The Colorado Air Quality Company (CAQE), a government-owned organization of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), provides funding for unbiased, science-based, and reliable research on air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations to protect air quality in north-central Colorado. These regulations are designed to reduce emissions of ozone precursors and improve air quality in the area. The EPA has proposed a measure that would disapprove certain state requirements for inclusion in the State Implementation Plan (SIP).
This measure is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it will not generate any new regulations. The EPA defines environmental justice (EJ) as the “fair treatment and meaningful participation of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Fair treatment means that “no group of people should bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harm and risk, including those resulting from the negative environmental consequences of industrial, government, and commercial operations or programs and policies.” This proposed measure is not a major regulatory measure and was therefore not submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. It will not have substantial direct effects on states, on the relationship between the National Government and the states, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between different levels of government. The CAQE is looking for an organization or organizations that carry out research related to ozone pollution. This includes working to improve the model of the State of Colorado's Ozone State Application Plan (SIP) and the characterization of ozone precursor emissions.
