Pennsylvania Air Permits

Air permits & authorizations

• Plan approval exemptions and trivial activities

  Exemption

  Eight broad categories under 127.14(a) and roughly 49 numbered categories under 127.14(a)(8) (categories 45-49 require an RFD). Trivial activities need no notice, RFD, plan approval, or listing in a permit application. Examples include small combustion units, small engines, small uncontrolled VOC projects (with 15-day notice), and de minimis increases under 127.449. Records supporting threshold exemptions must be kept 5 years.

  Combustion units with a rated capacity of less than 10 million Btus per hour of heat input

  Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

  Examples (restated from DEP exemption list 275-2101-003): combustion units rated 2.5 MMBtu/hr or less; units under 10 MMBtu/hr on natural gas or No. 2 oil meeting sulfur limits; engines under 100 bhp; uncontrolled VOC projects under 2.7 tons per 12 months.

  25 Pa. Code 127.14; DEP 275-2101-003 (July 1, 2021)Official page

• Request for Determination (RFD)

  Registration / Notice

  Case-by-case determination of whether a plan approval or operating permit is required. Some physical changes may proceed 7 days (no equipment installed) or 15 days (equipment installed) after DEP receives a written request unless DEP objects (127.14(c)). Online or paper.

  25 Pa. Code 127.14(c)Official page

• General Plan Approvals and General Operating Permits (GP-1 to GP-24)

  General Permit

  GP-1 small gas/No. 2 oil combustion units; GP-2 VOL storage tanks; GP-3 portable nonmetallic mineral processing; GP-4 burn-off ovens; GP-5/5A natural gas compression, processing, and well pads; GP-6 petroleum dry cleaning; GP-7 and GP-10 lithographic printing; GP-8 powder metal sintering; GP-9 diesel/No. 2 engines; GP-11 nonroad engines; GP-12 coal prep plant fugitives and engines; GP-13 hot mix asphalt; GP-14 crematories; GP-15 feed mills; GP-16 gaseous fuel spark ignition engines; GP-19 dry abrasive blasting; GP-20 natural gas CHP; GP-21 coal mine methane flares; GP-22 landfill gas turbines; GP-24 pharmaceutical/specialty chemical. ePermitting through GreenPort is encouraged.

  Official page

• Plan Approval

  Minor NSR

  Required before construction, modification, reactivation, or installation of an air cleaning device unless exempt. Submit to the DEP Regional Office with a Compliance Review Form, municipal notification, General Information Form, and fees.

  25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter BOfficial page

• State-Only Operating Permit (natural minor and synthetic minor)

  State Operating

  Facility-wide operating permit for non-Title V facilities above the State-Only thresholds. Exempt sources generally must still be listed unless trivial.

  Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

  State-Only operating permit thresholds (PTE / actual, tpy) per DEP 275-2101-003: CO 100/20; NOx 100/10 (25 PTE in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery); SOx 100/8; PM10 100/3; VOC 50/8 (25 PTE in the same four counties); single HAP 10/1; multiple HAPs 25/2.5 (restated).

  25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter FOfficial page

Major NSR (PSD & nonattainment)

• Nonattainment New Source Review

  Nonattainment NSR

  Major sources and major modifications in nonattainment areas and the Ozone Transport Region (all of Pennsylvania). DEP maintains an Emission Reduction Credit Registry for offsets.

  25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter EOfficial page

• Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)

  PSD

  Major source review in attainment areas. DEP, EPA Region 3, and Federal Land Managers coordinate under an MOU.

  25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapter DOfficial page

Title V operating permits

• Title V Operating Permit

  Title V

  Required for facilities with potential emissions above Title V thresholds. EPA approved Pennsylvania's operating permit program in 1996. Annual maintenance fee plus annual Title V emission fees (due September 1).

  25 Pa. Code Chapter 127, Subchapters F and GOfficial page

Oil & Gas

Pennsylvania (Marcellus/Utica) regulates natural gas operations through GP-5 (midstream compression and processing at minor sources), GP-5A (unconventional well sites and related sources, final June 2018), and Exemption Category No. 38 for qualifying well-site sources. GP-5 requires facility-wide quarterly LDAR. DEP rescinded its case-by-case single source determination guidance on June 9, 2018 and follows EPA's 2016 recommendation. Act 13 requires 24-hour notice before each well completion.

• GP-5: Natural Gas Compression and/or Processing Facilities

  General Permit

  General plan approval/operating permit for minor midstream compression and processing facilities. Well pad engines qualify only if aggregated with midstream compression and collecting gas from multiple pads. Not available in Allegheny County or Philadelphia.

  2700-PM-BAQ0267Official page

• GP-5A: Unconventional Natural Gas Well Site Operations and Remote Pigging Stations

  General Permit

  General plan approval/operating permit for well site sources (final 6/9/18). Category title per DEP's GP-5A folder; see the permit for eligibility.

  2700-PM-BAQ0268Official page

• Exemption Category No. 38 (oil and gas)

  Exemption

  Exemption for qualifying well-site sources, with criteria that vary by construction date (before August 10, 2013; August 10, 2013 to August 8, 2018; on or after August 8, 2018). Leak repair within 15 days; compliance demonstration within 180 days after well completion or installation.

  combined VOC emissions from all sources at the facility must be less than 2.7 tons on a 12-month rolling basis

  25 Pa. Code 127.14(a)(8), Category 38Official page

State air regulations

• 25 Pa. Code Chapter 127Construction, Modification, Reactivation and Operation of Sources
• 25 Pa. Code 127.14Exemptions (plan approval)
• 25 Pa. Code 127.449De minimis emission increases
• 25 Pa. Code 127.701-127.710Air quality fees
• 25 Pa. Code 129.111-129.115RACT III (major NOx/VOC sources)
• 25 Pa. Code 121.1Definitions
• 25 Pa. Code 135.3Annual source reporting

Forms

• Air Quality Permit Exemptions (275-2101-003)
• Request for Determination (paper)
• Plan Approval: Combustion Unit
• Plan Approval: Processes
• General Information Form
• Compliance Review Form (2700-PM-AQ0004)
• State-Only Operating Permit Application (2700-PM-BAQ0013)
• Title V Operating Permit Application (2700-PM-BAQ0010)
• GP-5 compliance forms

Guidance

• Air Quality Technical Guidance
• GP-5 and Exemption Category No. 38 FAQ
• DEP Air Quality Risk Assessment Guidance
• RACT III FAQ
• Regional office contact list

Compliance

State compliance obligations (reporting, emissions inventory, testing) are being indexed. Use the Compliance dashboard preview to see how they will be tracked.

Sources

• PA DEP Air Quality Permits
• PA DEP Bureau of Air Quality
• PA DEP Apply for an Air Quality General Permit
• PA DEP Plan Approval Applications
• PA DEP Air Quality Permit Exemptions (275-2101-003)
• EPA CAA Permitting in Pennsylvania