2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 25 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (§§ 25-1-101 — 25-59-106) › ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (§§ 25-6.5-101 — 25-18.9-105) › Article 7 - AIR QUALITY CONTROL (§§ 25-7-101 — 25-7-1604) › Part 2 - PREVENTION OF SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION PROGRAM (§§ 25-7-201 — 25-7-214) › Section 25-7-212 - Actions of federal government affecting visibility - evaluation report

(1)
As a part of the state's ongoing development and implementation of a long-term strategy in connection with visibility and air quality related values within class I areas, the division shall evaluate the extent to which the activities of the federal government are directly adversely impacting visibility and air quality related values within a class I area and make a determination whether such entities have taken or are taking all reasonable steps necessary to remedy that impact. At any time, the division may make, and a federal land manager shall respond to, reasonable requests for information necessary for the division to perform such regulation.
(2)
The joint public hearing required under section
25-7-105(4)(a)
shall report on the results of the evaluation required under subsection (1) of this section.
(3)
(a)
The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares, after reviewing the factors that contribute to regional haze and visibility impairment in Colorado, that significant contributions to regional haze and visibility impairment emanate from federal lands within the state of Colorado and from federal lands in other parts of the west. For the purpose of addressing regional haze visibility impairment in Colorado's mandatory class I federal areas, the federal land manager of each such area shall develop a plan for evaluating visibility in that area by visual observation or other appropriate monitoring technique approved by the federal environmental protection agency and shall submit such plan for approval to the division for incorporation by the commission as part of the state implementation plan. Such submittal and compliance by the federal land managers shall be done in a manner and at a time so as to meet all present or future federal requirements for the protection of visibility in any mandatory class I federal area. Such plan shall only be approved by the commission if the expense of implementing such a plan is borne by the federal government.
(b)
(I)
In addition to the plan submitted by each federal land manager pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (3), the responsible federal land management agency shall provide an emission inventory to the commission of all federal land management activities in Colorado or other states that result in the emission of criteria pollutants, including surrogates or precursors for such pollutants, that affect any mandatory class I federal area in Colorado by reducing visibility in such an area. Such emission inventory shall be submitted to the commission no later than December 31, 2001, and no less frequently than every five years thereafter.
(II)
Each emission inventory submitted to the commission shall be subject to approval by the commission pursuant to section
25-7-105(17)
. The commission shall exempt from the inventory requirement any sources or categories of sources that it determines to be of minor significance.
(III)
The commission shall adopt rules to fully implement the general assembly's intention to exercise state powers to the maximum extent allowed under section 118 of the federal act in requiring each federal land management agency with any presence in the state of Colorado to develop and submit to the division an inventory of emissions from lands, wherever situated, which could have any effect on visibility within mandatory class I federal areas located in Colorado. The commission and the division shall use the information from these emission inventories:
(A)
To develop control strategies for reducing emissions within the state of Colorado as a primary component of the visibility long-term strategies for inclusion in the state implementation plan;
(B)
In any environmental impact statement or environmental assessment required to be performed under the federal "National Environmental Policy Act of 1969",
42 U.S.C. secs. 4321
to
4347
; and
(C)
To exercise all powers and processes that exist to seek reductions in emissions outside the state of Colorado that reduce visibility in Colorado mandatory class I federal areas.
(IV)
The cost of preparing and submitting inventories pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be borne by the federal government.
L. 94: Entire section added, p. 1392, § 4, effective May 25. L. 96: (2) amended, p. 1258, § 151, effective August 7. L. 98: (3) added, p. 115, § 1, effective August 5. L. 99: (3) amended, p. 1248, § 2, effective June 2.
For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 246, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration contained in the 1996 act amending this section, see section 1 of chapter 237, Session Laws of Colorado 1996.