Elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone during this past summer appear to have put the nine-county Denver region in violation of the federal health-based, eight-hour standard.  To ensure future compliance with the standard, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) invites you to participate in the ozone stakeholder involvement process.

Strengthening existing and developing additional programs to reduce ozone in both the short- and long-term is a priority for Gov. Bill Ritter, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC).

In a letter to new RAQC Chairman Andrew Spielman, Gov. Ritter directed the RAQC to move quickly in developing plans to reduce ozone.  Gov. Ritter asked that the RAQC implement measures to reduce ozone in the 2008 summer ozone season, setting a goal of eliminating ozone levels above .080 ppm.  In addition, he asked that the RAQC propose a plan to the AQCC by September 2008 to assure compliance with the federal standard in future years.  Finally, the RAQC should consider the addition of elements that would reduce ozone levels in anticipation of a stricter federal standard, which currently is under consideration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Due to the tight timeline under which these directives will be completed, staffs from both the RAQC and APCD have started working toward the outlined goals and objectives. Stakeholders play a key role in the development of both voluntary and regulatory strategies and will begin work immediately to ensure that there is enough time to host a collaborative process that will result in the development of effective and efficient control measures.

The result of the collaborative effort will be the development of a list of potential strategies that may be implement prior to the start of the 2008 Ozone Season.  In addition, stakeholders will provide review and input on the development of the state implementation plan (SIP), a federally enforceable plan that outlines how the region will demonstrate compliance with the current federal standard.  The RAQC will present a proposed SIP to the AQCC in September 2008.  Once adopted, the plan will require state legislative approval.

Contact Information

For questions about the Ozone Stakeholder Involvement Process, please contact:

Participants

There are a number of local, regional, state and government agencies working together to ensure future compliance with the standard.  These agencies include the following.

• Air Pollution Control Division, Colo. Dept. of Public Health & Environment
• Air Quality Control Commission
• Denver Regional Council of Governments
• Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
• Nine-County Denver Region
  • Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer & Weld
• North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization
• Regional Air Quality Council

Milestones

To ensure future compliance with the federal ozone standard, there are a number of important milestones to meet.  Below is a summary of these major milestones.

• October 2007: Kickoff to Ozone Stakeholder Committee Meetings
• December 2007: Final List of Strategies for 2008 Ozone Season Due
• May 2008: Implementation Deadline for Strategies to Impact 2008 Ozone Season
• September 2008: Proposed State Implementation Plan Due to Air Quality Control Commission
• December 2008: Approval of State Implementation Plan by Air Quality Control Commission
• January - May 2009: Legislative Approval of State Implementation Plan
• May 2010: Implementation deadline for strategies included in State Implementation Plan