General Information

U.S. EPA assigned national Air Quality Control Regions (AQCRs) to areas around the country. Except in some historical instances these regions are not generally used anymore. The map below shows these regions in West Virginia. Use this key in relating West Virginia Regions to AQCRs.  

This is intended as a way to broadcast information that may be of interest to many sources and applicable to a number of air programs.  

• West Virginia Greenhouse Gases Permitting Guidance

  December, 2010 

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified January 2, 2011 as the date that greenhouse gases (GHG) will become subject to regulation under the federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permitting Program and the Title V Operating Permit Program [see 75 Federal Register 31514, Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule]. Therefore, DAQ is pursuing non-routine rule changes to our permitting rules 45CSR14 and 45CSR30 to address GHG.  

• Final Corrected Version of Rule 2 and 10 Policy

  July 6, 1998 

  This policy of the Office of Air Quality (OAQ) provides guidance and clarification for complying with the reporting and record keeping requirements of 45 CSR 2 and 45 CSR 10 as authorized by the provisions of sections 45-2-8.5 and 45-10-6.5, respectively. A review of existing practices pursuant to these sections has revealed inconsistent and inadequate reporting. All affected sources are not reporting and often an affected source may have requirements beyond those needed to establish compliance. The guidance contained herein will provide consistency among affected sources and assure quality data for OAQ enforcement studies.  

• Policy Regarding Emission Factor Usage for the Coal Industry

  August, 2001 

  In a continuing effort to ensure accuracy and consistency within all Division of Air Quality (DAQ) programs, the following interpretation is offered as a clarification of coal crushing and screening emission factors. The emission factors used by the coal industry are critical for the determination of not only program applicability, but also fiscal responsibilities of corporate citizens.  

• Procedures for Incoming Permit Applications 48-Hour Response

  January, 2002 

  48-Hour Response Policy - Procedures for Incoming Permit Applications. This includes Rule 13 Administrative Update, Construction, Modification, Relocation, Temporary and General Permits)  

• Policy Regarding Permit Processing Under 45CSR13

  November, 2002 

  It is the Division of Air Quality's prolicy to process permit applications under 45CSR13 in an expeditious manner while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. This policy, while setting forth the regulatory time periods aplicable to processing permit applications under 45CSR13, also provides guidelines for time estimates applicable to each step of the permitting process.  

• Clarification of Permitting Requirements for Sources Subject to NSPS Subpart Y or Subpart OOO

  Revised: May 10, 2011 

  In a continuing effort to ensure accuracy and consistency within all Division of Air Quality (DAQ) programs, the following clarification of 45CSR13 (Rule 13) permitting requirements for coal preparation and processing plants or non-metallic minerals processing plants has been provided. This document is intended to set forth the permitting requirements for the majority of situations involving these types of sources. It is recommended that a source contact the NSR permitting group for guidance if a specific circumstance does not appear to be covered by this document.  

• Policy for Potential-to-Potential Netting Under Rule 13

  June, 2006 

  The following will outline a policy to allow for potential-to-potential (PtP) emissions netting under 45CSR13. The purpose of PtP netting under 45CSR13 is to allow proposed modifications at existing facilities to be reviewed as a Class 1 or Class 2 Administrative Update (A/U) when the net increase of the proposed modification - taking into account other creditable and enforceable decreases in potential emissions at the facility - is below zero or below the modification threshold, respectively. This policy only addresses changes to the applicability of modifications to various review classifications and does not address the applicability of new constructions or have any effect on the permit determination process.  

• Policy for Permitting Low-Emitting Sources

  June, 2006 

  In order to alleviate burdensome and unneeded requirements relating to the permitting of low emitting sources, the DAQ is presenting the following general and source-specific policy relating to the permitting of emission limits and associated MRR from certain low emitting sources. This policy is to be applied on a case-by-case basis and may be trumped by permitting situations including, but not limited to, synthetic minors.  

