AIR PERMITTING

Pursuant to the passage and revisions of the Clean Air Act Congress enacted in 1970, 1977, and 1990, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established standards for air pollutants to protect public health and the environment. Each state enforces the air quality standards set by the USEPA, and some states have more stringent requirements for air pollutants. Clean Air Act requirements for each facility may vary significantly, depending on the facility’s potential to emit certain pollutants, the applicable performance standards for the industry, and facility location. Click here to learn more about the Clean Air Act.

The USEPA and states administer air permits to facilities with the potential to emit certain air pollutants above established threshold levels. To determine if your facility needs an air permit, the typical process includes an emissions inventory, communication with state and federal agencies, and calculations to determine your facility’s potential to emit. Many state permits refer to federal regulations, so make sure you are familiar with these or reach out to VET to help you navigate the requirements for your facilities.

VET’s clients operate quarries, concrete plants, aluminum sweat furnaces, crushers, and woodworking operations. If you are starting a new business or opening a new location, call VET to assist with the required calculations for determining your air permitting requirements. Many states now have confidential compliance assistance programs. These programs allow you to speak with a regulator in confidence about your facility and learn about the necessary regulations. VET can help you locate and contact your state’s confidential compliance assistance program.

States also have regulations regarding asbestos emissions for planned demolitions and renovations impacting asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Call VET and visit our asbestos page to learn more about compliance with regulations pertaining to asbestos.

The most critical step you can take to comply with your permit is to sit down and read it! Make sure you know what each part of the permit means for your facility. Enlisting VET’s assistance to interpret and implement the requirements in your permit will save you time, stress, and money down the line. VET’s experienced team of professionals conducts permit reviews to provide you with clear direction on how to stay compliant with your permit and avoid costly and time-consuming violations.

Your permit likely contains monitoring requirements, production or throughput limits, and other operating conditions specific to your industry and equipment. Recordkeeping and reporting requirements are critical to understand. Many facilities receive violations for failure to keep records of their required inspections and submit timely reports to the appropriate regulatory agency.

Call VET to complete a permit review and help you stay on top of your tasks. VET also offers a one-stop shop software to keep track of your monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for your facility. VET’s software is an internet database system designed to deliver inspection, audit, assessment, monitoring forms and assignment of certain documents and information to your account, including administration, document upload, management, retention and reporting capabilities, which allows for integrated reporting and regulatory compliance.

Whether or not you need to renew your air permit is stipulated in the air permit itself. Read your permit and request assistance from VET to help you understand when and how you need to renew your permit. It is very important to understand that if any significant changes occur at your facility, namely the addition or removal of previously permitted emissions units, the regulatory agency must be notified, and your permit must be updated. A transfer of ownership also requires additional paperwork to be submitted. The key to complying with the requirements of your permit is understanding what your permit means for you. If you are unclear on any requirements specific to your permit or your state, call VET for a permit review and compliance plan to keep you on track and keep the regulators off your back.

Clean Air Act permits do not necessarily address occupational exposure to air pollutants. Some facilities that do not require a federal or state air permit may still have issues with worker exposure to air pollutants. To name a few, welding and soldering facilities, woodworking operations, and construction companies may all have the potential to expose workers to potentially hazardous air pollutants. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulates workplace exposure to air contaminants.

VET provides in-person safety training in compliance with OSHA standards, and performs workplace exposure air monitoring to ensure your employees are not exposed to levels of contaminants exceeding OSHA thresholds. VET also administers a web-based occupational health and safety software, Safety Strategy System (SSS), to provide you with training materials and training accountability for OSHA mandated employee training. SSS allows you to keep safety resources and training records in one central location that is easily accessible, in the event of a workplace incident or OSHA inspection.

Implementation of the Clean Air Act has dramatically reduced emissions of air pollutants across the United States. According to the USEPA, there has been a 50% decrease in emissions of key air pollutants since the final Clean Air Act revisions in 1990. If you are interested in finding out about air quality in your area, the USEPA maintains the AirNow website to track trends in air quality and fires throughout the United States. You can also find interactive maps for attainment and non-attainment areas throughout the United States for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) here. Additional resources for communities concerned with poor air quality and health can be found on the USEPA’s Environmental Justice website.