The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has available an online streamlined application process for eligible applicants willing to comply with the requirements of any one of several standardized Air General Permits. This process can significantly shorten the time needed for an eligible facility to obtain permit coverage for an activity covered by an air general permit.
One significant difference between a general permit and an individually issued permit is that the general permit has already gone through the permit process, including the public comment period. Consequently, the owner or operator of an eligible facility who is willing to comply with all the requirements in a general permit can apply for coverage under the general permit through the online process, significantly reducing the permitting timeframe for those eligible.
General Construction Permits and General Operating Permits are provided for by Chapter 7 of Nebraska Administrative Code Title 129 – Nebraska Air Quality Regulations. Currently, Air General Construction Permits are available in the following categories to eligible applicants (please review each permit for details on limitations, applicable requirements, and restrictions):
· Aggregate Processing Operations,
· Asphalt Plants – Batch Mix Hot Mix
· Asphalt Plants - Drum Mix Hot Mix,
· Concrete Batch Plants – Truck Mix (Controlled Loadout)
· Concrete Batch Plants – Truck Mix (Uncontrolled Loadout)
· Emergency Engine 1 – total capacity up to 10,000 hp for 2014 or later diesel models,
· Emergency Engine 2 – total capacity up to 5,000 hp diesel,
· Surface Coating – surface coating, welding, sawing, and abrasive blasting operations, and
· Incinerator (controlled).
An Air General Operating Permit is currently available in the following category to eligible applicants:
· Incinerator Operating (with limited exceptions, Title 129 requires both construction and operating permits for incinerators.)
Before you can apply for an online air general permit, you must first register for an online account with the NDEE. From your internet browser, go to the NDEE portal for registration and application authorization: https://ecmp.nebraska.gov/DEE-AIR/. Create a new user ID by following the instructions under NEW USERS on the right side of the screen.
General permits are not suitable for all activities requiring an air permit so please review the guidance materials or contact the NDEE if you have questions about your eligibility. Coverage under one of these general permits is only available through the online application process.
The following screen shots are provided as an example. These may not look exactly the same as the screens you will see for a particular general permit application.
Fill in the required information in order to create your account.
Once you have created your account, or if you already have an existing account, type in your User Name (user ID) and password to get started on the online questionnaire as to whether or not you can apply for general air permit coverage for your facility. NDEE’s online permitting program does not have a means of reminding you what your User Name and password are. Be sure to record these so you have them for future applications.
Once you have begun the online process, your first step will be to choose an Air Quality General “Permit Type” you wish to apply for and select a “Unit Type”.
You should also be able to review a list of your saved applications, if you have any.
You will need to click on “Yes” to confirm that you agree to follow the conditions laid out in the permit.
You also need to indicate whether the application is for an existing facility or a new facility.
The appropriate application fee is required with each air construction permit application (Title 129 Chapter 3). The NDEE online application process provides instructions for fee submittal. Payment must be received before the Department will review the application. (Note: There is no application fee for an air operating permit application)
Based upon the type of general permit under which coverage is being sought, you will be asked a series of “yes” or “no” questions about your proposed project. If your answers to the series of questions posed by the online permitting process enable your project to fall under the guidelines of the general permit, you will be prompted to continue the online application process.
Begin by filling out the required administrative information about your facility. Please note that there is a 40-character limit on “Facility Name”. Contact the NDEE for directions if your facility name exceeds the character limit (contact information at the end of this document).
Please be prepared to enter the following when you start your application:
· Administrative information, including the facility name, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, and physical address and legal description; if the facility will be within 50 miles of an adjacent state; the facility’s Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates; and the company’s name, mailing address, and whether the business is incorporated.
SIC and NAICS codes can be determined using Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and U.S. Census information, respectively. A legal description of your facility can most often be found by searching the appropriate county’s property database.
UTM coordinates can be determined (or converted from latitude and longitude) using a number of online map resource tools including the following: *
· Contact information, including the primary contact’s name and title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address; and the Responsible Official’s name, title, and e-mail address. Please contact the NDEE if you have questions about who qualifies as a “Responsible Official” (defined in Chapter 1 of Title 129). If someone not clearly meeting the definition of a Responsible Official is identified, your application will be delayed. Please also note if a company is the “owner or operator” applying for permit coverage, then that company must in most instances be properly registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State in order to be considered a legal entity – trade names, trademarks, and service marks are not acceptable.
* This Page contains links to Non-NDEE websites, these links will open in a New Tab or Window
· Attestation of Citizenship, if the application is being submitted on behalf of an individual. The NDEE is required by state statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§4-108 to 4-114) to ask and collect this information for any application submitted by an individual (a form is available online: http://dee.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/pages/09-012).Once you have filled out all the required administrative and contact information, you will have the opportunity to save your permit application up to that point.
Your saved but incomplete application will be stored for up to thirty calendar days from the initial application creation. After thirty days, the application will be marked invalid and removed from the NDEE system.
Next you will need to supply a detailed project description. You may attach the required information as an image, Microsoft Word document, or Microsoft Excel document.
Facility layout diagrams should also be uploaded and should indicate the height and locations of all structures and property boundaries. You need to indicate what currently exists at the location and what will be constructed as part of the project. Required supporting documents that you will need to provide include at a minimum:· A detailed list of all existing emission units and emission points at the facility,
· For general construction permit coverage, a detailed list of all new emission units and emission points at this facility that will be constructed or installed after permit coverage is obtained, and
· A facility layout diagram detailing items such as stack heights and property boundaries.
Manufacturer specifications should also be uploaded. These are documents provided to the source by the equipment manufacturer. The manufacturer specifications include detailed information about the equipment.
Next, instructions will be provided on how to electronically sign the application, as well as information on the application fee payment. Both a signature (DocuSign by a Responsible Official) and fee payment (Air General Construction Permit applications only) must be received before the Department’s air permitting staff can begin their review. As noted, the fee requirement does not apply to an Air General Operating Permit application.
An e-mail will be sent to the Responsible Official at the email address provided on your application. That e-mail will include a notification with a document that needs to be completed via DocuSign. That e-mail can only be sent to the Responsible Official email address provided.
The Responsible Official will need to click on ‘Review Document’ to electronically sign the application within DocuSign.
Contact the NDEE Air Quality Permit Support email or the NDEE Small Business and Public Assistance Coordinator if you have questions about the online application for coverage under any of the Air Quality General Permits.
Contacts:
· NDEE Air Quality Permit Support NDEE.AirQuality@nebraska.gov
· NDEE Small Business and Public Assistance Coordinator (402) 471-2186
* This webpage contains links to Non-NDEE websites, these links will open in a new tab or window
Produced by:
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, NE 68509-8922
phone (402) 471-2186
To view this, and other information related to our agency, visit our web site at http://dee.ne.gov/. This material is intended for guidance purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for the regulations specified in the document, or any other applicable Nebraska environmental regulations. |