• Rule 13 Guidance for Poultry Incinerators

  July, 2006 

  The following will outline 45CSR13 (Rule 13) permit guidance for commercially-manufactured poultry incinerators that incinerate only poultry using pipeline-quality natural gas or propane. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has in the past expressed a need for poultry farmers in West Virginia to own and/or operate a poultry incinerator to dispose of the normal mortality of poultry. This need arises by virtue of the on-going threat of Avian Influenza (AI) and other contagious diseases. This is a common-sense precaution against potential contamination. The emissions of the commercially-manufactured poultry incinerators addressed in this Guidance are far below the permitting thresholds of 6 pounds per hour and 10 tons per year or 144 pounds per day of regulated air pollutants outlined in 45CSR13. This Guidance only appliesto commercially- manufactured poultry incinerators that incinerate only poultry usingpipeline-quality natural gas or propane.  

  Related Documents  

  • Agricultural Incinerator Compliance Order CO-R6-C-2002-25A
  • Attachment A - Record Keeping Form
  • Registration Form

Data Recovery Rate

Collect criteria pollutant data at operating air monitoring sites and capture at least 75% of the data as required by the U.S. EPA.  

Average Days Open Per Complaint

Respond to all air pollution-related complaints within an average of 30 days.  

Inspections

Perform inspections for all Title V (major) sources biennially and every five years for Synthetic Minor sources.  

Air Quality Index (AQI) Percentage in the Good to Moderate Range

Maintain a statewide air monitoring network, and report the Air Quality Index (AQI) of up to nine sites using U.S. EPA formulas, working to achieve a good to moderate range AQI at least 98 percent of the time (as derived from U.S. EPA's Air Quality System database).  

Annual Emissions Inventories

Compile annual inventories of air pollutant emissions from 95 percent of West Virginia's large industrial sources (major Title V sources -- 184 facilities in CY 2019).  

Non Title V - Base Air Management Program

This program administers a statewide air quality management program for nonmajor facilities to protect the health and welfare of the public and the environment. This includes permitting, enforcement, compliance, and ambient monitoring.  

Title V - Operating Permit Program (Major Facilities)

This program incorporates and details all applicable federal and state air quality requirements in a single document for each major Title V facility and assures compliance with those requirements. It provides a clear program through scheduling for compliance, monitoring, and reporting and provides compliance assistance for small business sources subject to regulations of Title V of the Clean Air Act.  

• Acid precipitation or acide rain - Water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere with acidic qualities. Principal components typically include nitric and sulfuric acid with water vapor.
• Air pollutants - Solids, liquids, or gases which, if discharged into the air, may result in statutory air pollution.
• Air pollution - Statutory air pollution has the meaning ascribed to it in West Virginia Code §22-5-2.
• Ambient air - Generally, the atmosphere; outdoors.
• Anions - Negatively charged molecule, such as sulfate and nitrate. In combination with hydrogen, these molecules act as strong acids.
• Annual arithmetic mean - The numerical average of the data for the year.
• AQI - Air Quality Index
• Attainment - EPA designation that an area meets the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• 24-hour average - The average concentration for a 24-hour period.
• CAA - Clean Air Act.
• CAAA - Clean Air Act Amendments.
• CAIR - Clean Air Interstate Rule.
• Cations - Positively charged ions, such as magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium, that increase pH of water (make it less acidic) when released to solution through mineral weathering and exchange reactions.
• CBI - Confidential Business Information.
• CEM - Continuous Emissions Monitor.
• CFR - Code of Federal Regulations.
• CO - Carbon Monoxide.
• Criteria pollutant - An air pollutant for which certain levels of exposure have been determined to injure health, harm the environment and cause property damage. EPA-developed standards, National Ambient Air Quality Standards, using science-based guidelines as the basis for setting acceptable levels.
• CSR - Code of State Rules.
• DAQ - Division of Air Quality; Department of Environmental Protection office that administers West Virginia's air quality management program for the protection of public health, welfare, and the environment.
• DEP - Department of Environmental Protection; West Virginia's regulatory agency charged with protecting and promoting a healthy environment.
• EAC - Early Action Compact.
• Elements - Chemicals, such as hydrogen, iron, sodium, carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen, whose distinctly different atoms serve as the basic building blocks of all matter. There are 92 naturally occurring elements. Another 15 have been made in laboratories. Two or more elements combine to form compounds that make up most of the world's matter.
• Emissions - Air pollutants exhausted from a unit or source into the atmosphere.
• Exceedance - An incident occurring when the concentration of a pollutant in the ambient air is higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• EPA or U.S. EPA - Environmental Protection Agency, federal agency that oversees the protection of the environment.
• FOIA - Freedom of Information Act.
• Fossil fuels - Natural gas, petroleum, coal or any form of solid, liquid or gaseous fuels derived from such material.
• HAPs - Hazardous Air Pollutants.
• HON - Hazardous Organic HESHAP.
• HP - Horsepower.
• Lbs/hr - Pound per hour.

