Businesses with low levels of actual emissions can submit a simplified permit application and obtain a registration permit. Registration permits allow facilities greater flexibility to make changes as long as they continue to maintain permit requirements.
Registration permits are intended for two categories of permittees:
- Facilities that only need permits because they are subject to certain federal new source performance standards.
- Facilities with potential emissions that exceed a permit threshold but have actual emissions below the registration permit thresholds due to operating limits, fuel use, control equipment, or other measures.
In addition to their simplified permit applications, registration permits also can be issued without a public notice. Owners or operators of facilities should not apply for registration permits if they anticipate making changes in the next year that would cause the facilities to become ineligible. Registration permits do not expire.
In general, sources with registration permits need to maintain records and perform monthly calculations to show that they continue to be eligible for registration permits. They must also submit annual emissions reports.
Registration permit categories
Facilities that are subject to a federal new source performance standard (NSPS) other than those specified for the Option A permit are ineligible for a registration permit, unless only the notification and recordkeeping provisions of the NSPS apply. Besides requiring eligible sources to comply with all applicable state rules and federal regulations, the registration permit rule includes specific compliance requirements for each option.
Option A: New source performance standards-only
Option A registration permits are for facilities with potential emissions below state or federal permit thresholds, that are subject to one of the following federal new source performance standards (NSPS):
- Small industrial-commercial-institutional steam generating units (40 CFR pt. 60, Subpart Dc only)
- Storage vessels for petroleum liquids (40 CFR pt. 60, Subpart K, Subpart Ka, Subpart Kb
- Grain elevators
- Surface coating of metal furniture
- Stationary gas turbines (40 CFR pt. 60, Subpart GG only)
- Industrial surface coating: Large appliances
- Petroleum dry cleaners
- Nonmetallic mineral processes
- Surface cleaning of plastic parts for business machines
- Hot mix asphalt facilities
- Stationary compression ignition internal combustion engines with displacement of less than 30 liters per cycle
- Stationary spark ignition internal combustion engines
Option B: Volatile organic compounds
Option B registration permits are for facilities that:
- produce emissions only from materials that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), insignificant activities, and dust from roads or parking lots.
- purchase or use less than 2,000 gallons of materials that contain VOCs each year.
- may be subject to one or more of the 14 Option A NSPS.
Option C: Boiler/internal combustion engine/VOCs
Option C registration permits are for facilities that only have emissions from boilers, internal combustion engines, VOC-containing materials (or any combination of the three), insignificant activities, and dust from roads or parking lots. A facility may be subject to one of the 14 Option A NSPS, but is not eligible for the Option C permit if it uses or emits:
- nitrous oxide from sources other than combustion units or insignificant activities.
- hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride other than from insignificant activities.
Option D: Actual emissions below 50% of federal thresholds
Option D registration permits are for facilities with potential-to-emit levels exceeding state or federal thresholds, that reduce their emissions using pollution control equipment, burning less fuel, or other measures. Their actual emissions must be less than half the federal permit threshold for each pollutant.
Facilities with control equipment must meet the pollution control equipment performance standard, which has additional recordkeeping and reporting requirements. See our training video about the control equipment rule covering the types of air pollution control equipment and compliance.