United States Environmental Protection Agency

General Permit for New or Modified Minor Source Air Pollution in 

Indian Country

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

Questionnaire for Requesting Coverage under the General Air Quality Permit for 

New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines in Indian Country

Last Modified: July 2, 2014

Version 1.0 

Do the General Permits apply to my facility?

This questionnaire is intended to help you, the facility owner or operator, determine whether you are eligible for a 

General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines. The U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency is making two engine permits available: one for non-emergency spark ignition internal combustion 

engines and one for non-emergency compression ignition engines. The permits are designed to be used with one type of 

non-emergency engine, either spark ignition OR compression ignition. This questionnaire only applies to sources with 

non-emergency spark ignition engines. If you have both compression ignition AND spark ignition non-emergency engines 

present at your facility, then you are not eligible for this permit and should consult your reviewing authority about 

seeking a site-specific permit. However, the permits can accommodate emergency engines of either type that may be 

present at your facility.

If you have a true minor source of engines with compression ignition non-emergency engines, please see the document 

Questionnaire: Compression Ignition Engines. If you have a true minor source of boilers and emergency engines you 

should consider the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Boilers (see the Questionnaire: 

Boilers).

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

Quality Permit for True Minor Source of Spark Ignition Engines. 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 Engines

Engines included in this source category are stationary internal combustion engines (ICE) – spark ignition and 

compression ignition – that convert heat energy into mechanical work and are not mobile. This source category does not 

include combustion turbines or nonroad engines (mobile ICE) such as forklifts, off-highway mobile cranes, bulldozers, 

and lawnmowers. Stationary ICE includes reciprocating ICE, rotary ICE, and other ICE, except combustion turbines as 

noted above. This category covers both non-emergency and emergency stationary ICE. 

 

About this Questionnaire

The questions focus on general information pertaining to your existing or future engines. The questionnaire is not 

meant to be exhaustive and only requires knowledge of basic facility information, including the maximum capacity of 

the units and the type of units being employed.

You should continue with this Questionnaire if you:

 Plan to construct, relocate or modify a true minor source of engines 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 engine need or qualify for a minor source 

permit?” section below; 

 Your new or modified true minor source of engines is not located in a serious carbon monoxide (CO) 

nonattainment area; 

 Your new or modified true minor source of engines only has non-emergency engines that are spark ignition 

engines (emergency engines may be either compression ignition or spark ignition); 
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 Your new or modified true minor source of engines has a combined maximum engine power of all nonemergency spark ignition engines that is no greater than 1750 horsepower (hp);

o Non-emergency engines less than 500 hp must meet emission requirements in 40 CFR 60 Subpart JJJJ

applicable to engines manufactured on or after January 1, 2011; and

o Non-emergency engines ≥ 500 hp must meet the emission requirements in 40 CFR 60 Subpart JJJJ 

applicable to engines manufactured on or after July 1, 2010;

 Your new or modified true minor source of engines has a combined maximum engine power from all emergency 

engines that is no greater than 800 hp;

 Have auxiliary heaters that only burn natural gas and have a combined maximum heat input of less than 10 

million British thermal units (MMBtu)/hour (hr); 

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

want to find out whether or not you should apply for a general air quality permit or a major source permit 

for an engine; and

 Intend to satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Historic Preservation 

Act (NHPA) according to the procedures attached to the Request for Coverage under the General Air Quality 

Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Compression Ignition Engines.

More Information

The definition of a “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 Minor 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. 

Information on any available voluntary consensus standards that can used as alternatives to the emissions measurement 

standards in the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines can be found 

in: “Voluntary Consensus Standard Results for General Permits and Permits by Rule for the Indian Country Minor New 

Source Review Program; 40 CFR Part 49, Subparts 156(c) and 162,” from Robin Segall, Acting Group Leader, 

Measurement Technology Group, to Laura McKelvey, Community and Tribal Programs Group, February 7, 2014, 

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

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 C to the General Air Quality Permit for New or 

Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines or by visiting: http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html.
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Questionnaire for Spark Ignition Engines

Part 1: Do my Engines Need a True Minor Source Permit?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your engine source needs a true minor source permit. 

1. Is the PTE of your facility less than 250 tons per year (tpy) for particulate matter (PM, PM10, or PM2.5), volatile 

organic compound (VOC), nitrogen oxides (NOX), CO, and sulfur dioxide (SO2)? The emissions from your facility 

may be calculated using the PTE calculator provided at http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html. Be sure 

to include all existing, new, and modified emission units. Do not include mobile engines or engines that remain in 

one location for less than 12 months.

Yes No 

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 the next question.

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

applicable minor NSR thresholds listed below for ANY of the seven pollutants listed in the table below? The 

emissions from your facility may be calculated using the PTE calculator provided at 

http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html. Be sure to include all new, modified, and existing emission units 

when determining PTE. Do not include mobile engines or engines that remain in one location for less than 12 

months.

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 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. 

3. Is your facility located in a serious CO nonattainment area?

Yes No 

If you answered ‘Yes,’ your source does not qualify for this general permit. Please contact your reviewing 

authority to apply for a site-specific permit. If you answered ‘No,’ continue on to the next question.
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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. Do not 

include mobile engines or engines that remain in one location for less than 12 months.

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 coverage under the general permit for engines. Please 

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

of the Questionnaire. 

Part 2: What types of facilities DO NOT Qualify for Coverage under the General Air Quality Permit 

for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines?

The following question is meant to determine whether or not your engines source would be disqualified from

coverage under the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines. Please 

only answer the questions that are applicable to your particular engines.

1. Do you intend to install non-emergency compression ignition engines (e.g. engines that burn diesel or biodiesel)

at your new or existing source?

Yes No Not Applicable

If you answered ‘No’ to this question, your facility may qualify for coverage under the General Air Quality Permit 

for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines, and should continue on to Part 3 of the 

Questionnaire.

If you answered ‘Yes’ to this question, your facility likely does not qualify for coverage under the General Air 

Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines and you should consider whether 

you quality for the General Air Quality Permit for Compression Ignition Engines. If you have both non-emergency 

spark ignition engines and non-emergency compression ignition engines, then you must obtain a site-specific 

permit.
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Part 3: Do My Engines Qualify for Coverage under the General Air Quality Permit for New or 

Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines?

The following questions are meant to determine whether or not your source of engines would qualify for coverage 

under the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines. 

1. After completion, will your new or modified source have a combined maximum engine power from all nonemergency SI engines that is no greater than 1750 hp and have a combined maximum engine power from all 

emergency engines that is no greater than 800 hp?

 Yes No 

2. After completion, will your newly installed non-emergency engines that are less than 500 hp be manufactured 

on or after January 1, 2011?

Yes No Not applicable

3. After completion, will your newly installed non-emergency engines greater than or equal to 500 hp be 

manufactured on or after July 1, 2010?

Yes No Not applicable

4. After completion, if applicable, will your new or modified source have auxiliary heaters that only burn natural gas 

and have a combined maximum heat input of less than 10 MMBtu/hr?

Yes No Not applicable 

5. Will the facility be located not less than 150 feet from the nearest property boundary and not less than 1,000 

feet from the nearest residence?

 Yes No

6. Do you intend to satisfy the ESA and NHPA requirements according to the procedures attached to the 

Request for Coverage under the General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark 

Ignition Engines?

Yes No

Conclusion

If you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘Not Applicable’ to each question in Part 3, your facility may qualify for coverage under the 

General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines. If you believe based upon 

your answers in this questionnaire that your new or modified engine qualifies for a General Air Quality Permit for 

New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines, 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 General Air 

Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Spark Ignition Engines. Please contact your reviewing 

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