Colorado Capitol Report

EPA Ozone Designation Comments Due Tonight


EPA Ozone Designation Comments Due Tonight

All businesses & manufacturers encouraged to submit comments today

The EPA will be closing public comments at 10pmMST/12pm EST TONIGHT, Sept. 16, 2019, following the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s hearing to address a potential re-designation of the Denver Metro/North Front Range ozone nonattainment area as “serious.”

Whether you testified last Friday (or not), the Colorado Chamber encourages businesses to participate in the final hours of this comment period to ensure the EPA and State of Colorado understand that moving from our current “moderate” nonattainment status to that of “serious” nonattainment, and potential “severe” nonattainment designation thereafter, would have sweeping and negative effects on businesses, our employees, the Front Range community and our state economy.

If you testified last week, published an op-ed or issued a news release on the ozone ruling, those comments can be submitted for consideration as part of the EPA’s docket.

Should the EPA grant the State of Colorado’s petition to withdraw Gov. Hickenlooper’s compliance continuation (i.e. to go immediately from “moderate” to “serious” nonattainment), the Denver Metro/North Front Range areas will face even more stringent air quality permit standards, businesses may leave the Front Range for less regulatory burdens, more businesses will be required to obtain air quality surveys and air permits as the scope of air permits widen, all while potentially limiting the very permits needed to construct the roads, bridges and lanes to address Colorado’s challenging transportation needs and growth.

Last week’s hearing was a direct response to the letter request sent by the Colorado Chamber’s Federal Policy Council to EPA Administrator Wheeler in April 2019, BUT one more step is needed.

The proposed ruling & Colorado Chamber letter are also attached for your review/files should you wish to participate and submit additional comments for the public record.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Leah Curtsinger, Federal Policy Director, at [email protected] or (303) 866-9641.