Air Permitting Basics in Louisiana

My name is Carolette Wright, and I work for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) in the Office of Small Business Assistance Program at the Southwest Regional Office. The LDEQ is the state agency that develops and administers various permit programs with substantial Environmental of Protection Agency (EPA) oversight and approval.

   Prior to joining the LDEQ, I worked in manufacturing, and have since transitioned into environmental engineering where I spend my time helping government agencies, construction companies, engineering consultants, environmental compliance officers, and an assortment of companies understand their air, water, and hazardous waste permitting obligations and the permitting process.

   In this series of posts, I want to focus on Air Permits and discuss the basics of permit liability, what needs a permit versus what is exempt, permit application forms and data needed, the permit application process and tips, allowable construction before permitting, and cover frequently asked questions I receive on a daily biases.

The Basics: Facts about Your Obligations

When it comes to permitting, ultimately, it is your company’s obligation to develop the means to determine if your facility needs an air permit during any phased planning.

Let us think about it.

During the planning, development, and start-up phases of your facility, no one from the EPA or the LDEQ will call to remind or complimentarily advise you that your facility needs an air permit. Ultimately, it is your obligation to understand the permitting processes needed for your operations.

If you quality, LDEQ provides consulting assistance under the Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP). Small business assistance is available to companies with less than 100 employees, and not publically traded. If you need environmental and permit consulting assistance, visit the ldeq.la.gov website, contact your regional office, and initiate a conversation to check your qualification status.

If you determine that your business needs a permit, it is your company’s obligation to apply for, obtain, and comply with the permit before construction begins.

Why is Permitting Approval Important?

It is important to understand that you must have the air permit in hand before you install and start-up any equipment to begin operations. In Louisiana, air permit approval covers both the construction and operation phases for your facility. The LDEQ has regulatory authority, so failure to comply with this permitting regulation could be costly.

Additional Permitting Basics

Your air permit covers the specific equipment listed at the facility location. Since the permit ties to a geographical location, if you relocate the equipment to a new address, you will need to reapply for a new permit. On the other hand, merely rearranging equipment within the building is allowable, as long as there is no modifications to the equipment specifications or stack configuration.

Benefits to LDEQ Air Permitting

If you have recently sold or purchased a new business, be sure to have all applicable permits transferred within 30 days of new ownership. This is a frequently overlooked step during business acquisition process. Many businesses to realize that air permits can add value to a business and transfer to a new owner. This also relieves all future liability from the previous to the new owner.

Another great feature about transferring LDEQ permits is that there are no additional state costs associated with this transition. Transferring a permit to a new owner reduces paperwork, minimizes paper use, and streamlines efficiency for new owners to obtain all the required and applicable permits.

   Now that you know a few of the basics about air permitting, it is time for us to connect!

Comment “PERMITTED” if your facility currently holds an air permit. Are you just getting started and unsure if you need a permit? Type, “HELP” and I will point you in the right direction.