and Utah's Wasatch Front. The Region is also home to some of the most rural counties in the nation. Characterized by vast open spaces– mountains, plains, canyons and deserts – and small, concentrated population centers, these areas still maintain some of the wild, frontier character that many associate with the West. They also contain many of our nation's most recognizable landscapes, including Yellowstone, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Badlands, Zion, and dozens more national parks and monuments, millions of acres of forests, and even more range, farm and grassland.

Our Region is arid, placing a premium on the availability and quality of water resources to meet competing demands from farmers, municipalities, recreationists and ecological needs. Many rivers originate in the Rocky Mountain states including the Missouri, Rio Grande, Colorado, Arkansas and Platte Rivers; their waters are a vital source of life for people, plants and animals.

Land ownership patterns influence EPA's work in Region 8. Public lands - including those managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service – comprise over one-third of the land area in our Region. Tribal nations, which collectively cover an area greater than the size of Tennessee, are also prominent. EPA Region 8 works closely with our sister agencies and each of these 27 sovereign nations to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.

Above all, our Region is defined by an abundance of natural resources, from fossil fuel deposits to vast expanses of wilderness rich in natural diversity. These resources support our states, tribes and local communities and are a vital part of our regional and national identity. Region 8's economies – including agriculture, energy development, mining, recreation and tourism – thrive on these resources.

Information and Links

Regional Office - Denver, Colorado - mailing address
Montana Operations - Helena, Montana - mailing address
Regional Laboratory - Golden, Colorado - mailing address

Region 8 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes the six states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations. We work with state, local, and tribal governments in the region to carry out the nation's environmental laws. Links to State agency Web sites can be found on our Region 8 States Web site, and information on Denver is available at the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site.

Specific information about the six Region 8 states and the function of EPA can be found in our section on Frequently Asked Questions. The links at left provide additional information about the Region, or visit our Information Center Web site.

Our Web site focuses on information specific to Region 8, however, you will find some links to the EPA Headquarters Home Page, which is the primary source of information on our national environmental programs. You will also find information on state and local environmental agencies that may have useful information specific to their geographic areas.

Region 8 Mailing and Walk-in Addresses

EPA Region 8 Office
US EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
303-312-6312
1-800-227-8917 (Region 8 states only)

EPA Montana Operations Office
Federal Building
10 West 15th Street, Suite 3200
Helena, MT 59626
406-457-5000
(toll-free: 866-457-2690)

EPA Regional Laboratory
16194 W 45th Drive
Golden, Colorado 80403
303-312-7700

National Information

Regional Information