AIR QUALITY

PLAN APPROVALS 

Any person planning to acquire, construct, modify or reactivate any air pollution source or install any air 

pollution control device must obtain plan approval, unless the construction, modification, reactivation or 

acquisition is specifically exempt or determined by DEP through the submission of an RFD (Request for 

Determination of Requirement for Plan Approval) to be of minor significance. The type of approval needed is 

related to the proposed activity (see below). 

o Processes 

o Combustion Sources 

o Incineration 

o Bulk Gasoline Plant/Terminals/Gasoline Storage Tanks 

o Hot Mix Asphalt Plants 

o Printing/Surface Coating 

o Degreaser 

o Request for Determination of Requirement for Plan Approval Operating Permit (RFD) – Used to 

receive exemption from plan approvals for sources not listed in Plan Approval and Operating Permit 

Exemptions list. 

o Mineral and Coal Processing Plant 

The Air Quality Program now offers two versions of Money-Back Guarantee (MBG) timeframes, the original 

program that has been in effect for years and now an expedited timeframe for issuance of plan approvals. In 

order to qualify for the expedited MBG Program the plan approval applicants must meet with the Department 

for a pre-application conference before submission of the application. The applicant must also meet shortened 

timeframes for responding to Departmental requests for additional information. If the applicant cannot meet the 

shorter response times the MBG status may be voided and the application fee will become non-refundable. 

These existing and expedited MBG timeframes are detailed in the tables below along with check boxes 

indicating association with other specific department wide policies. 

 X Permit Coordination Policy X PNDI Policy-Greenfield sites only 

 X MBG Policy X PHMC Policy-Greenfield Sites only 

 Land Use Policy X eJustice Final ReportMajor 

 sources/modifications only 

 1. 
 Existing Money Back Guarantee Program 

The existing Money Back Guarantee Program is shown below in a chart that lists the timeframes (given in onthe-clock calendar days) that the Department will utilize in achieving the total MBG timeframe to make a 

determination on a permit application. The chart lists the application type (Appl Type), the Administrative 

Review (Admin Rev) time, the 1st Technical Review (Tech 1 Rev) time, the 2nd Technical Review (Tech Rev) 

time, the Decision Review (Dec Rev) time and the guaranteed MBG Total Time. 

Appl 

Type 

Admin 

Rev 

Tech 1 

Rev 

Tech 2 

Rev 

Dec 

Rev 

MBG Total 

Time 

Major Source NSR and PSD (calendar days) 

NEW 20 150 150 45 365 

MOD 20 150 150 45 365 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

MACT, Hazardous and NSPS (calendar days)

NEW 15 55 55 55 180 

MOD 15 55 55 55 180 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

State Only (calendar days)

NEW 15 55 55 55 180 

MOD 15 55 55 55 180 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

Request For Determination (RFD) [minor significance review] 50 

 2. 
Expedited Money Back Guarantee Program 

The Expedited Review Timeframes (ERT), shown in the chart below, is an alternative to the existing Money 

Back Guarantee (MBG) Program listed in the previous chart. An applicant may opt into the program under the 

following conditions: 

• A pre-Plan Approval Application meeting must be held with the appropriate Regional Office to 

determine what is needed for an application to be Administratively and Technically complete. 

• An application that is Administratively Incomplete may be removed from the ERT program. 

• An applicant must also correct and respond to any Technical Deficiency Notices within 21 calendar 

days of the receipt of notification. Response times will be off the clock. 

• Failure to correct a technical deficiency within 21 calendar days may result in removal of the 

application from the ERT program. 

• Removal from the ERT program will cause the application to be removed from the MBG program and 

the application fee will be non-refundable. The application determination will continue to proceed in a 

timely manner. 

Appl 

Type 

Admin 

Rev 

Tech 1 

Rev 

Tech 2 

Rev 

Dec 

Rev 

Expedited 

Review 

Time 

Major Source NSR and PSD (on-the-clock calendar days) 

NEW 20 100 100 32 252 

MOD 20 100 100 32 252 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

MACT, Hazardous and NSPS (on-the-clock calendar days)

NEW 15 51 51 51 168 

MOD 15 51 51 51 168 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

State Only (on-the-clock calendar days)

NEW 15 41 42 42 140 

MOD 15 41 42 42 140 

TRAN 15 20 20 15 70 

Request For Determination (RFD) [minor significance review] 50 

 

 3.