Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability

The Consumer Protection Division and the Office of Environmental Integration and Sustainability have merged into a single division, named the Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability (DEHS).

This Division monitors food, milk, drugs and medical devices; regulates food preparation environments such as restaurants, food manufacturers, and processing plants; day care centers; correctional facilities and schools; regulates, reviews and investigates foods; consumer products and household substances; helps control insects, rodents and other vectors of animal borne diseases; consults with regulated industries, communities, organizations and individuals; coordinates consumer protection activities with local, state and federal agencies; institutes corrective actions for recognized public hazards in the marketplace; and assists consumers with complaints.

The Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability also promotes innovative efforts to develop and implement environmentally sustainable practices in Colorado; integrates environmental sustainability and innovative concepts into department activities and regulatory programs; builds partnerships to achieve improved compliance and encourage beyond compliance outcomes, and to foster environmental leadership among Colorado businesses, the public and government entities.

Office of Environmental Integration & Sustainability

Programs and initiatives addressed by this Office include:

Animal/Livestock Feeding Operations - Environmental Agriculture Program:

Air and water quality permitting, inspection/regulation and compliance assistance of animal feeding operations, concentrated animal feeding operations and housed commercial swine feeding operations. Addresses the handling of animal manure and nutrients, as well as odor issues at housed commercial swine feeding operations. Program works on cross media initiatives and looks for opportunities to incorporate pollution prevention to achieve improved environmental outcomes.

Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (SARA Title III) Program:

Provides for the collection of information regarding the use, storage, production, and release of hazardous chemicals using the annual Tier II Hazardous Chemical Inventory report, and the annual Toxic Release Inventory (Form R) report.

Environmental Audit Privilege and Immunity Law:

The Colorado Environmental Audit Privilege and Immunity Law ("Audit Law") provides that all State civil and administrative penalties and penalties for criminally negligent violations of State environmental laws may be waived if such violations are voluntarily disclosed as the result of an audit conducted by or for the entity.

Environmental Leadership Program:

A statewide reward program that recognizes Colorado’s environmental leaders and offers incentives to companies that voluntarily go beyond compliance with state and federal regulations and are committed to continual environmental improvement and the goal of sustainability.

Greening Government Program:

Charges state departments and agencies with a leadership role in reducing state energy consumption, increasing state use of alternative energy resources, increasing energy efficiency, and decreasing emissions and fuel consumption of the state vehicle fleet.

Oil and Gas Consultation:

Coordinates the Department's consultation responsibilities regarding the regulation of oil and gas activities by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Coordinates the Department's input into federal and state actions regarding potential commercial oil shale development in Colorado.

Pollution Prevention Advisory Board:

The Pollution Prevention Advisory Board (PPAB) was created in 1992 to provide overall policy guidance, coordination, and advice to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on pollution prevention activities.

Pollution Prevention Program:

Provides outreach and technical assistance on sustainability; integrates sustainability concepts into regulatory programs; and develops and promotes pollution prevention projects. The board also administers pollution prevention and recycling grant programs.

Self Audit Law:

Coordinates responses to Colorado’s Environmental Audit Privilege and Immunity Law (section 25-1-114.6, C.R.S.). The law contains two parts, a privilege for environmental audit information and penalty immunity in response to the disclosure of certain regulatory violations.

Small Business Ombudsman:

Serves as a troubleshooter and a liaison between the department's environmental programs and small business owners and managers.

Supplemental Environmental Projects:

An enforcement negotiation tool used in settlement agreements that results in environmental or public health benefits beyond those required by law.

Waste Tire Program:

The program provides funding for the reuse or recycling of waste tires generated in Colorado. Types of programs include public grants for tire-derived products, cleaning up illegal tire dumps and incentives for processor and end users of waste tires.

Special News and Events

Office of Environmental Integration and Sustainability Library (contains Industry Sector Information, Documents, Toolkits, Fact Sheets)

Local and National Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Resources

Draft Environmental Indicator Report

Environment Index

Environmental Divisions