Ozone (2008 8-Hour Standard)
Current Status
Nonattainment – Severe Area*
Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and portions of Weld and Larimer counties
Attainment Deadline
July 20, 2027
*EPA finalized reclassification to Severe October 7, 2022
Summary
In 2012, the Denver Metro/North Front Range Area (DM/NFR) area was designated as Marginal nonattainment for the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. On May 4th, 2016, due to the region not demonstrating attainment by the end of 2014 ozone season, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the final rule reclassifying the Denver Metro/North Front Range to a Moderate nonattainment area, which has an attainment deadline of July 20, 2018 and required the development and submittal of a State Implementation Plan (SIP).
A Moderate Area SIP for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard was approved by the RAQC Board on June 30, 2016 and adopted by the Air Quality Control Commission on November 17, 2016. The SIP was submitted to the EPA in May 2017 and a majority of it was approved July 2018.
As a Moderate nonattainment area the DM/NFR had an attainment date of July 20, 2018. Attainment was to be demonstrated based on certified ozone monitoring data from calendar years 2015-2017. The area failed to meet the 2008 Standard during this time. The area did have one year of data below the standard and, as such, a 1 year extension was requested by Colorado in 2018. The request, however, was withdrawn by the State on March 26, 2019.
Following the revocation of the 1 year extension the area was reclassified to a Serious nonattainment area under the 2008 ozone Standard in December 2019. A Serious SIP was developed and approved by the AQCC in December of 2020, and was then submitted to the EPA in March 2021 following legislative approval.
Based on 2018 – 2020 ozone monitoring data the area failed to meet the 2008 Standard by the Serious area attainment date and, as such, on April 13, 2022 the EPA finalized the reclassification of the DM/NFR nonattainment area under the 2008 Standard to Severe with an attainment date of July 20, 2027.
State Implementation Plan Documents
Severe Area SIP Documents
Severe Area Ozone SIP
Title | Date Last Updated |
Final Severe SIP | Adopted December 15, 2023 |
Final Technical Support Documents (TSD) Table of Contents | Adopted December 15, 2023 |
TSD 001 – Ambient Air Monitor Data | December 15, 2023 |
TSD 002 – Enhanced Monitor Plan | October 1, 2019 |
TSD 003 – Enhanced Monitoring Plan for Ozone – Progress Update | December 15, 2023 |
TSD 004 – Modeling Protocol | December 2, 2022 |
TSD 005 – Modeling Protocol Addendum | September 1, 2023 |
TSD 006 – Final Report – Ozone Precursor Oil and Gas Emission Inventory | September 1, 2023 |
TSD 007 – Severe SIP Air Quality TSD | December 15, 2023 |
TSD 008 – Final 2016 Modeling Base Case TSD | December 15, 2023 |
TSD 009 – Final Attainment Demonstration TSD | December 15, 2023 |
TSD 010 – Final Emission Inventory TSD | December 15, 2023 |
Severe Area Ozone SIP Documents from Development Process |
Serious Area SIP Documents
Serious Area SIP Findings and Approvals
EPA Finding of Completeness – June 2, 2021 |
Serious Area SIP Development and RAQC Proposal Process (2019-2020)
Title | Date Last Updated |
Serious State Implementation Plan for the DM/NFR Nonattainment Area for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard – Submitted to EPA March 2021 | 18 December 2020 |
AQCC Public Hearing Process | 25 September 2020 |
Serious State Implementation Plan for the DM/NFR Ozone Nonattainment Area for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard – Endorsed Aug. 7, 2020 | 01 September 2020 |
Technical Support Documents (TSDs) to Support the Serious Ozone SIP | 01 September 2020 |
Public Comments to the RAQC on Serious SIP | 03 Aug 2020 |
Draft SIP Chapters Presented to RAQC Board | Jan. – June 2020 |
Moderate Area SIP Documents
Moderate Area SIP Development and RAQC Proposal Process (2015-2016)
DM/NFR Moderate Area 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard SIP – Approved by the AQCC on November 17, 2016; Approved by EPA (83 FR 31068 – July 3, 2018)
Technical Support Documents (TSD)
RAQC Cover Letter and Comments (July 7, 2016)
2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard State Implementation Plan (SIP) Control Strategy Evaluation Effort
RAQC Public Input Plan (May 2016)
Federal Rules and Actions
Standard
Revised 8-Hour Ozone Standard (73 FR 60, Mar. 27, 2008)
Proposed Rule (72 FR 132 – July 11, 2007)
Designations and Classifications
Finalized Reclassification to Severe (October 7, 2022)
Proposed Reclassification to Severe (April 13, 2022)
Reclassification to Serious (December 26. 2019)
Proposed Reclassification to Serious (August 15, 2019)
Proposal of 1-year extension (Revoked)
EPA Concurrence with 2017 Exceptional Events Demonstration (July 11, 2018)
Reclassification to Moderate (May 4, 2016)
EPA’s Final Action on Marginal Areas under 2008 Ozone NAAQS
Proposed Action on Marginal Nonattainment Area (August 19, 2015)
Designation of Marginal Nonattainment Area (May 21, 2012)
State Implementation Plan Approvals
Final Approval of SIP (83 FR 31068, July 3, 2018)
Proposed SIP Approval (83 FR 67, Apr. 6, 2018)
Finding of Adequacy of Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEB) (Jan. 30, 2018)
EPA Approval of Colorado Infrastructure SIP (80 FR 50205, Aug. 19, 2015 )
EPA Approval of Colorado Interstate Transport SIP (81 FR 7706, Feb. 16, 2016)
Proposed Rule (75 FR 11, Jan. 19, 2010)
Implementation Rule
State Implementation Plan Requirements Rule – Final (80 FR 44, Mar. 6, 2015)
Proposed Rule (78 FR 109, June 6, 2013)
Classifications Rule – Final (77 FR 98, May 21, 2012)
Proposed Rule (77 FR 30, Feb. 14, 2012)
Implementation of Ozone NAAQS Memo (Sep. 22, 2011)
Other Documents of Interest
RAQC Ozone Summary Tables (updated weekly during ozone season)
For more information, see RAQC’s “SIP Planning Process and Colorado SIP Summaries” document