Air Pollution Control Division: Public participation opportunities
On this page: Upcoming public participation opportunities | Public Meetings | Meeting accommodation notice | Current projects | Get involved: Air permit public notices | More ways to engage with the state of Colorado | Colorado air quality regulation updates | 10 tips for making effective public comments | Stay informed | Contact us
The Air Pollution Control Division wants your feedback!
Do you get the information you need from the air division? Would you like to receive it in a different way? How do you feel about the way that the division holds its virtual public meetings? The division wants your feedback to ensure it is meeting your community’s needs in the best possible way. Please share your thoughts to help us better serve you through the Public Engagement Feedback Survey! Thank you in advance for lending your voice.
Upcoming public participation opportunities
Below are ongoing and upcoming public participation opportunities with the Air Pollution Control Division. These events may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. The division holds regular events such as public meetings, tutorials, and more. The division uses these meetings to share updates, learn from community experiences, and incorporate feedback into our work protecting clean air for all Coloradans.
Questions? Contact cdphe_apcd_outreach@state.co.us. Please include the meeting topic in the subject line.
Public meetings
The air division’s public meetings provide an opportunity to learn more about air quality and climate change topics. These meetings generally allow anyone to ask questions and provide feedback directly to the division. Register for upcoming public meetings below to join and learn more.
Potential changes to greenhouse gas emissions and energy management in manufacturing rules
The division is hosting a series of online public meetings on potential changes to Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 27, also known as the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Management for the Manufacturing Sector rules, or GEMM 1 and GEMM 2. At the direction of the commission, the division is planning to propose updates that would:
- Increase public transparency of the state’s emissions crediting and tracking system for GEMM 1 and 2 facilities.
- Harmonize certain requirements between GEMM 1 and 2 facilities.
- Require verification of annual GHG emission reports from covered facilities.
The division is no longer proposing a new compliance mechanism or state-managed fund as part of this rulemaking request.
View the division's rule concept.
View the division's initial proposed rule revisions.
Register to join an upcoming meeting:
Potential changes to emission reporting requirements and permit fees
The division is hosting a series of online public meetings on potential changes to Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 3 and 7, concerning emissions reporting and fees. The division is evaluating revisions to reduce duplicative emissions reporting requirements. The division is also evaluating revisions to fees associated with APEN submittals, permit processing, annual criteria pollutant emissions, annual Hazardous Air Pollutant emissions, and potentially other application materials submitted to the division. The division will also provide a brief update on potential revisions to particulate matter 10 with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) maintenance requirements in Colorado. The division is considering potential changes to remove federal oversight of PM10 requirements as a result of maintaining the PM10 standard in each of Colorado’s PM10 maintenance areas for over 20-years.
- Rulemaking concepts remediated.
- Rulemaking concepts regulations 3 and 7.
- PM10 rulemaking concepts.
- PM10 rulemaking concepts air quality standards, designation and emission budgets. Regulation; State Implementation Plan, Specific Regulations for Nonattainment-attainment/maintenance areas (Local Elements), and; Regulations 1, 4, and 16.
Register to join an upcoming meeting:
Potential changes to lawn and garden equipment requirements
The division is rescheduling engagement opportunities on its planned proposal to expand requirements for lawn and garden equipment. The division will no longer hold a public meeting on Jan. 15 on this issue, and will instead hold meetings in spring 2026. This is to align with updates to the Air Quality Control Commission’s long term calendar.
Colorado currently has lawn and garden equipment requirements for government agencies in place, and the proposal would expand requirements to commercial operators. The proposed rule would include revisions to Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 29. The regulation aims to reduce emissions that form ground-level ozone pollution in the parts of Colorado that do not meet federal standards.
Register to join the rescheduled meetings:
Air quality compliance and enforcement 101
Join a public meeting to learn the basics of air quality compliance and enforcement in Colorado. The meetings will cover:
- Air quality inspections and other compliance activities that the division conducts.
- How air division inspectors identify potential violations of air quality permits and regulations.
- Basics on the air division’s enforcement process and common components of an enforcement action.
- New resources and tools from the air division to keep the public informed about state-level air quality compliance and enforcement work.
- How to find information and stay informed about the air division’s compliance and enforcement work.
Register to join an upcoming meeting:
View past public participation and outreach opportunities. These serve as a historic archive. These processes are completed.
The division periodically presents rules, permits, guidance documents, and other updates to communities so they can share their feedback and ask questions. Public comment periods are a key part of this process, enabling Colorado residents to share their perspectives on proposed regulations and policies. The feedback supports the division’s work to protect public health and improve Colorado’s air quality.
Meeting accommodation notice
Auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities may be provided upon request. Please notify cdphe_apcd_outreach@state.co.us and the Nondiscrimination Coordinator at cdphe_nondiscrimination@state.co.us or 303-692-2102 at least one week prior to the meeting to make arrangements.
Current projects
Environmental Justice Summary Dashboard
Most air pollution sources in Colorado must submit an environmental justice summary before applying for an air permit. That means environmental justice summaries provide early notice before the division receives an air permit application. The environmental justice summary dashboard allows users to find a specific facility by name or enter a zip code for a list of recent submissions within a one-mile radius. Learn more about the Environmental Justice Summary Dashboard.
