General Air Quality Permits

At this time, qualifying applicants may receive general air quality permits for the following source categories: 

  • Title V Air Curtain Incinerators
  • Non-Title V: 
    • Emergency Generators
    • Cotton Ginning
    • Yarn Spinning Plants
    • Concrete Batch Plants

NOTE: If you apply for and receive a general permit, you will be subject to enforcement action for operating without a permit if your facility or source is later determined not to qualify for the terms and conditions of the general permit.

Details on each general permit type and qualifications is provided below. 

Title V General Permits

Under 15A NCAC 02Q .0509, DAQ may issue a permit to cover numerous similar facilities or sources provided the following conditions are met:

  1. There is no difference between the facilities or sources that would require special permit conditions for any individual facility or source; AND
  2. No unique analysis is required for any facility or source covered by the permit.

General permits issued under 02Q .0509 shall identify criteria by which facilities or sources may qualify for the permit. To facilities or sources that qualify, the Director shall grant the terms and conditions of the permit.

Sources subject to Title IV shall not be eligible for a permit issued pursuant to this Rule.

If your facility or source qualifies for a general permit issued pursuant to 02Q .0509, you shall apply for coverage by the terms of the permit issued pursuant to 02Q .0509 or shall apply for a standard permit for each facility or source pursuant to 02Q .0500.

General permits issued pursuant to 02Q .0509 are not required to undergo the public participation procedures pursuant to 15A NCAC 02Q .0521.

Air Curtain Incinerators

General Title V air quality permits may be issued for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste (CISWI) Air Curtain Incinerator (ACI) units subject to NSPS Subpart CCCC burning more than 35 tons per day of only the following:

  • 100% wood waste;
  • 100% clean lumber, and
  • 100% mixture of only wood waste, clean lumber, and/or yard waste

ACI general Title V air quality permit applications are now available to submit online through AccessDEQ. 

Apply Online

Additional resources and documents for ACIs: 

Notes/Comments: In regard to application submittal, the application fee, responsible official, appropriate number of copies and zoning consistency must be addressed before an application can be considered complete. All DAQ permits are subject to renewals. 

Legal Authority/Statute Reference: G.S. 150B-21, 143-213 to 215.

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Air Curtain Incinerator Permits

Air curtain incinerators (ACIs) that burn only 100 percent wood waste, 100 percent clean lumber, and/or 100 percent mixture of wood waste, clean lumber and/or yard waste. Air curtain incinerators that burn only less than 35 tons per day of 100 percent wood waste, 100 percent clean lumber, 100 percent yard waste or 100 percent mixture of only the materials listed above collected from the general public and from residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources; or air curtain incinerators located at institutional facilities that burn only 100 percent wood waste, 100 percent clean lumber, 100 percent yard waste or 100 percent mixture of only the materials listed above generated at that facility. Facilities eligible for General Title V Air permits must meet certain conditions and emissions must be below thresholds established by rule.

To reduce adverse effects of industrial and other activities on air quality and to protect the health of the citizens of North Carolina.

N.C. Division of Air Quality (DAQ), Title V Permitting Section, Raleigh Central Office.

Fees for General Title V Air Permits for ACIs burning only the clean biomass listed above are 10 percent of the otherwise applicable fee.

Currently the DAQ accepts checks as well as ePayments for payment of the Permit Application Fees.

Permit Application Fees are to be submitted with the completed application. The application will be considered incomplete for processing until the fee is received. The check should be made payable to DEQ Division of Air Quality. Please note: The Raleigh Central Office Permitting Section (address provided below) receives permit applications for ACIs.

 Attn: Mark Cuilla, Chief, Permitting Section, Division of Air Quality, 1641 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1641

General Title V Air Permits are issued for five years.

The director shall issue or deny the permit within 90 days of receipt of a complete application or 10 days after receipt of requested additional information, whichever is later.

DAQ Regional Office appropriate for your location. Regional Offices | NC DEQ

Non-Title V General Permits

Under 15A NCAC 02Q .0310, DAQ may issue a permit to cover numerous similar facilities or sources provided the following conditions are met:

  1. There is no unique difference that would require special permit conditions for any individual facility; AND
  2. No unique analysis is required for any facility covered under the permit.

General Permits issued under 02Q .0310 shall identify criteria by which facilities or sources may qualify for the permit. The Director shall grant the terms and conditions of the permit to facilities or sources that qualify.

Application forms and associated documents are available below for each source type. 

Source Documents
Emergency Generators
Cotton Ginning
Yarn Spinning Plants
Concrete Batch Plants
  • Application Forms (.pdf) (.doc)  
  • Sample Permit (.pdf) 
  • Sample Permit Review (.pdf) 
  • Concrete Production Modeling Rates (.pdf) (February 12, 2015 AQAB Memo)

Additional Resources

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