• LDAR - Leak Detection and Repair.
• MACT - Maximum Achievable Control Technology.
• Mercury - A naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. It exists in several forms: elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. Elemental or metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white metal and is liquid at room temperature.
• Micrometer (or Micron) - One-millionth of a meter (10^-6 meter) or one 25-thousandth of an inch.
• mmBTU/hr - Million British Thermal Units per Hour.
• MSA - Metropolitan Statistical Area.
• NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards, set by EPA to protect human health and welfare.
• NESHAPs - National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
• Nonattainment - EPA designation that an area does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• NO_x - Nitrogen oxides.
• NSPs - New Source Performance Standards.
• O₃ - Ozone.
• Ozone season - The period beginning May 1 and ending on September 30 of the same year.
• Pb - Lead.
• PM - Particulate matter.
• PM_2.5 - Particulate Matter less than 2.5 micrometers (or microns) in diameter.
• PM₁₀ - Particulate Matter less than 10 micrometers (or microns) in diameter.
• Particulate matter - Any material, except uncombined water, that exists in a finely divided form as a liquid or solid.
• ppb - Parts per billion by volume.
• ppm - Parts per million by volume.
• Precursor - A substance that is the source of or aids in the formation of another substance.
• PSD - Prevention of Significant Deterioration.
• psi - Pounds per square inch.
• Regulated air pollutant - Generally, any air pollutant subject to a standard or other requirement promulgated under sections 111 or 112 of the Clean Air Act, or any air pollutant for which a National Ambient Air Quality Standard has been promulgated including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and lead or lead compounds.
• SIC - Standard Industrial Classification.
• SO₂ - Sulfur dioxide.
• Source or stationary source - Any governmental, institutional, commercial or industrial structure, installation, plant, building or facility that emits or has the potential to emit any regulated air pollutant under the Clean Air Act.
• Statutory Air Pollution - The discharge into the air by the act of man of substances (liquid, solid, gaseous, organic, or inorganic) in a locality, manner and amount as to be injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or property, or which would interfere with the enjoyment of life or property.
• TAP - Toxic Air Pollutant.
• TPY - Tons per year.
• TRS - Total Reduced Sulfur.
• TSP - Total Suspended Particulate
• μg/m3 - Micrograms per cubic meter.
• USEPA - Environmental Protection Agency.

The sites listed below represent some of the more commonly visited environmental sites and are being made available for your convenience. If you know of a particularly good internet resource address air quality issues or environmental issues as a whole please contact us.  

• Air and Waste Management Association

  Founded in 1907, the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional organization enhancing knowledge and expertise by providing a neutral forum for information exchange, professional development, networking opportunities, public education, and outreach to more than 5,000 environmental professionals in 65 countries. A&WMA promotes global environmental responsibility and increases the effectiveness of organizations to make critical decisions that benefit society. The Mission of A&WMA is to assist in the professional development and critical environmental decision-making of our members to benefit society.  

• Applicability Determination Index for Clean Air Act Compliance Monitoring

  The Applicability Determination Index (ADI) is a Web-based database that contains memoranda issued by EPA on applicability and compliance issues associated with the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (with categories for both NESHAP, Part 61, and MACT, Part 63), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). There are also separate categories for asbestos (Part 61, Subpart M) and woodstoves (Part 60, Subpart AAA). Recently issued determinations are added to the database on a quarterly basis. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurances (OECA), Compliance Assessment Media Programs Division (CAMPD) maintains the database. ADI allows users to search for determinations by a combination of categories, control numbers, subparts, regulatory citations (references), issue dates, EPA Region or office, author name, and word search strings connected with an "AND", an "OR", an "AND NOT", or an "OR NOT". Users can then view information from the determinations found including the header (which gives basic data about the determination), the determination abstract, and the full text of the determination. ADI users can select one or more determinations to download to their computers. The downloaded information will be in an ASCII text file that contains all of the selected determinations. The ASCII text file can be read or printed using a word processor or a text editor. For additional information on ADI or on a specific determination, please contact your EPA Regional Office.  