Air permits open for public comment
The division opens numerous air permits for public comment each month. The division encourages anyone interested in air permits to visit the air permits public notices web page and sign-up to receive email updates by subscribing to Air Permit Public Notices. The division also shares upcoming public participation opportunities on its website and tips for submitting effective public comments.
Annual Air quality enforcement report
The division released a new annual enforcement report in March 2025. The report summarizes the number of complaints that led to enforcement actions, enforcement actions, and total penalties in disproportionately impacted communities and parts of Colorado that do not meet federal ozone pollution standards. The annual report covers enforcement actions, penalties and trends between October 2023 and September 2024. It shows the total, average, and median penalties for air quality violations have continued to increase over time. Information on enforcement actions the division took between 2018-2023 can be found in the five-year enforcement benchmark report released in December 2024. Learn more about the Annual Air quality enforcement report.
Ongoing technical expert online meetings
Technical expert online meetings provide an opportunity to listen to in-depth discussions among subject matter experts. The experts discuss topics related to the division’s work on air quality and climate change. These meetings are streamed live or recorded for transparency. These meetings generally do not provide a public comment or question and answer session. To provide feedback to the division, explore the division’s public meeting opportunities above.
Get involved: Air permit public notices
Visit the air permit public notices web page to:
- Submit public comments on individual air permits.
- Sign up for email notifications about air permit public notices and comment periods.
- Learn about, request, or register for public comment hearings on air permits.
More ways to engage with the state of Colorado
For a calendar of upcoming community engagement opportunities across the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, visit the department’s public participation website.
If you have questions or need to contact the air division, visit the division’s contacts website.
For upcoming Air Quality Control Commission public participation opportunities, visit the AQCC website.
For upcoming Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission hearings and public participation opportunities, visit the ECMC website.
For upcoming Public Utilities Commission hearings and public participation opportunities, visit the PUC’s website.
Colorado air quality regulation updates
The Air Pollution Control Division periodically proposes updates to existing air quality regulations to the Air Quality Control Commission. Prior to submitting a formal proposal to the commission, the Division will publish regulatory concepts on this website. Once a formal proposal is submitted, the commission reviews the proposals and determines whether to adopt any changes.
Many of these changes are minor or administrative. The division provides quick updates about these changes during public meetings. The commission’s website provides a calendar of upcoming meetings and more information on meeting topics.
The public can also learn more during the commission’s hearing requests and hearings. Visit the commission’s website and meeting calendar for more information.
To submit written public comments, email:
- cdphe.commentsapcd@state.co.us before a commission hearing request.
- cdphe.aqcc@state.co.us after a commission hearing request.
- Please include the Regulation Number “Public Comment” in the subject line.
Upcoming regulatory concepts or proposed changes to existing Colorado air quality regulations include:
- Proposed updates include:
- Potential revisions to the Air Quality Control Commission’s Regulation 7.
- Applies to certain "designated facilities" identified in EPA's oil and gas Emission Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards that would reduce methane emissions.
- Regulatory concepts
- Hearing date: Feb. 18-20, 2026.
- Questions or comments? Email cdphe.aqcc@state.co.us before the hearing date above.
- Proposed updates include:
- Potential revisions to the Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 30, as well as potential revisions to Regulations 24 and 26.
- The revisions will include emission control strategies and associated requirements for each identified priority toxic air contaminant: benzene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium, and hydrogen sulfide.
- Regulatory concepts:
- Rulemaking concepts document.
- Regulation 30 draft.
- Data files with potentially impacted facilities and census blocks with modeled cancer risk from priority toxic air contaminants.
- Updated petition for proposed rulemaking and other official commission filings.
- Hearing date: April 15-17, 2026.
- Questions or public comments? Email cdphe.aqcc@state.co.us before the hearing date above.
- Proposed updates include:
- Establishing a new Regulation 31, which will address municipal solid waste landfill greenhouse gas control and monitoring requirements.
- Hearing date: Dec. 17-19, 2025
- Continuation from Aug. 20-22, 2025.
- Questions or public comments? Email cdphe.aqcc@state.co.us before the hearing date above.
- Proposed rule revisions include:
- Aligning requirements and deadlines across state regulations.
- Clarifying certain requirements.
- Improving requirements for data completeness and accuracy.
- Increasing flexibility to meet requirements.
- Providing more transparency around the program.
- Regulatory concepts:
- Questions or public comments? The division requests feedback on these concepts by Jan. 5, 2026. Email your comments to climatechange@state.co.us. Include “Regulation 27 rule concept” in the subject line.
Thank you for your interest in submitting comments to the air division. To protect public health and improve Colorado’s air quality, the division may present rules, permits, guidance documents, and other updates to communities so they can share their feedback and ask questions.
Our team values and considers every comment we receive.
Explore our web page. These tips are for written comments but can also be helpful when planning oral comments for a public meeting.
Questions? Email us at cdphe.commentsapcd@state.co.us.
Stay informed
Sign up for General Air Division Updates or a particular topic of interest. You’ll be one of the first to know about upcoming public participation opportunities.
- Join the air quality compliance and enforcement updates to learn about enforcement actions by the division.
- Join the air permit public notice list to receive updates on environmental justice summaries and permits open for public comment.
Contact us
Questions? Contact cdphe_apcd_outreach@state.co.us.
Stay informed. Subscribe to receive email updates from the division.