Small Business Assistance - Permit Primer

New or Expanding Business - Exemptions

Even if you were not exempt in some of the specific categories, you may be exempt based on your total emissions (emission levels below). You may wish to attempt the calculations on your own (see below) or you may prefer to contact DNR or Department of Commerce air staff to help you determine if you are exempt (see contact information - left margin).

To qualify for a general exemption you must meet ALL of these levels.

General Exemptions

* Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Particulate Matter (PM) or Nitogen Oxides (NOx) - do not exceed 5.7 lbs/hour for each air contaminent.

* Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) or Carbon Monoxide (CO) - do not exceed 9.0 lbs/hour

* Lead - do not exceed 0.13 lbs/hour

* Single Federal Hazardous Air Pollutant 10 tons/year

* Combination of Federal Hazardous Air Pollutants - 25 tons/year (Federal HAPs list in s. 112(b), Clean Air Act, includes 188 compounds

State Hazardous Air Pollutants MTE < Thresholds in ch. NR 445
(State HAPs list in Tables 1-5 of ch. NR 445, Wis. Admin. Code, includes almost 500 compounds - with some overlap with the federal HAPs)

* New Source Performance Standards and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Pollutants

Whether you attempt the calculations yourself or you would rather contact DNR or Department of Commerce Air Staff, please have the following information ready:

1)Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

(associated with coatings, solvents, cleaners, raw materials, etc.)

2)Heat Input Rating (in BTUs)

(e.g. boilers, furnaces, heating units. The rating is usually found on furnace specification sheet or on furnace itself)

3)Maximum raw material usage (all processes)

(e.g. paint guns, woodworking equipment, printing presses, etc.)

Which type of process(es) do you have at your new/expanding construction project? (click on the appropriate category to get information on how to calculate the emissions)

Combustion (press ALT then F4 to close this pop-up window)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (press ALT then F4 to close this pop-up window)

Material Handling (press ALT then F4 to close this pop-up window)

Miscellaneous Processes (press ALT then F4 to close this pop-up window)

Small Business Assistance - Permit Primer

New or Expanding Business - Exemptions

To qualify for a general exemption you must meet ALL of these levels.

Whether you attempt the calculations yourself or you would rather contact DNR or Department of Commerce Air Staff, please have the following information ready:

Which type of process(es) do you have at your new/expanding construction project? (click on the appropriate category to get information on how to calculate the emissions)

Now that you have determined your status, please choose the "Exempt" or "Not Exempt" button below to continue.