United States Environmental Protection Agency

General Permit for New or Modified Minor Sources of Air Pollution in 

Indian Country

http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html

Questionnaire: Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations

Last Modified: November 14, 2013

Version 1.0 

Does the General Permit apply to my facility?

The following questionnaire is intended to help you, the facility owner or operator, determine whether or not you are 

eligible for a General Air Quality Permit for True Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating 

Operations. You are not required to complete it and this questionnaire is not necessary to apply for a General Air Quality 

Permit for True Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations. This questionnaire does 

not cover all of the General Air Quality Permit requirements and does not guarantee approval of a minor source 

preconstruction permit under this program.

Description of Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations

An auto body shop repairs, repaints, and/or customizes passenger cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, and other mobile 

equipment capable of being driven or drawn on the highway. Miscellaneous surface coating operations are those that 

involve the spray application of coatings to metal or plastic, or combinations of metal and plastic. This Auto Body Repair 

and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations Questionnaire is for auto body repair and miscellaneous surface coating 

operations facilities that are not major sources of air pollution and that are located, or planning to locate, within Indian 

Country.

 

About this Questionnaire

The questions focus on general information pertaining to your existing or future auto body repair and miscellaneous 

surface coating operation. The questionnaire is not meant to be exhaustive and only requires knowledge of basic 

facility information, including usage of volatile organic compound (VOC) containing materials. 

You should continue with this Questionnaire if you:

Plan to construct a new, true minor source auto body repair and miscellaneous surface coating operation within 

Indian Country;

Plan to modify an existing, true minor source auto body repair and miscellaneous surface coating operation 

located within Indian Country;

Have a potential to emit (PTE) less than the New Source Review (NSR) major source thresholds and equal to or 

above the minor NSR applicability thresholds (See the “Does My Auto Body Shop or Miscellaneous Surface 

Coating Operation Need or Qualify For a True Minor Source Permit?” section below);

Are located in an ozone attainment area and your shop, after the proposed construction or modification project, 

will not use more than 5,000 gallons of coatings, thinners, and clean-up solvents combined per year based on a 

12-month rolling total;

Are located in an ozone nonattainment area and your shop, after the proposed construction or modification 

project, will not use more than 900 gallons of coatings, thinners, and clean-up solvents combined per year based 

on a 12-month rolling total;

If located in an attainment or nonattainment area for ozone, after the proposed construction or modification 

project, the projected total usage of solvent for degreasing at your facility will not exceed 500 gallons in any 12-

month period;

Do not know whether your facility needs a permit, or if you do not know the attainment status of your area and 

you want to find out whether or not you should apply for a general permit for an auto body repair and 

miscellaneous surface coating operation;
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Intend to satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA) according to the method provided in the application documents for the General Air Quality Permit for 

True Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations; and

Are a non-major source for purposes of hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

More Information

The definition of “modification” and “PTE” can be found at 40 CFR 49.152(d) and in the “Instructions” document. 

Additional information on the applicability of the Indian Country NSR rule can be found at 40 CFR 49.153.

Information on the ozone attainment status of the area where your facility is located can be found at: 

http://www.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/. You may also contact your [reviewing authority] for information on your 

attainment status. 

Please contact your reviewing authority if you have questions or need assistance. A list of reviewing authorities, their 

area of coverage, and contact information can be found in Attachment E to the General Air Quality Permit for True 

Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations or visit: 

http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html.

Questionnaire for Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating 

Operations

Part 1: Does my Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operation Need or Qualify 

for a True Minor Source Permit?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your auto body repair and miscellaneous surface 

coating operation needs or qualifies for a general permit.

1. Is my new source or modification of an existing source a major source under the CAA for purposes of HAPs? Does 

your new source or modification of an existing source emit or have the PTE, in the aggregate, 10 tons per year 

(tpy) or more of any HAP or 25 tpy or more of any combination of HAPs? Be sure to include any stationary source 

or group of sources (new or existing) under common control.

Yes No

If you answered ’Yes,’ your source does not qualify for this permit and is considered a major source for HAP 

purposes. Please contact your reviewing authority to apply for a site specific permit. If you answered ‘No,’

continue to the next question.