• National Association of Clean Air Agencies

  NACAA exists to advance the protection of clean air and public health, and to improve the capability and effectiveness of state and local air agencies.  

• U.S. EPA Technical Air Pollution Resources Website

  This website provides access to a collection of EPA resources with technical information about many areas of air pollution prevention, technology, regulation, measurement, and science.  

• Code of Federal Regulations

  The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR.  

• Envirofacts

  Your one-stop source for Environmental Information.  

• Environmental News Network

  When ENN was started over twenty years ago, it was our intention that our service would bring attention to the present and future environmental issues facing the health of our planet and the people it supports. Now, in a world where these issues have migrated to the mainstream, we are looking forward and asking: what more can we do to help? ENN has a serious editorial mission. Our mission is to inform, educate, enable and create a platform for global environmental action.  

• Environmental Web Directory

  Environmental directories compiled by Environment Web Directory.  

• Villanova Center for Information Law & Policy

  The Federal Web Locator is a service provided by the Villanova Center for Information Law and Policy and is intended to be the one stop shopping point for federal government information on the World Wide Web. This list is maintained to bring the cyber citizen to the federal government's doorstep.  

• Library of Congress

  The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. The Library preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage you in your intellectual and creative endeavors. Whether you are new to the Library of Congress or an experienced researcher, we have a world-class staff ready to assist you online and in person.  

• National Technical Information Service

  Governmental information via the Department of Commerce.  

• DEP Permitting Guide: Division of Air Quality

  Handbook developed by the Governors Office and DEP.  

• Sheltering in Place as a Public Protective Action

  Sheltering in place as a public protective action has received large amounts of attention as a result of the submission of Risk Management Plans (RMP). Although sheltering in place has been used by emergency management officials for many years, very little data have been collected on how it has been used and its effectiveness. Both supporters and critics alike have expressed interest in such a collection of data about sheltering in place.  

• National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP)

  Small business environmental assistance program to assist small businesses with environmental compliance and emissions reduction.  

• EPA Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)

  The Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) develops national programs, policies, and regulations for controlling air pollution and radiation exposure. OAR is concerned with:  

  • Pollution prevention and energy efficiency
  • Indoor and outdoor air quality
  • Industrial air pollution
  • Pollution from vehicles and engines
  • Radon
  • Acid rain
  • Stratospheric ozone depletion
  • Climate change
  • Radiation protection

  OAR is responsible for administering the Clean Air Act, the Atomic Energy Act, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Land Withdrawal Act, and other applicable environmental laws.  

• EPA Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards

  EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards duty is to direct national efforts to meet air quality goals, particularly for smog, air toxics, carbon monoxide, lead, particulate matter (soot and dust), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.  

• EPA Guide to the Sector Facility Indexing Project

  EPA's Sector Facility Indexing Project (SFIP) is a pilot program that provides consolidated information about the environmental track records of many industrial facilities. SFIP integrates and consolidates environmental information that can be used by the public, as well as by government organizations and industry, to evaluate and compare the compliance records and chemical emissions of individual facilities.  

• State of West Virginia Home Page

  Homepage for the State of West Virginia.  

• Congress.gov

  U. S. Legislative information.  

• EPA Clearinghouse for Inventories and Emission Factors (CHIEF)

  Provides access to the latest information and tools for estimating emissions of air pollutants and performing air emission inventories.  

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  U.S. EPA website.  

• U.S. EPA: Acid Rain

  Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.  

• U.S. EPA Region 3

  Serving Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and 7 federally recognized tribes.  

• Small Business Ombudsman

  SBA's National Ombudsman works for small businesses to assist them with excessive federal regulatory issues.