Point Source Emissions

North Carolina tracks point source "stack" emissions through its emission inventory program for facilities required to have an air permit.

Large (Title V) facilities are required to file certified reports annually and these data reports are reviewed by DAQ staff. Small point source facility (facilities classified as Small or Synthetic Minor) are also inventoried. The Title V facilities account for the vast majority of the emissions of most pollutants on a statewide scale.

Emission Inventory Reports    

 

Emission Trends

The plots below show emission trends for two criteria air pollutants from calendar year 2001 through 2021. Each calendar years data includes all the permitted facilities that operated for any length of time in that calendar year.  Since small and synthetic minor facilities only report upon air permit renewal, the most recent emission inventory data was used for the years when no data was reported.

Graph of sulfur dioxide emission trends for calendar years 2001-2021
Graph of nitrogen oxide emission trends for calendar years 2001-2021

 

Related Links

EPA - National Emission Inventory (NEI) 
Estimate of emissions of criteria and hazardous air pollutants which is prepared every three years; most current year is 2020

EPA - Air Pollutant Emission Trends 
NEI current emissions trends data and documentation of estimation methods

EPA - AirData  
Reports and Maps on Emissions of Criteria Air Pollutants and Hazardous Air Pollutants

EPA's Acid Rain Program  
Information on this web page includes an overview of the program, it's goals, acheivements, laws and regulations

EPA Clean Air Markets - Data and Maps 
Data about: Where you live, emissions, allowances, compliance, facility information, acid deposition, query wizard, data sets, published reports and environmental assessment maps

National-scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA)
National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) is a screening assessment that estimates inhalation health risk for cancer and non-cancer health effects for North Carolina.

Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) Allowances / (EPA - CAIR) 
Find information about annual and ozone season CAIR allowance allocations, allocations to new sources from the new unit set-aside (NUSA) and state reallocations of any remaining balances in the NUSA.

NOx Budget Information / (EPA - NOx Budget Trading Program) 
Find information about NOx budget allocations, preliminary allocations for new sources and documents pertaining to NOx budget program.