2. Is the PTE of your facility less than 250 tpy for particulate matter (PM, PM10, or PM2.5), VOC, nitrogen oxides 

(NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)? Be sure to include all existing, new, and modified 

emission units.

Yes No

If you answered ‘No,’ your source is likely exempt from the minor NSR program. Please contact your reviewing 

authority to confirm that your facility will not need a permit. If you answered ‘Yes,’ continue on to the next 

question.
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3. Is the PTE of your new facility or the emissions increase from your modified facility equal to or above the 

applicable minor NSR thresholds listed below for ANY pollutant? The emissions of your facility may be calculated 

using the PTE calculator available online at: http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html. Be sure to include all 

new, modified or existing emission units when determining PTE.

Pollutant Attainment Area Nonattainment Area

CO 10 tpy 5 tpy

PM 10 tpy 5 tpy

PM10 5 tpy 1 tpy

PM2.5 3 tpy 0.6 tpy

SO2 10 tpy 5 tpy

NOX 10 tpy 5 tpy

VOC 5 tpy 2 tpy

Yes No

If you answered ‘No,’ your source is likely exempt from the minor NSR program. Please contact reviewing 

authority to confirm that your facility will not need a permit. If you answered ‘Yes,’ continue on to the next 

question. 

4. If located in a nonattainment area for any pollutant, is the PTE of your facility for the particular 

nonattainment pollutant less than the NSR major source thresholds specified in the table below (based on 

nonattainment classification)? Be sure to include all existing, new, and modified emission units.

Pollutant Nonattainment Classification NSR Major Source Threshold

Ozone Marginal 100 tpy of VOC or NOX

Moderate 100 tpy of VOC or NOX

Serious 50 tpy of VOC or NOX

Severe 25 tpy of VOC or NOX

Extreme 10 tpy of VOC or NOX

PM10 Moderate 100 tpy

Serious 70 tpy

CO Moderate 100 tpy

Serious 50 tpy

SO2, NO2, PM2.5 No nonattainment classification 100 tpy

Yes No Not Applicable

If you answered ‘No,’ your source does not qualify for the minor NSR program. Please contact your 

reviewing authority to apply for a site-specific permit. If you answered ‘Yes,’ continue on to Part 2 of the 

Questionnaire. 
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Information on the ozone attainment status of the area where your facility is located can be found at: 

http://www.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/.

Part 2: Does My Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operation Qualify for a 

General Air Quality Permit?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your auto body shop would qualify for the General 

Air Quality Permit for True Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations. 

1. If located in an ozone attainment area, after the proposed construction or modification project, will your VOC 

containing material (including coatings, thinners, and clean-up solvents) usage be less than 5,000 gallons per 

year based on a 12-month rolling total?

Yes No Not Applicable

2. If located in an ozone nonattainment area, after the proposed construction or modification project, will your 

VOC containing material (including coatings, thinners, and clean-up solvents) usage less than 900 gallons per 

year based on a 12-month rolling total?

Yes No Not Applicable

3. If located in an attainment or nonattainment area for ozone, after the proposed construction or modification 

project, will the projected total usage of solvent for degreasing at your facility not exceed 500 gallons in any 12-

month period?

Yes No Not Applicable

4. If there are fuel combustion units, will your facility only use natural gas, propane, or butane as fuels for these 

combustion units?

Yes No Not Applicable

5. If there are fuel combustion units, is the total heat input capacity of all the combustion units equal to or less 

than 10 MMBtu/hr?

Yes No Not Applicable

6. Do you intend to satisfy the ESA and NHPA requirements according to the method provided in the application

documents for the General Air Quality Permit for True Minor Source Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous 

Surface Coating Operations?

Yes No 
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Conclusion

If you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘Not Applicable’ to each question in Part 2, your facility may qualify for coverage under the 

Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations General Air Quality Permit . If you believe, based 

upon your answers in this questionnaire, that your new or modified auto body repair and miscellaneous surface 

coating operation qualifies for a General Air Quality Permit for Auto Body Repair and Miscellaneous Surface Coating 

Operations, please contact your reviewing authority to obtain a permit application.

If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions, your facility may not qualify for coverage under the Auto Body Repair 

and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations General Air Quality Permit . Please contact your reviewing authority 

to confirm that your facility will not qualify for this permit.