The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has adopted measures to control emissions of five priority air toxic contaminants, including hexavalent chromium compounds from finishing and coating operations.
Michael OgletreeThe CAQCC says certain facilities in Colorado that emit these pollutants will have to reduce emissions by implementing new technologies, adjusting work practices, and using less-toxic materials.
The regulations aim to reduce priority air toxic contaminants from key sources that emit them:
- Hexavalent chromium from decorative and functional chrome plating.
- Benzene from petroleum refineries.
- Formaldehyde from stationary spark-ignition reciprocating internal combustion engines and combustion turbines.
- Ethylene oxide from sterilization facilities.
- Hydrogen sulfide from asphalt processing, roofing products, and manure digesters.
“This is a big step in our work to protect the health of all Coloradans,” says CDPHE Senior Director of State Air Quality Programs Michael Ogletree. “More oversight and control measures from key sources of air toxics will help ensure we all have clean air. This progress would not have been possible without input from stakeholders. They helped us to devise programs that will protect public health while preserving economic growth.”
Leah Schleifer, Communications and Outreach Specialist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, says the CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division conducted stakeholder outreach during the development of the priority air toxic contaminants emission control rules and leading up to the rulemaking itself, including outreach to Colorado facilities potentially impacted by the proposal.
No one from the finishing community spoke out against the rule, nor was there any record of any finishing trade group attending the hearing or submitting comments to the board prior to the hearing.
“We identified and directly reached out to 22 electroplating and finishing facilities that would potentially be impacted by the rules,” Schleifer says. “We provided them with the proposed rule documents and instructions on how to submit comments. We connected with many of them to discuss their operations, but ultimately none of the facilities chose to submit comments.”
The shops notified were:
- Tools for Bending
- Schlage Lock Co
- Weatherford Artificial Lift Systems
- Capco Inc
- Advanced Surface Technologies Inc
- Finishing Pros LLC
- Jobsite Inc
- Industrialex Manufacturing
- Pioneer Metal Finishing Corp
- Unicircuit Inc
- Knudson Mfg Inc
- Acme Mfg - Zinc Plating Facility
- Trigon Precision Inc
- Premier Coatings
- Rocky Mountain Retinning Co
- Omni-X USA
- Denver Metal Finishing
- Power Engineering
- Harsh International
- K MG Indl Screening Metal
- Precision Metal Finishing LLC
- Quality Plating
Schleifer says that after the rulemaking hearing concluded, a representative of Policy Group who works with the National Association for Surface Finishing reached out to CDPHE for more information on a few of the slides presented at the hearing.
“They indicated that there were no electroplating member facilities in Colorado,” she says.
The new rules outlaw any new finishing operations from using baths of hexavalent chromium. Much of what the CAQCC adopted came from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Chromium Electroplating and Chromic Acid Anodizing Operations.
In 2024, CARB imposed strict new rules on finishers that will effectively force the closure of many chromium-using metal-finishing operations.
While new hex chrome lines will be banned, those with existing finishing operations will also face new regulations that include:
- Installation of new or enhanced emissions control technologies.
- Substitution of less hazardous materials where feasible.
- Modifications to existing processes to reduce air toxic emissions.
For electroplaters, the rules will increase scrutiny of fume-suppression systems, mist eliminators, scrubbers, and work practices associated with hexavalent-chromium baths. Facilities that have already transitioned to trivalent chromium systems or implemented advanced emission controls may be better positioned, while shops still relying on legacy systems could face higher compliance costs.
The proposed rulemaking was part of the state’s effort to implement House Bill 22-1244, the Public Protection from Toxic Air Contaminants Act. The legislation directs the state to identify, prioritize, and reduce emissions of air toxics that pose elevated risks to public health—particularly in communities disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution.
The CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division says it conducted extensive outreach while developing the proposal, including public meetings, site visits, and engagement with impacted industries and other stakeholders to explain the proposal and gather feedback.
The commission will revisit and consider adding pollutants to the list of priority air toxic contaminants and to the list of emission control measures every five years.
Visit https://cdphe.colorado.gov.
