House Bill 22-1244 (“2022 Air Toxics Act”) is an important step to protect Colorado communities from air pollution. Air toxics are pollutants that can cause harmful effects to people and/or the environment. The 2022 Air Toxics Act recognizes: 

• Air toxic pollution harms public health, safety and welfare
• Coloradans are exposed to many different sources and background levels of air toxics 
• Cumulative impacts of air toxic pollution must be considered when addressing air toxics 
• Air toxics emissions should be monitored and controlled to levels that avoid or minimize harm to public health and the environment

What is HB22-1244 and what does it do? 

1. Creates a toxic air contaminants (TACs) reporting program
2. Creates a program to establish health based standards for priority TACs
3. Allows for TACs emission control regulations
4. Establishes a TACs permitting needs assessment program
5. Creates a statewide TACs monitoring program

Development of the statewide TACs monitoring program

The Air Pollution Control Division will operate six air toxics monitoring sites across the state. One site already exists, and two more will be operating by January 1, 2024.  The remaining three sites will be operating by July 1, 2025.

The proposed statewide monitoring program will cover both urban and rural areas and give priority to areas that are within disproportionately impacted (DI) communities.

The Division will introduce the program specified by the bill and is seeking input on the potential locations that include expansion of existing sites and new monitoring sites. The data under this long-term program will evaluate trends for key air toxics and improve our understanding of community exposure to air toxics. This will inform future directions to reduce impacts of air toxics.

We welcome your input and questions! Please join us for a virtual community outreach session:

• Tuesday, December 6, 2:00 to 4:00 pm – Register on Zoom 
• Wednesday, December 7, 6:00 to 8:00 pm – Register on Zoom 

Public comment opens December 9, 2022 and will close on January 31, 2023. You may email comments to cdphe_ej@state.co.us and include “statewide community-based monitoring“ in the subject line.

Click the website for additional information, and the Public Protections from Toxic Air Contaminants Act fact sheet in English and Spanish.