General orders for air quality permits
We issue general order permits to commercial sources of air pollution. A general order is a group permit that simplifies the air permitting process. When several sources of the air pollution are similar, we can issue a “general order” for all the sources, rather than a series of individual permits. There are categories of general orders for air pollution that comes from commercial sources.
To use a general order
To decide if you need to apply for a general order, click on the category below that applies to your business. Read the general order in that category. If it applies to your business, follow these steps:
- Fill out the application listed in the category that applies to your business.
- Send us your application and permit fee.
- Follow the conditions in the general order that we send you.
General orders for portable sources of air pollution
Certain types of businesses that emit air pollution move their operations around the state, such as:
- Portable asphalt plants
- Portable concrete plants
- Portable rock crushers
- Non-road engines used to power these operations
A business can get a general order or permit for these operations from us. However, if a business already has a valid air permit for these operations issued by a local clean air agency, we will accept that permit if it was issued after July 1, 2010.
Notify us at least 15 days before you start work in a county we issue permits in. Include the notification form, a copy of your valid air permit, and the fee. You must also comply with all relevant State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) guidelines.
Permit fees and budget
A business in our jurisdiction pays an hourly fee or a complexity-based fee for an air permit. Our jurisdiction covers counties that do not have a local clean air agency, specifically: Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties.
We update fees to cover costs of writing and reviewing permits.1
Updated fees for 20262
- Notice of construction permits (Table 1)
- Changes to existing permits (Table 3)
- SEPA review for general order permits (Table 4)
- Relocation of portable sources of emissions (Table 5)
- Establish voluntary emission limit (Table 6)
- Change emission control technology without emissions increase (Table 7)
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration-related fees (Table 8)
- Nonattainment area major new source review (Table 9)
- Review of plant-wide applicability limit (Table 10)
- Other fees, including toxics review (Table 11)
1 WAC 173‑455‑031
2 Listed in WAC 173‑455‑120
2026 fee schedule1
| 2023 fee | 2026 fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $119 | $141 |
| Flat fee (Tables 4 and 5)1 | varies | 18.5% increase |
12023 fee tables listed in WAC 173-455-120
More information
Contact our regional office where your project is located. If you are in another county, contact the local clean air agency to check the types of general orders they have.
- Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties
509-329-3400 - Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Okanogan counties
509-575-2490 - Benton, Spokane, Yakima, and western Washington counties
Contact the local clean air agency in your area.
Related links
Contact information
Gary Huitsing
Environmental Engineer
gary.huitsing@ecy.wa.gov
360-522-0925