Colorado Air Permitting Issues

Written October 17, 2019

Colorado does have a Title V permit program in place. Sources with the potential to emit more than 100 tons of VOC per year, or 10 tons of one hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or 25 tons of a combination of Hazardous air pollutants are required to apply for a Title V permit. The state's program does contain provisions for a synthetic minor designation. Synthetic minors are those facilities that agree to federally enforceable limits that restrict their potential to emit to less than the major source threshold.

All facilities are required to file an Air Pollution Emission Notice (APEN). Permits are required for new or modified sources with uncontrolled actual emissions exceed 5 tons of VOCs in an attainment area or 2 tons of VOC in a nonattainment area.

Facilities located in nonattainment areas with uncontrolled actual emissions of less than one ton per year of VOCs, and facilities operating in attainment or attainment/maintenance areas with uncontrolled actual emissions of less than two tons per year of VOCs, are exempt from the APEN requirement.