Colorado’s health agency has adopted stricter requirements in order for companies to obtain a general permit for “minor sources” of air pollution.

As part of the new application process, businesses must complete a “checklist,” which serves to certify that a business performed a “more robust review of construction projects that create a new source of air pollution,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a news release.

That review, the department said, ensures projects won’t exceed national air quality standards. 

A “source” means an operation that releases air pollutants, such as asphalt plants or oil and gas sites. Inside a serious ozone nonattainment area, a “minor source” means releasing less than 50 tons per year of air pollutants. Kate Malloy, a spokesperson for the health department, noted that the “checklist” only applies to businesses looking to register for a new minor source general permit. Emissions above 50 tons of air pollutants of air per year are considered “majors sources” and must obtain a different kind of permit. 

Colorado Oil and Gas Association President and CEO Dan Haley said the department’s latest requirement is ill-timed.

“As supply chain challenges and inflation continue to burden businesses and consumers, it’s exactly the wrong time for the state to further increase permitting timelines and regulatory costs on Colorado businesses,” Haley told Colorado Politics. “In fact, today the state currently faces a permit backlog in the thousands and ultimately the actual measured air data doesn’t justify the need for hypothetical modeling and more paperwork.”

In a news release, Michael Ogletree, director of the Air Pollution Control Division, said Colorado is “leading the nation with these protective modeling requirements. Very few states have implemented a process like this.”

Trisha Oeth, director of Environmental Health and Protection at the department, said Colorado can’t wait for federal action.

“The EPA has informed us that they will be offering more specific guidance on issuing general permits in the coming years, and we welcome that guidance,” Oeth said. “But we also cannot wait to enact more protective measures in our general permits, so that’s why we’re moving ahead now. Colorado is choosing to lead, once again, on reducing air pollution and protecting our environment.”