As we've been highlighting in our quarterly Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) Bulletin, the US Environmental Protection Agency requires RFG to be sold in the Denver Front Range ozone non-attainment area between June 1 and September 15 each year.
RFG is formulated to burn more cleanly than conventional gasoline and must have a maximum vapor pressure of 7.4 psi, so it produces less carbon monoxide and fewer volatile organic compounds. Lowering these ozone-contributing pollutants is an important part of improving air quality in our state.
Our state’s first RFG season in 2024 showed that suppliers and retailers were well prepared to comply with the requirement, and we had very few storage tank owners in violation. Additionally, as of late July 2025, OPS has observed a very high (97.3%) RFG compliance rate at retail locations in the non-attainment area this year.
In order to maintain a high level of compliance with the RFG requirement, the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill SB25-286 this year, which increased the maximum fine amount OPS can apply for reformulated gasoline (RFG) violations from $500/day to $5,000/day.
When violations are discovered, OPS will continue to determine fine amounts based on severity, intent, and consistency with past fines. It is important to note that OPS has only applied the maximum fine amount in cases where a storage tank owner has intentionally purchased non-compliant fuel. Retailers should ensure their RFG purchases are accompanied by product transfer documentation, or bills of lading, from suppliers that indicate compliance with the RFG requirement. OPS reviews this product transfer documentation as part of our RFG sampling and compliance determination efforts.
Thank you for working with OPS to comply with EPA requirements, improve our air quality, and protect Colorado consumers.