Fugitive Dust

Fugitive Dust Control
Control techniques for fugitive dust sources generally involve watering, chemical stabilization, planting of vegetative cover, or reduction of surface wind speed with windbreaks or source enclosures. Watering, the most common, and generally, least expensive method, provides only temporary dust control. The use of chemicals to treat exposed surfaces provides longer dust suppression, but may be costly, have adverse effects on plant and animal life, or contaminate the treated material.

Adjusting work practices is a good preventative technique for reducing the amount of dust generated. For example, the elimination of mud / dirt carried out on paved roads at construction sites, the clean-up of spillage on paved or unpaved travel surfaces, reduction of vehicle speeds, and minimizing disturbed areas during the winter months all help prevent fugitive dust.

Fugitive Dust Control Plan
If your project has the potential to degrade air quality (e.g., due to significant and long-term earth-moving activities), or to create a nuisance for adjacent properties or roadways as a result of blowing dust (e.g., a property engaged in significant earth-moving activity for a driveway along Highway 82), then your county permit, or other land use approval, will typically require you to submit an application to the building department during submittal.

The Colorado Air Pollution Control Division also regulates fugitive dust pollution from land development activities in the State of Colorado. State requirements are complex. General information can be obtained online. Specific questions can be directed to division staff by calling 303-692-3100.

If you are required to submit a fugitive dust control plan to the state in connection with state permitting requirements, you may submit the same plan to the building department in order to satisfy the county fugitive dust control plan requirements.