Colorado § 25-17-1015 - Enforcement - responsibilities of the department.

§ 25-17-1015. Enforcement - responsibilities of the department.

(1) For violations related to covered batteries, propulsion batteries, and the management of universal waste pursuant to this part 10, the enforcement process is conducted pursuant to section 25-15-308 and rules adopted by the commission in accordance with section 25-15-302.

(2) To implement section 25-17-1019, the department shall:

(a) Notify solid waste collectors that the disposal of propulsion batteries in landfills is prohibited and that secondary handlers can contact a propulsion battery provider or remanufacturer to take responsibility for an unwanted propulsion battery;

(b) Determine how to proceed if the federal government enacts a law or adopts regulations pertaining to propulsion batteries that may impact the requirements of section 25-17-1019;

(c) Provide a link on the department's public website to each propulsion battery provider's website in order to expedite the collection of unwanted propulsion batteries;

(d) Assess the annual reports submitted pursuant to section 25-17-1019 (9) to determine whether any secondary handlers required the collection of ten or more unwanted propulsion batteries in a given year and, if so, assess a collection charge of one thousand dollars to be paid to the department by the secondary handler and credited toward the annual fee amount to reduce the amount of propulsion battery provider annual fees;

(e) Provide a link on the department's public website to a digital registration form that an entity can use to register pursuant to section 25-17-1019 (1);

(f) Compile a list of entities registered pursuant to section 25-17-1019 (1) and make the list available upon request; and

(g) Conduct an email survey with entities registered pursuant to section 25-17-1019 (1) and solid waste disposal sites and facilities to request feedback on the functioning of the propulsion battery recycling program set forth in section 25-17-1019 to understand their experience, any knowledge of orphaned batteries, and any recommended program improvements. Based on the findings of the survey, the department shall assess the effectiveness of the responsibility framework outlined in section 25-17-1019 to collect unwanted propulsion batteries. The department shall include a summary of the survey findings and the department's assessment with the aggregated nonproprietary data posted annually on the department's public website pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.

(3) The department shall include the aggregated nonproprietary data collected on propulsion batteries pursuant to section 25-17-1019 (9) with the data on recycling, solid waste, and solid waste diversion that is collected and reported annually by the department to the standing committee of reference in each house of the general assembly exercising jurisdiction over matters concerning public health and the environment pursuant to section 30-20-122 (1) and shall annually post the data on the department's public website.

(4) Nothing in this part 10 exempts a person from complying with any other applicable local, state, or federal laws or regulatory requirements.

Source: L. 2025: Entire part added, (SB 25-163), ch. 421, p. 2401, § 1, effective August 6. L. 2026: Entire section amended, (SB 26-003), ch. 341, p. 2071, § 5, effective August 12.

Cross references: For the short title ("Promoting Responsible End-of-Life Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries Act") in SB 26-003, see section 1 of chapter 341, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.