NEBRASKA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Title 129 – Department of Environmental Quality

Chapter 20 – PARTICULATE EMISSIONS; LIMITATIONS AND STANDARDS 

20-1

For exceptions due to breakdowns or scheduled maintenance: see Chapter 35 –

COMPLIANCE; EXCEPTIONS DUE TO STARTUP, SHUTDOWN, OR MALFUNCTION

001 No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the emission of particulates from 

any processing machine, equipment, device or other articles, or combination thereof, 

except indirect heating equipment and incinerators, in excess of the amounts allowed in 

Table 20-2 during any one hour.

002 No person shall cause or allow particulate matter caused by the combustion of 

fuel to be emitted from any stack or chimney into the outdoor atmosphere in excess of 

the hourly rate set forth in Table 20-1: 

Table 20-1

Total Heat Input in Million

British Thermal Units Per Hour

(MMBtu/Hr)

Maximum Allowable Emissions of

Particulate Matter in Pounds per

Million British Thermal Units

(lb/MMBtu)

10 or less 0.60

Between 10 and 10,000

1.026

I

0.2 33

I = The total heat input in MMBtu/Hr

10,000 or more 0.12
Title 129

Chapter 20

20-2

003 For the purpose of these regulations, the total heat input shall be the aggregate 

heat content of all fuels whose products of combustion pass through a stack or 

chimney, or the equipment manufacturer's or designer's guaranteed maximum input, 

whichever is greater. The total heat input of all fuel burning units at a plant or on a 

premises shall be used for determining the maximum allowable amount of particulate 

matter which may be emitted.

004 No person shall cause or allow emissions, from any source, which are of an 

opacity equal to or greater than twenty percent (20%), as evaluated by an EPAapproved method, or recorded by a continuous opacity monitoring system operated and 

maintained pursuant to 40 CFR Part 60 Appendix B except as provided for in section 

005 of this chapter.

005 Exceptions: 

005.01 No person shall cause or allow emissions from any existing teepee waste 

wood burner which are of an opacity equal to or greater than forty percent (40%). 

005.02 No person shall cause or allow emissions from any existing alfalfa 

dehydration plant dryer which are of an opacity equal to or greater than thirty 

percent (30%). 

005.03 Emission sources subject to monitoring requirements of Chapter 34, 005

of this Title are allowed to have one six minute period per hour of not more than 27 

percent opacity.

005.04 Furnaces owned and operated by a law enforcement agency to dispose 

of ammunition, fireworks or similar flammable or explosive materials are exempt 

from the provisions of this Chapter solely while being used for this purpose. 

006 All sources shall comply with section 004 of this Chapter unless an opacity 

standard applies as specified elsewhere in this Title.
Title 129

Chapter 20

20-3

Table 20-2

Process Weight 

Rate

Rate of 

Emissions

Process Weight

Rate

Rate of 

Emissions

Lb/Hr Tons/Hr Lb/Hr Lb/Hr Tons/Hr Lb/Hr

100 0.05 0.551 16,000 8.000 16.5

200 0.10 0.877 18,000 9.00 17.9

400 0.20 1.40 20,000 10. 19.2

600 0.30 1.83 30,000 15. 25.2

800 0.40 2.22 40,000 20. 30.5

1,000 0.50 2.58 50,000 25. 35.4

1,500 0.75 3.38 60,000 30. 40.0

2,000 1.00 4.10 70,000 35. 41.3

2,500 1.25 4.76 80,000 40. 42.5

3,000 1.50 5.38 90,000 45. 43.6

3,500 1.75 5.96 100,000 50. 44.6

4,000 2.00 6.52 120,000 60. 46.3

5,000 2.50 7.58 140,000 70. 47.8

6,000 3.00 8.56 160,000 80. 49.0

7,000 3.50 9.49 200,000 100. 51.2

8,000 4.00 10.4 1,000,000 500. 69.0

9,000 4.50 11.2 2,000,000 1,000. 77.6

10,000 5.00 12.0 6,000,000 3,000. 92.7

12,000 6.00 13.6

007 Interpolation of the data in this table for process weight rates up to 60,000 Lb/Hr 

shall be accomplished by use of the equation E = 4.10 p.67 and interpolation and 

extrapolation of the data for process weight rates in excess of 60,000 Lb/Hr shall be 

accomplished by use of the equation E = 55.0 p.11-40, where E = rate of emission in 

Lb/Hr and P = process weight rate in Tons/Hr. If two or more units discharge into a 

single stack, the allowable emission rate will be determined by the sum of all process 

weights discharging into the single stack. 

008 Section 001 and Section 002 of this Chapter shall apply unless a more stringent 

particulate matter standard is specified in the underlying requirements of an applicable 

federal rule or is specified within a construction permit issued pursuant to this Title.

Enabling Legislation: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§81-1504(1)(2); 81-1505(12)

Legal Citation: Title 129, Ch. 20, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality