General Environmental Air Regulations

Environmental regulatory agencies sometimes regulate businesses by regulating the entire industry sector, such as dry cleaning, printing, and wood furniture manufacturers. Other businesses are regulated by general rules to control the emission of air pollutants. There are two categories of air pollutants: Hazardous or Toxic Air Pollutants (HAPs) or (TAPs) and Criteria Pollutants.

HAPs (Federal) and TAPs (Louisiana) are lists of chemicals that, based on scientifically accepted data, are known to or can reasonably be expected to cause (either directly or indirectly through ambient concentrations, exposure levels, bioaccumulation levels, or deposit levels) adverse effects in humans. The current list is available at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/188polls.html.

CRITERIA POLLUTANTS are contaminants that are known to be dangerous to human health and the environment and for which an ambient air quality standard has been set.  Criteria pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (NOx), Ozone (O3), particulate matter <10 microns in diameter (PM10), and lead (Pb).

OZONE (smog) is a pollutant formed when photo-reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. Some VOCs have been exempted by EPA as having negligible reactivity. Examples of common products that release VOCs into air are gasoline, alcohol, turpentine, paint solvent, most petroleum based products, etc

MAJOR SOURCE: A facility is designated as a major source or minor source based on its emission levels of HAPs, TAPs, or Criteria Pollutants.

HAP or TAP: Any stationary source (facility) of air pollutants that emits or has the potential to emit, in the aggregate, 10 or more tons per year of any HAP or TAP, or 25 tons or more per year of any combination of HAPs or TAPs.

Criteria Pollutants: Any stationary source that emits or has the potential to emit 100 or more tons per year of any regulated air pollutant

MINOR SOURCE: Any stationary source that is not a major source.

PERMIT REQUIREMENTS: Any facility not statutorily exempt (See Act 918 below) that emits or has the potential to emit any air pollutant must secure a permit or an exemption from the Department of Environmental Quality.

EXEMPTION: The owner or operator of any source which is not a major source may apply for an exemption from the permitting requirements provided each of the following criteria is met:

The source emits and has the potential to emit no more than five tons per year of any regulated air pollutant;

ACT 918 STATUTORY EXEMPTION: The owner or operator of any source which is not a major source may determine and claim the Act 918 exemption status provided each of the following criteria are met:

If you emit any of the air pollutants described above and are not statutorily exempt under Act 918, you must file an application for a permit or an exemption.  If you need assistance in filling out your paperwork, contact the nearest regional technical assistant of the Small Business/Small Community Assistance Program (SB/SCAP).  

The source has the potential to emit no more than five tons per year for each of any regulated air pollutant, facility-wide;
The source has the potential to emit no more than fifteen tons per year of all such defined pollutants combined, facility-wide;
The source has the potential to emit less than the minimum emission rate (MER) for each Louisiana Toxic Air Pollutant (TAP).
The source emits and has the potential to emit less than the minimum emission rate (MER) for each Louisiana Toxic Air Pollutant (TAP).
No enforceable permit conditions are necessary to ensure compliance with any applicable requirement; and
No public notice is required for any permitting or other activity at the source.