# 2026-01413: EPA Clouds Colorado's Hazy Air Cleanup Dreams

2026-01413, Air Plan Disapproval; Colorado; Regional Haze Plan for the Second Implementation Period, is a Federal Register rule from Environmental Protection Agency published 2026-01-26, effective 2026-02-25 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01413
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-01413
- Title: Air Plan Disapproval; Colorado; Regional Haze Plan for the Second Implementation Period
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency
- Citation: 91 FR 3048
- Published: 2026-01-26
- Effective: 2026-02-25
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

EPA Clouds Colorado's Hazy Air Cleanup Dreams

## Summary

The EPA is saying no to Colorado’s 2022 plan to fight regional haze, which clouds the air and blocks beautiful views in special protected areas. This means Colorado needs to fix its plan to better clean up the air and improve visibility. The new rule kicks in on February 25, 2026, so Colorado has some time to step up its game and avoid possible penalties or extra costs later.

## Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is disapproving a regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted in 2022 by the State of Colorado under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. Colorado's 2022 regional haze SIP revision addresses the requirement that states revise their long-term strategies every implementation period to make reasonable progress towards the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas (Class I areas). We are disapproving Colorado's 2022 regional haze SIP revision pursuant to the CAA and regulatory regional haze requirements. The EPA is not taking final action at this time on a separate revision to Colorado's SIP that consolidates existing, previously approved regional haze provisions into the same regulation where Colorado's new, second planning period provisions are located.

## Effects PRIA read

- EPA Disapproves Colorado Haze Plan: mixed, medium. The EPA is fully disapproving Colorado's 2022 regional haze State Implementation Plan (submitted May 20, 2022 and supplemented Aug 2, 2022 and June 23, 2023). Because of the disapproval, either Colorado must submit an approved SIP revision or the EPA will issue a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) t…
- Unconsented Nixon Unit Closure Risk: cost, high. The EPA found Colorado included an unconsented enforceable closure for Nixon Unit 1 (Colorado Springs Utilities asked the State to remove the December 29, 2029 closure) and concluded Colorado did not provide necessary assurances that such a forced closure would not violate the U.S. Constitution. Th…
- Comanche Unit 2 Withdrawal Needs Fix: mixed, medium. On November 20, 2025 Colorado withdrew the SIP measures requiring closure of Comanche Unit 2, removing those closure deadlines from the 2022 regional haze SIP revision. The EPA says Colorado must address how that withdrawal affects its reasonable progress goals and the Uniform Rate of Progress (URP…

## Related documents

- [2026-19071](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19071): Partial Repeal of the Carbon Pollution Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units, 2026-09-17
- [2026-19072](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19072): Rescission of the Greenhouse Gas Findings for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants and Repeal of Regulations for Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emiss…, 2026-09-17
- [2026-18317](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18317): Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”, 2026-09-09
- [2026-14112](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14112): Amendments and Nonconformance Penalties for Model Year 2027 and Later Heavy-Duty Highway Engines and Amendments to Inducement Provisions fo…, 2026-07-14
- [2026-13667](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13667): Minor New Source Review Program Air Permitting Public Participation Requirements for State Implementation Plans, 2026-07-07
- [2026-13263](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13263): Revisions To Establish the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6) for Public Water Systems, 2026-07-01

## Sources
- [2026-01413 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/26/2026-01413/air-plan-disapproval-colorado-regional-haze-plan-for-the-second-implementation-period)
- [2026-01413 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-26/pdf/2026-01413.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-01410, Air Plan Approval; Arkansas; Codification of the State Implementation Plan](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01410)
- [Next: 2026-01431, Income Level for Individuals Eligible for Assistance](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01431)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01413 (as of 2026-06-11).