Air operating permit for large sources of air pollution

Comment on the proposed complexity level for air operating permit fees. The 2025 annual fee reflects permit-related costs between July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.

Every year, we prepare fees for businesses that have an air operating permit. We determine these fees based on three parts: complexity, emissions, and a flat fee.

A. To figure out the complexity rate:

Divide cost of air operating permit program by 1/3.
Divide that number by staff hours to work on air operating permits in the previous year.

B. To figure out a business's complexity level:

Multiply the complexity rate (A) by staff hours to manage that business's permit.

Comment online on the proposed complexity level for air operating permit fees.

Public comment period: Oct. 28, 2024 – Nov. 29, 2024

Commercial and industrial businesses that emit large amounts of air pollution must get an air operating permit. An air operating permit is a master document that lists all of the air pollution requirements that apply to a business or industry. Ecology and other clean air agencies in Washington issue these permits.

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Apply for an air operating permit

A business must turn in an air operating permit application 12 months before the business has the potential to emit:

More than 100 tons per year of any air pollutant.
More than 10 tons per year of any hazardous air pollutant.
More than 25 tons per year of a combination of hazardous air pollutants.

Even if a business emits less than these amounts, EPA may decide that it still needs an air operating permit. The federal rules that might apply include:

An air operating permit is valid for 5 years. A business must apply for renewal 6–18 months before the current permit expires.

Agencies that issue air operating permits

Agencies that issue air operating permits include:

Ecology Air Quality Program in Central Regional Office (Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan counties)
Ecology Air Quality Program in Eastern Regional Office (Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman counties)
Ecology Industrial Section (chemical plants, electrical plants, metal smelters, oil refineries, pulp and paper mills)
Ecology Nuclear Waste Program (Hanford)
Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) (stationary thermal power plants with generating capacity of 350,000 kilowatts or more)
EPA (tribal lands)
Local clean air agencies

Permit Register

Twice a month, we publish a Permit Register that lists milestones for air operating permits.

Review a draft air operating permit

Check for a public comment period and review a draft air operating permit:

Go to Public input and events
Type "air operating permit" in the search box

Budget and fees

Workload analysis and budget report

Every two years, we prepare a workload model and a budget projection that evaluates the cost of reviewing, tracking, and overseeing air operating permits. After the public comment period, we finalize the workload analysis and budget.

Annual report

At the end of each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30), we prepare an annual report summarizing air operating permit program work and fees.

Fee schedule

We publish the current fiscal year’s fee schedule every year by October 31. If our costs were less than expected in the previous fiscal year, businesses are given a rebate toward their next year's fee.

Business Name	Complexity Fee	Emission Fee	Flat Fee	Rebate¹	Total Bill
Avista Utilities, Kettle Falls	$32,325	$51,992	$34,580	$0	$118,897
Boise Cascade Lumber	$566	$15,394	$34,580	$0	$50,540
Boise Cascade Plywood	$41,939	$11,214	$34,580	$0	$87,733
Boise Cascade Wood Products, Arden	$566	$816	$34,580	$0	$35,962
Cosmo Specialty Fibers	$3,752	$0	$34,580	$0	$38,332
D & L Foundry	$2,832	$4,180	$34,580	$0	$41,592
Echo Bay (Kinross)	$0	$0	$34,580	$0	$34,580
Ephrata Landfill	$9,982	$1,529	$34,580	$0	$46,091
Goldendale Generating Station	$3,016	$6,830	$34,580	$0	$44,426
Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill	$11,823	$3,670	$34,580	$0	$50,073
Guy Bennett Lumber	$1,416	$8,359	$34,580	$0	$44,355
LAB Washington	$977	$102	$34,580	$0	$35,659
Nippon Dynawave	$51,610	$282,899	$34,580	$0	$369,089
Pacific Gas Transmission Co. Station 7, Starbuck	$4,602	$17,127	$34,580	$0	$56,309
Pacific Gas Transmission Co. Station 8, Walla Walla	$4,177	$12,845	$34,580	$0	$51,602
Packaging Corp. of America, Wallula (formerly Boise White Paper and Boise Cascade Paper)	$15,405	$48,628	$34,580	$0	$98,613
Ponderay Industries (formerly Ponderay Newsprint Company)	$7,929	$0	$34,580	$0	$42,509
Port Townsend Paper	$50,959	$86,042	$34,580	$0	$171,581
Roosevelt Regional Landfill	$18,435	$14,272	$34,580	$0	$67,287
SDS Lumber, Bingen	$5,777	$23,651	$34,580	$0	$64,008
SGL	$15,009	$7,850	$34,580	$0	$57,439
U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford	$528,885	$3,670	$34,580	$0	$567,135
Vaagen Brothers Lumber	$29,338	$21,000	$34,580	$0	$84,918
WestRock CP	$19,355	$107,451	$34,580	$0	$161,386
WestRock Longview (formerly KapStone)	$3,823	$134,976	$34,580	$0	$173,379
Total	$864,498	$864,497	$864,498	$0	$2,593,495

¹ If our costs were less than expected in the previous fiscal year, we give businesses a rebate toward their next year's fee.

Audits

Ecology and outside agencies regularly audit the air operating permit program.

Fiscal audit — Every two years, the Washington State Auditor’s Office conducts a fiscal audit of Ecology’s and each local clean air agency’s air operating permit program.
Performance audit — Every three years, Ecology and local clean air agencies conduct a routine overview performance audit.
EPA audits — Periodically, EPA also reviews the air operating permit program (EPA calls this Title V) and enforcement program.

Contact information

Shauna Abbenhaus
Air Operating Permit Coordinator
shauna.abbenhaus@ecy.wa.gov
564-233-8692