What are common air pollutants and how are they regulated?
The most common air pollutants are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Operations that emit one or more of these pollutants may be subject to permitting regulations. This depends not only on actual pollution emitted, but also on the potential to emit.
Does the size of my business matter?
Air permitting regulations are based on the amount of air pollutants that a business can or does emit, not on business size.
How do I determine the total emissions from my facility?
Look at all sources at your facility that emit pollutants. A “source” is any piece of equipment with potential to emit pollutants. Each individual source is subject to regulations.
Do all air emission sources require permits?
No! The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has exempted some types of air pollutant sources from permit requirements because their emissions are of minor significance. Businesses that meet exemption requirements do not need to apply for an air quality permit.
How do I understand the “alphabet soup” of acronyms in the air quality field?
There are a lot of acronyms used in air quality. This can be confusing and hard to navigate, especially for someone new to the field of air quality. Lucky for you, there is a cheat sheet of air quality acronyms and common abbreviations to make things a little easier for your small business.
Where I can learn more?
The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act provides a relatively simple summary of the 1990 Clean Air Act that may help you understand what is in law and how it may affect your small business.
