Why is an air permit critical to my project?
  • You may have to obtain an air permit before beginning a project that will generate increased air emissions.
  • The city may not allow occupancy of your project until the air permit approval has been secured.

A number of costly consequences can result from not understanding the air permitting process and not knowing the right agency people. Permitting delays, loss of exemptions, unnecessary control equipment and source testing costs, and numerous compliance requirements are all issues that will hinder operational flexibility and result in loss of business revenue.

BlueScape focuses on meeting critical timelines and will help you:
  • Get your project off to the right start by recommending ways that you can gain ongoing operational and compliance flexibility.
  • Maneuver quickly through the complicated air permit application process.
  • Develop supplemental emissions and engineering data.
  • Fill out the application forms.
  • Conduct rule and control technology reviews.
  • Interface with key agency staff.
  • Assess air quality impacts and health risks by assessing pollutant dispersion.
When your company must meet these regulation requirements:
  • Minor new source review (state and local air district rules and regulations)
  • Major new source review (federal PSD / Title V)
Turn To BlueScape…
We provide the necessary technical services:
  • Planning feasibility studies / fatal flaw analysis
  • Air emissions estimation
  • Source testing and air monitoring support
  • Rule applicability review; analysis of offsets required
  • Control technology evaluation
  • Air dispersion and visibility modeling
  • Health risk and exposure assessment
  • Variance and public hearing support / presentation
  • Ongoing air compliance management system development
  • Agency liaison, negotiation and application tracking
We utilize various tools:

Emissions estimation software & methods, air dispersion models, regulatory research, health risk assessment software and visibility models.

We help you to successfully navigate through the air permitting process.

Sample Projects

Industry: Electric Power Generation
Client: Real Energy, Inc.
Prime Contractor: BlueScape

Gas Engine Siting and Air Permitting for Multiple Air Districts in California. Teamed with business associates Resource Catalysts and Environmental Compliance Solutions to assist with Phase I installation of engines at 13 sites located in three California air districts. The client is a distributed generation company that sites, manages, and operates small, clean natural gas-fired, internal combustion engines in corporate and municipal office buildings; these engines can be used to reduce electricity costs during peak cost periods (peak shaving) and provide energy for heating and cooling (cogeneration). Team assessed potential air permitting hurdles in both the South Coast and San Diego County air basins. Conformed to an extremely aggressive schedule that included kickoff meetings with key agency staff, compilation of equipment and emissions data for air permit applications, and completion of air dispersion modeling and health risk assessment work. Though difficulties arose in resolving issues with health risk impacts and periodic monitoring conditions, agency approval was granted to begin construction under an expedited schedule. Draft air permits were received, permit conditions were reviewed and changes were negotiated to allow operational flexibility. At the conclusion of the Phase I permitting project, air permitting manuals were developed to train Real Energy staff on air permitting in four California air districts. Under Phase II, BlueScape is currently assisting Real Energy with air permit applications for three projects in metropolitan San Francisco.

Industry: Fiberglass Manufacturing
Client: Johns Manville International, Inc.
Prime Contractor: BlueScape

PSD Air Permit; Submittal to Georgia EPD. Managed and completed modeling study to support a PSD application submittal for a fiberglass manufacturing facility located near Atlanta, Georgia. Facility proposed to add sodium nitrate to raw batch materials to reduce odor-causing emissions of hydrogen sulfide from a melting furnace. Process required a PSD Air Permit for NO2 emissions. Estimated process emissions of criteria pollutants, assessed compliance with NAAQS and increment thresholds for NO2, and completed other required PSD analyses, including a visibility screening analysis.

Industry: Federal Facilities: Electric Power Generation
Client: EDS Corporation
Prime Contractor: Rancho Santa Fe Technology

Air Permits for Five 1MW Emergency Backup Engines: SPAWARS Project in San Diego, California. Prepared air permit applications under a very aggressive schedule. Prime contractor hired to develop a computer help desk / command center at Commerce Point in San Diego as part of the U.S. Naval global military intranet system called “SPAWARS.” Critical to the project was installation of five 1 MW diesel-fired engines to provide backup power to the command center. Targeted an installation period during summer of 2001, a period during which the potential for power blackouts was high. Hurdles to overcome were the aggressive timeline and a changing San Diego APCD health risk policy for diesel-fired engines. Responded quickly to resolve issues with APCD permitting staff. Application efforts were successful; EDS received air permits for construction within a reasonable timeframe.

Industry: Fiberglass Manufacturing
Client: Johns Manville International, Inc.
Prime Contractor: BlueScape

PSD Air Permit; Submittal to Ohio EPA. Client planned shut down of fiberglass manufacturing plant in California, and transfer of two manufacturing lines to plant in Ohio. Required completion and submittal of major PSD application to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) for PM10 emissions increases. Main tasks included submittal of a modeling protocol and development of a PSD application (emissions calculations, application forms, NAAQS air quality impact modeling review, rule review and BACT assessment). Worked closely with plant staff to develop the complete BACT chapter and assess health risks from formaldehyde emissions under state regulations. A major project challenge was the NAAQS dispersion modeling study. Many large regional PM10 sources existed within 50 km of the JM plant. Worked extensively with JM and OEPA staff to develop a regional PM10 emissions inventory, and to screen out sources from the NAAQS impact analysis. JM staff also proposed stack changes to OEPA that mitigated plant-related PM10 impacts. PSD application submitted to OEPA was reviewed and approved within about four months.

Industry: Electric Power Generation
Client: RAMCO, Inc.
Prime Contractor: Resource Catalysts

CEC Siting Application: Expedited Peaker Turbine Approval in Southern California. Coordinated with several other subcontractors to pull together over 15 separate documents to develop and submit a CEC application. Client’s original project configuration included the installation of two peaker turbine facilities, each one to be sited in Chula Vista and Escondido, California. Scope changed to include the installation of an additional peaker turbine facility on the Chula Vista property (CVII), and licensing of the second turbine under the 21-day California Energy Commission (CEC) licensing process. Submitted fifty copies of application document to CEC. Attended public hearings and workshops for proposed facility. Although RAMCO ultimately stopped the project for contractual reasons, the project had received approval by CEC to begin construction.