Opportunities to learn and give input
Please visit the Air Pollution Control Division outreach efforts page for upcoming public participation opportunities. These opportunities include in-person, virtual, and hybrid community events, listening sessions, tutorials, and more.
The Planning and Policy Program manages public information activities for the Air Pollution Control Division, including media relations, social media, publications support and website development.
The program issues an annual Report to the Public on behalf of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission:
The program collaborates with the Colorado Department of Revenue to jointly oversee public information and education activities of the Automobile Inspection and Readjustment program operated by Envirotest Systems Inc.
Minor Source Permit Modeling
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is in the process of reviewing and improving its minor source modeling and permitting program.
The process is multifaceted and provides ample ways for scientific experts and the public to participate. The goal is for the process to be inclusive, science-based, and transparent, elevating innovation and creative problem solving.
As part of the process, we convened a group of scientific and other subject matter experts in air quality modeling and air quality monitoring. From November 2021 to March 2022, CDPHE’s Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) convened the Minor Source Permit Modeling Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel to work collaboratively to recommend modeling processes and guidelines that ensure Colorado has a cohesive and justified approach to modeling and permitting of minor sources that meet US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Colorado air quality targets. In April 2022, the Panel completed its work and provided its report to the APCD. APCD then reviewed the report's recommendations and conferred with the Attorney General’s Office. As a result of this review, APCD advanced the consensus recommendations for further consideration. Please see this link for the full text of the APCD Minor Source Permit Modeling SME Panel Report.
The department solicited public and stakeholder feedback on the panel’s recommendations, along with feedback on the APCD’s Interim Guidance for minor source modeling. The public was asked to provide comments to APCD on the Panel's recommendations and APCD’s Interim Guidance by July 22, 2022. Additionally, APCD hosted two public listening sessions on June 13, 2022 from 1 - 3 p.m. and July 7, 2022 from 6 - 8 p.m. These meetings provided another opportunity for the public to learn more about the Interim Guidance, as well as the recommendations from the Panel being considered by APCD for inclusion in the final guidance. The public had the opportunity to provide input to APCD during these meetings. The recording and presentation file of the June 13 session are available here. The recording and presentation file of the July 7 session are available here.
Following the Public Input period, APCD reviewed and responded to public comments, and finalized the Please see this link for the response to public comments.
On May 16, 2023 the Air Pollution Control Division issued new modeling guidelines for minor sources of air pollution. Substantive comments received during the comment review period have been incorporated. These new guidelines aim to protect people’s health and the environment while also providing greater clarity about how to model minor sources of air pollution in Colorado.
SME Panel Recommendations
The Spanish translation is available here.