Businesses in North Carolina that are required to obtain Title V air quality permits may no apply online through a process that aims to simply the application process.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced Tuesday that it has taken another step toward modernizing the state’s environmental application process by offering AccessDEQ as an electronic option for businesses to submit Title V air quality permit applications.
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“Protecting North Carolina’s air quality requires a permitting process that works well for everyone,” Division of Air Quality Director Mike Abraczinskas stated in a release. “This is one more way we’re making it easier to do business in North Carolina while continuing to implement effective pollution control measures that keep the state’s air clean.”
Businesses that emit regulated air pollutants above certain thresholds are, under the Clean Air Act, required to obtain Title V air quality permits. Those permits may include emission limits, monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
“Title V permits play a crucial role in maintaining safe air for every North Carolinian — especially children, older adults and people with respiratory illnesses,” according to the release. “They also support a stronger economy by helping businesses run more reliably, plan for the future and follow required rules without unnecessary delays. The Title V permitting program has helped North Carolina maintain compliance with every federal health-based air quality standard for more than a decade.”
Materials required for Title V applications may be uploaded to DEQ directly online rather than by mail, which “simplifies a historically complex and paper-intensive process, reducing administrative burdens for businesses and improving efficiency for staff reviewing applications,” the release states.
Businesses in all but three counties in North Carolina regulated by the Division of Air Quality may use the new online submittal process. Buncombe, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties administer their own local air quality programs.
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Later this year, DEQ anticipates offering electronic filing for non-Title V applications, including small and synthetic minor applications. General Title V permit applications for air curtain incinerators were made available on AccessDEQ last year.
The agency plans to add additional permits to the portal “in the next few months” in ongoing efforts to provide better customer service.
