Division of Air Quality Air Permit Program

If you have determined you need an Open Burn Approval from the Division of Air Quality, you may apply using hard copy applications. The directions, applications and fee information is located online.

Construction Permits

• There are 28 Facility types listed under 40 CFR 52.21 (b)(1)(i)(a). If you are one of these facility types then your emission threshold for a construction permit is 100 tpy of any regulated pollutant.
• If you are NOT one of these 28 facility types then your emission threshold for a construction permit is 250 tpy of any regulated pollutant.

Minor Source Specific Permits

• If you do not require a construction permit, you might still fall under the regulatory requirements of a Minor Source Specific (MSS) permit

For information and forms related to Construction Permits and MSS permits please refer to the online Construction and Minor Permit Applications page.

The Division of Air Qualityis available to answer questionsregarding permits and applications.

It might be necessary for a Pre-Application account to be established for billing purposes. Please contact the Anchorage permit intake clerk for assistance: Jess Jack, phone: 907-269-4718

The Division of Air Quality offers Several General Permits. The documentation for these permits can be found linked below.

• For fuel limited diesel electric plants – General Permit Application (GPA), renewals only
• For Oil and Gas Drill Rig – Minor General Permit (MG1)

You will need to know your sources regulated air pollutant emissions or Potential to Emit (PTE) to determine which asphalt plant or rock crusher permit you require. The MG3 and MG9 are for smaller sources, the GP3 is for larger facilities.

• Asphalt Plants – Minor General Permit 3 (MG3) small source, <100 Tons Per Year (TPY)
• Rock crushers – Minor General Permit 9 (MG9) small source, <100 Tons Per Year (TPY)
• Asphalt Plants with or without rock crushers – General Permit 3 (GP3) large source, > 100 Tons Per Year (TPY)

Operating permits are also known as Title V permits. Title V is a federal program designed to standardize air quality permits for facilities that have the potential to emit 10 tons per year or more of any single hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of HAPs, or more than 100 tons per year of any of the other criteria air pollutants (NOx, CO, PM, SO2, and VOC).

For questions regarding operating permits: Scott Faber, phone: 907-269-6883

ORLs - If you would like to request an enforceable limit on the stationary source's ability to emit air pollutants in order to avoid all permitting obligations, contact ADEC to see if you qualify for an Owner Requested Limit (ORL) under 18 AAC 50.225.

Contact: (Juneau) Dave Jones, phone: 907-465-5122

Pre-Approved Emissions Limit Requests (PAEL's):

• Gasoline Distribution Bulk Storage Facility (PAEL1)
• Diesel Generator Facility (PAEL2)

If you believe you might require a PAEL, please read the PAEL Applicability Notice document found on the ORL and PAEL applications and forms website.

EPA's publication AP-42 is a compilation of emission factors based on real operating facilities. Select the appropriate factor for your process, and multiply the factor by the production rate or fuel input rate to calculate the estimated Potential to Emit.

Example: The factor for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) from a diesel industrial engine can be found on Table 3.3-1 in AP-42. A 350 horsepower engine operating 8760 hours/year would have the following emission estimate: 0.031 lb./hp-hr x 350 hp x 8760 hr. = 95,046 lb./yr. (47.5 ton/yr) of NOx emissions

This method is based on the premise that what goes in, must come out. By identifying the quantity of each raw material entering the process and how much is in the finished product, the by-products and emissions can be calculated.

Example: a wood furniture manufacturer uses 1,000 gallons a year of lacquer which contains 5.0 lb./gal of volatile organic compounds (VOC's). The actual VOC content can be obtained from the manufacturer; 5.0 was used for this example. 5 lb./gal x 1,000 gal/yr. = 5,000 lb./yr. (2.5 TPY) VOC emissions

This method relies on actual sampling and analysis of the emission source. Precautions should be taken when using stack emissions data, since the test results may vary from normal day to day operations. Basing the estimates on only one test is not recommended, but may be the only data available in some instances. This is a situation where engineering judgment may be used in addition to the test data.

Example: routine emissions testing of a gas scrubber has established the emissions are 1 lb./hr. of particulate (PM₁₀). The scrubber operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (8,760 hrs/yr.). 1 lb./hr. x 8,760 hrs/yr. = 8,760 lb./yr. or 4.38 TPY

In some situations, good air emission data is not available, particularly for new facilities. "Source Specific models" can be used to estimate emissions. This may include comparing your operation to other similar emission sources, or using the physical characteristics of the equipment with recognized engineering formulas. A permit modification may be needed if the initial emissions testing indicates that actual emission rates are higher than originally estimated.