The Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission is charged with promulgating and adopting rules pertaining to solid and hazardous waste; establishing fees; and issuing interpretive rules and appeals of administrative law judge determinations regarding administrative penalties for hazardous waste violations. The commission is comprised of nine members, appointed by the governor: three members from industry; three members from the public at large; and three members from local government or academia.
The federal government authorizes Colorado to implement a state hazardous waste program in lieu of a federal program as long as the state program meets certain criteria. One of our major tasks is to make sure the state hazardous waste rules are consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) requirements.
We have the authority to adopt rules that are more stringent than the federal requirements, and to list or define wastes as hazardous when they’re not regulated by the federal rules.
The rules about mining and mineral processing wastes, including exploration, mining, milling, and smelting and refining waste, must be identical to the federal hazardous waste rules.
The commission also promulgates rules related to the Colorado Household Medication Take-Back program.