Permit Exemptions & Registration
Final amended rules resulting from the Permit Exemption Streamlining process adopted by the Environmental Management Commission in January 2016 and approved by the Rules Review Commission in February 2016 have completed legislative review and are now effective.
The amendments simplify the exemption rule to make it easier to understand and reduce administrative burden while maintaining compliance amongst the non-Title V facilities. The amended rules include a registration option and allow for a wider range of facilities with low actual air emissions to be exempt from permitting.
Facilities with actual emissions less than five tons per year of each specified pollutant and total aggregate actual emissions less than 10 tons per year and that meet other eligibility requirements in the rule are exempt from permitting. Facilities that are not exempt and have total aggregate actual emissions greater than or equal to 5 tons and less than 25 tons per year and meet other eligibility requirements in the rule are eligible for registration instead of obtaining a permit.
All exempt or registered facilities are still required to comply with any applicable state and federal regulations. A facility may choose to keep its permit even though it qualifies for exemption or registration.
The final rules and related materials to assist with implementation of and compliance with these changes are available from the following links.
- Executive Summary
- Updated Rules (15A NCAC 02Q .0102, .0302, .0318, and .0903)
- Permit application, permit exemption and registration
- Emissions calculation tools
- Exempt Facility Compliance Checklist -The checklist is a tool to assist exempt facilities maintain compliance with certain federal and state regulations.
Need assistance with the new permit exemption rule? Please contact the DAQ Regional Office that covers your area.