The Air Quality Control Commission wants to hear from you about air quality rulemaking that are coming up soon. CDPHE staff will give a short presentation. Then we will have time for the community to ask questions and share your ideas and concerns about air quality.

These community conversations are part of the new Environmental Justice Act (House Bill 21-1266). We look forward to learning more about the experiences of community members. CDPHE hopes to create a space for dialogue with members of disproportionately impacted communities.

Water Quality Enhanced Outreach

Join the upcoming Water Quality Enhanced Outreach meetings. The goal of these meetings is to promote the goal of state engagement in disproportionately impacted communities. In this meeting, we will also gather input from communities across the state, pursuant to C.R.S. 24-4-109, regarding the 2023 rulemaking hearings of the Water Quality Control Commission.

The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission is hosting its meetings on:

May 7, 2023, | 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Register now. CDPHE and Zoom

July 12, 2023, | 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Register now. Zoom and Physical location to be determined.

For more information please visit the Commission's website. Please find the notice and access information here.

Suncor Water Permit

The public weighed in on the draft Suncor water quality permit during the initial, responsive, and rebuttal comment periods. 

CDPHE asked the public to weigh in on a permit that will limit pollution and place more conditions on the Suncor oil refinery. The draft permit is a more restrictive permit than Suncor had before. It will further protect Sand Creek and downstream waters for recreation, fish, agriculture, and drinking. The permit will also increase transparency about Suncor’s site operations. Finally, it will require monitoring and limits for dozens of toxic metals and chemicals, like benzene and PFAS. 

You can access the full draft permit information materials on the Suncor Water Quality Permits webpage.

The Environmental Justice Advisory Board was created by the Environmental Justice Act (House Bill 21-1266). 

Learn more about the Advisory Board

Advisory board meetings:

The next meeting of the Advisory Board will be on July 13, 2023 in Rifle. More details will be available early this summer.

Upcoming webinars, information sessions, and key dates for the environmental justice grant program:

• Access the Request for Application (RFA) materials from cycle one.
• Listen to the previously recorded informational webinars about the Environmental Justice Grant Program.

All questions asked during the webinars and submitted by email were posted to our public Q&A/FAQ document.

Suncor air pollution permit 

Earlier this summer, CDPHE solicited feedback from the public on the draft permit for Plants 1 and 3 at the Suncor refinery in Commerce City. The draft permit includes additional requirements to reduce pollution and protect public and environmental health, such as new monitoring, testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements related to air pollution. CDPHE is now reviewing the feedback it received on the permit and working to incorporate that feedback into the draft. Read the permit and related documents.

Suncor fenceline monitoring plan

Suncor is the first of the four covered facilities to submit a draft fenceline monitoring plan under House Bill 21-1189. It must commence fenceline monitoring by 1/1/2023. Suncor’s draft fenceline monitoring plan is available in English and Spanish.

We recently returned the fenceline monitoring plan to Suncor. We made changes to Suncor’s original proposal based on ideas you shared with us during the public comment period. We’ve also ensured that the plan meets legislative requirements. It’s important that we hold Suncor accountable, and we appreciate everyone in the community who was able to take time to engage with us on developing the fenceline monitoring plan.

As a reminder, Suncor must make emissions data available online in both English and Spanish  starting next year. You will also have more opportunities to get involved. We’re planning to convene at least two informational community meetings this fall, and we will share details on them once we schedule them.