United States Environmental Protection Agency

Pacific Southwest – Region 9

Clean Air Act Permit

Federal Indian Country Minor New Source Review Program

http://www.epa.gov/caa‐permitting/tribal‐nsr‐permits‐region‐9

Questionnaire under the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified Minor

Source Gasoline Dispensing Facilities in Indian Country within California

Last Modified: September 28, 2016

Version 1.0

Does the General Permit apply to my source?

The following questionnaire is intended to help you, the owner or operator of a new of modified gasoline dispensing

facility, determine whether or not your source may be eligible for the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified

Minor Source Gasoline Dispensing Facilities in Indian Country within California (General Permit). Specifically, the General

Permit is potentially available for gasoline dispensing facilities within the geographic boundaries of California that are

located in an Indian reservation or in another area of Indian country (as defined in 18 U.S.C. 1151) over which an Indian

tribe, or the EPA, has demonstrated that the tribe has jurisdiction, and where there is no EPA‐approved program in place.   

You are not required to complete this questionnaire and use of the questionnaire is not necessary to request coverage

under the General Permit. This questionnaire does not cover all of the General Permit requirements and does not

guarantee approval of a minor source preconstruction permit under this program. In addition, you are not required to

use the General Permit to comply with the Federal Indian Country New Source Review (NSR) program; you also have the

option of requesting a source‐specific permit instead of the General Permit if you are subject to the requirements of the

program.

Description of Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

A gasoline dispensing facility, or GDF, is any stationary source, such as a gas station, that dispenses gasoline into the fuel

tank of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle engine, nonroad vehicle or nonroad engine (e.g., a retail gas station).

 

About this Questionnaire

The questions in this document focus on general information pertaining to your existing or future gas station, or

other GDF. The questionnaire is not meant to be exhaustive and only requires knowledge of basic source

information, including fuel throughput. 

More Information

The definitions of “modification” and “Potential to Emit” (or “PTE”) can be found at 40 CFR 49.152(d). 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 source is located can be found at:

32Thttp://www.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/32T. You may also contact your reviewing authority for information on the

attainment status.  

Please contact your reviewing authority if you have questions or need assistance:

   

Mailing Address: U.S. EPA Region 9, Pacific Southwest

Air Permits Office (Air‐3)

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, California 94105

Phone:   415‐972‐3974

Email:   32TR9AirPermits@epa.gov32T
Questionnaire:

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities within California                 Page 2 of 5

Additional information concerning the General Permit can also be found at the following website:

32Thttps://www.epa.gov/caa‐permitting/california‐tribal‐gasoline‐permits.

Sources eligible for the General Permit may also be subject to federal standards under 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCCC,

National Emission Standards for Gasoline Dispensing Facilities. The conditions applicable to sources seeking coverage

under this General Permit are intended to be generally consistent with the requirements in 40 CFR 63 Subpart CCCCCC.

However, compliance with the applicable requirements in these federal standards is required independent of the

conditions in the General Permit, and not all requirements applicable under these federal standards are necessarily

included in the General Permit. The Technical Support Document for the General Permit identifies the specific

requirements in Subparts CCCCCC that are also included in the General Permit. The EPA’s brochure for Subpart CCCCCC

is available here: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/area/gdfb.pdf.  

Questionnaire for Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

Part 1: Does my Gasoline Dispensing Facility Need a Minor Source Permit?

The following questions are meant to assist you in determining whether or not your gasoline dispensing facility needs a

minor new source review permit. 

 

1. Will the potential to emit (PTE) of your new source, or the increase in potential emissions from your modified existing

source, be equal to or above the applicable minor NSR thresholds listed below for ANY of the listed pollutants, in tons

per year (tpy)? Emissions from the gasoline dispensing equipment at your source may be calculated using the PTE

calculator available online at: https://www.epa.gov/caa‐permitting/california‐tribal‐gasoline‐permits. Be sure to

include all new or modified emission units at your source, including those not a part of the gasoline dispensing facility.

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

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

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

Lead   0.1 tpy 0.1 tpy

Fluorides 1 tpy NA

Sulfuric Acid Mist 2 tpy NA

H2S 2 tpy NA

Total Reduced sulfur 2 tpy NA

Reduced sulfur

compounds 2 tpy NA
Questionnaire:

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities within California                 Page 3 of 5

Yes         No

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

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

question. 

2. Will the PTE of your source be less than 250 tpy for all regulated NSR pollutants including, but not limited to, lead,

PM10, PM2.5, VOC, NOx, CO, and SO2? For this calculation, be sure to include all existing, new, and modified emission

units at yoursource, including any existing, new and modified emission unitsthat are not part of the gasoline dispensing

facility.

