In a hearing highlighted by emotional testimony from grieving relatives of carbon monoxide-poisoning victims, a group representing apartment owners said Tuesday that it no longer opposed legislation requiring carbon-monoxide detectors in homes and apartments.
Nancy Burke, a lobbyist with the Colorado Apartment Association and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, said apartment owners had opposed the mandated installation of CO detectors in the past for cost reasons but now supported legislation.
“We realize that the recent deaths are not something we want to see again in the news,” Burke said.
She was referring to the deaths of Denver residents Parker Lofgren, 39; Caroline Lofgren, 42; and their children, Owen, 10, and Sophie, 8. The family was found dead Nov. 28 in an Aspen home where they were staying after winning a weekend at the house in a fundraiser.
Authorities have said a disconnected boiler exhaust pipe spread carbon monoxide throughout the house but have not said whether the home had a detector.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Lauren Johnson, a University of Denver student, was found dead in her apartment Jan. 5, apparently of carbon-monoxide poisoning from a faulty heater vent.
Relatives of the Lofgrens and Johnson testified at the hearing before the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, breaking down in sobs at times.
“This is my daughter today,” cried Don Johnson, holding up an urn filled with her ashes. “This is all that’s left of her. Don’t you dare not pass this bill,” he told the panel.
The committee did not vote on the bill, HB 1091, which still must undergo an amendment phase.
The bill would require that all homes built after July 1 or sold on or after that date have carbon-monoxide detectors installed.
Homebuilders would be responsible for installation of detectors in new homes, while homeowners would have to make sure the alarms are installed when they put their homes on the market.
The legislation requires any apartment buildings built after July 1 to have CO detectors, and it would require that existing apartments rented to new tenants after that date be equipped with the alarms.
Tenants in long-term leases, however, would not be affected until the leases run out.