Yes         No    

If you answered ‘No,’ your source does not qualify for the General Permit. Please contact your reviewing

authority to apply for a source‐specific permit. If you answered ‘Yes,’ continue on to the next question. 

3. If your source is located in a nonattainment area for any pollutant for which there is a National Ambient Air

Quality Standard (NAAQS), will the PTE of your source for all such nonattainment pollutants be less than

the applicable NSR major source thresholds below? For this calculation, be sure to include all existing, new,

and modified emission units at your source, including any emission units that are not part of the gasoline

dispensing facility.

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, PM2.5 Moderate 100 tpy

Serious 70 tpy

CO Moderate 100 tpy

Serious 50 tpy

SO2, NO2, lead No nonattainment classification 100 tpy

Yes         No     N/A – Not located in any nonattainment areas

If you answered ‘No,’ your source does not qualify for the General Permit. Please contact the reviewing

authority to apply for a source‐specific permit. If you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘N/A’ continue on to Part 2 of the

Questionnaire.  

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

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

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities within California                 Page 4 of 5

Part 2: What Types of Sources DO NOT Qualify for Coverage under the General Air Quality

Permit for New or Modified Minor Source Gasoline Dispensing Facilities in Indian Country

within California?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your GDF would be disqualified from coverage

under the General Permit. Please only answer the questions that are applicable to your particular gas station, or

other gasoline dispensing facility.

1. Will your new or modified GDF store or transfer aviation gasoline at airports or other similar sources that

dispense fuel through mobile (portable) fueling equipment?

Yes         No

2. Based on all new and existing equipment at the source, will your new or modified gasoline dispensing facility be

located at a major source of hazardous air pollutants?

Yes         No

3. If located in an ozone nonattainment area, will your new or modified GDF uses aboveground storage tanks (ASTs)?

Yes         No     N/A ‐ In an ozone attainment area

If you answered ‘No’ to all of these questions, your source may qualify for coverage under the General Permit, and

you should continue on to Part 3 of the Questionnaire. If you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘N/A’ to any of these questions, your

source does not qualify for coverage under the General Permit. Please contact your reviewing authority to confirm

that your source will not qualify for this permit.

Part 3: Does My Gasoline Dispensing Facility Qualify for the General Permit?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your gas station, or other GDF, would qualify for the

General Permit for GDFs. 

1. If your source will be located in a serious, severe, or extreme ozone nonattainment area, after the proposed

construction or modification project, will your source dispense less than 15,000,000 gallons of fuel on a 12‐

month rolling total?  

Yes         No     N/A – In an ozone attainment area or marginal/moderate        

nonattainment area for ozone

2. If your source will be located in an attainment, unclassifiable or attainment/unclassifiable area for ozone or

marginal/moderate nonattainment area for ozone, after the proposed construction or modification project, will

your source dispense less than 25,000,000 gallons of fuel on a 12 month rolling total?  

Yes         No     N/A – In a serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment area

for ozone
Questionnaire:

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities within California                 Page 5 of 5

3. Will your new or modified source utilize a Stage I vapor recovery system and will you assure that the required

Stage I vapor recovery equipment is properly connected and in use at all times while gasoline is actively being

delivered?

Yes         No

4. If located in an ozone nonattainment area, will your new or modified source:

a. Utilize a Phase II Enhanced Vapor Recovery (EVR) System, equipped with an In‐Station Diagnostic

(ISD) system, that is in use at all times while gasoline is being dispensed, and

b. Utilize EVR and ISD equipment that is certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)?  

Yes         No     N/A – In an ozone attainment area

5. If your source has emergency engines, will they be emergency generator engines, designed solely for the

purpose of providing electrical power during power outages, and:

a. In attainment areas, will the total maximum manufacturer’s site‐rated horsepower of all emergency

generator engines be below 1,000?

b. In nonattainment areas that are classified as marginal, moderate, or serious, will the total maximum

manufacturer’s site‐rated horsepower of all emergency generator engines be below 500?

c. In nonattainment areas that are classified as severe or extreme, will there be no new or modified

emergency generator engines located at the source?

Yes         No       N/A – No emergency generator engines

6. Do you intend to satisfy the procedures for threatened or endangered species and historic properties according to

the processes provided by the EPA for the General Permit?

Yes         No

Conclusion

If you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘N/A’ to each of the questions in Part 3, your source may qualify for coverage under the

General Permit for Air Quality for New and Modified Minor Source Gasoline Dispensing Facilities in Indian Country

within California. If you believe, based upon your answers in this questionnaire, that your new or modified gas

station, or other GDF, qualifies for General Permit, please contact the reviewing authority to obtain a Request for

Coverage.

If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions, your source may not qualify for coverage under the General Permit.

Please contact the reviewing authority to confirm that your source will not qualify for coverage under this General

Permit and/or may need a source‐specific permit.