United States Environmental Protection Agency

General Permit for New or Modified True Minor Sources of Air 

Pollution in Indian Country

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

Instructions for Requesting Coverage under the General Air Quality Permit 

for New or Modified True Minor Source Sawmill Facilities in Indian Country

Version 1.0

Last Modified: July 2, 2014

If you wish to apply for the ‘General Air Quality Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Sawmill

Facilities in Indian Country,’ please complete the form “Request for Coverage under the General Air Quality 

This General Air Quality Permit implements the requirements of the minor New Source Review (NSR) rule as 

described under 40 CFR part 49.

These instructions are intended to provide you with information that may be useful in completing the Request 

for Coverage form. In the form, please provide information on all existing, new and modified units.

Helpful Definitions from the Federal Indian Country Minor NSR Rule (40 CFR 49.152) –

This is not a comprehensive list.

 Modification means any physical or operational change at a source that would cause an increase in the 

allowable emissions of the affected emissions units for any regulated NSR pollutant or that would cause 

the emission of any regulated NSR pollutant not previously emitted. [40 CFR 49.152(d)]

The following exemptions apply: 

(1) A physical or operational change does not include routine maintenance, repair, or replacement. 

(2) An increase in the hours of operation or in the production rate is not considered an operational 

change unless such increase is prohibited under any federally-enforceable permit condition or 

other permit condition that is enforceable as a practical matter.

(3) A change in ownership at a source is not considered a modification.

 Potential to emit (PTE) means the maximum capacity of a source to emit a pollutant under its physical 

and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of the source to emit a 

pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on hours of operation or on the type 

or amount of material combusted, stored or processed, shall be treated as part of its design if the 

limitation or the effect it would have on emissions is enforceable as a practical matter. Secondary 

emissions, as defined at 40 CFR 52.21(b)(18) of this chapter, do not count in determining the PTE of a 

source.
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Information collected on applications includes the following:

Section 1: Contact Information

1. Business Name: Provide the complete company name. For corporations, include divisions or subsidiary 

name, if any.

2. Date: Provide the date you submit the completed application.

3. Site Address: Provide the actual address of where the source is operating or will operate and not the 

mailing address. Include the state and the zip code.

4. County: Provide the county in which the source is operating or will operate. 

5. Name of Operator or Contact at Site: Provide the name of the operator or contact at the site. 

6. Telephone Number of Operator or Contact at Site: Provide a telephone number where the operator or 

contact at the site can be reached during business hours.

7. Owner: List the full name of the owner of the business. 

8. Telephone Number of Owner: Provide a telephone number where the owner of the business can be 

reached during business hours.

9. Mailing Address of Owner: Provide the mailing address of the owner. Include the state and the zip code.

10. Correspondence Address: Provide the mailing address of the authorized contact person. Include the 

state and the zip code.

11. Authorized Contact Person: Provide the name, title, phone number, email address, and fax number of 

the authorized contact person. The authorized contact is the person authorized to receive requests for 

data and information.

Section 2: Facility Information for Requesting Coverage under the General Air Quality 

Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Sawmill Facilities

12. Description of Your Sawmill Facility: Is your facility a new facility or a modification to an existing facility? 

Is your facility stationary or portable? Are you re-locating an existing source? If this is a new request, 

describe the proposed new source. If this is a modification, describe the modification proposed. 

13. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)/Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code and 

Description: Provide the NAICS/SIC Code and/or a description for the facility (check all that apply):

 321113 NAICS Sawmills

 2421 SIC Sawmills and Planing Mills, General

 2426 SIC Hardwood Dimension and Flooring Mills

 2429 SIC Special Product Sawmills, Not Elsewhere Classified

 Other – please specify _____NAICS; _____SIC
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14. Ozone Attainment Status: Indicate if this facility is located in an ozone nonattainment area and specify 

the classification of the ozone nonattainment area. If part of a tribe’s area is designated as attainment,

unclassifiable, or attainment/unclassifiable and another part as nonattainment, the answer to this 

question should be based on the designation where the source would be located. If the source straddles 

the two areas, the more stringent classification applies. Information on the ozone attainment status of 

the area where your facility is located can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/. 

Please contact your reviewing authority if you have questions about an area’s attainment status.

15. Exemption from the Minor NSR Program: For a new facility, calculate the PTE of all proposed emission 

units and determine if the proposed construction is below the applicability thresholds in the Indian 

Country Minor NSR program (the thresholds listed in 40 CFR 49.153). For a modification to your existing 

facility, calculate the emissions increase from your new or modified emission units and determine if the 

proposed construction or modification is below the thresholds listed. For a new emissions unit, the 

emissions change is the PTE of the new unit. For a modified emissions units, the emissions change is the 

change in allowable emissions of the unit. 

You only need to consider the thresholds for nonattainment areas if your source is (or will be) located in 

an area designated nonattainment. If in a nonattainment area, then you only need to consider the 

nonattainment threshold for the pollutant(s) for which the area is designated nonattainment. 

If the PTE of your new facility or the emissions increase at your existing facility is below the applicable 

thresholds listed for ALL pollutants, the new or modified source is exempt from the minor NSR program. 

You do not need a permit for this source. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing a 

PTE calculator to assist with this task. The calculator is available online at:

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

16. Qualification for General Permit – Facility in Attainment, Unclassifiable, or Attainment/Unclassifiable

Area: If located in an attainment, unclassifiable, or attainment/unclassifiable area, calculate the PTE of 

your entire facility (include new, modified, and existing units) and determine if the facility is below the 

NSR major source threshold of 250 tons per year (tpy). If the PTE of the proposed facility is equal or 

above 250 tpy for ANY pollutant, this new or modified source does not qualify for this general permit. 

The EPA is providing a PTE calculator to assist with this task. The calculator is available online at:

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

17. Qualification for General Permit – Facility in Nonattainment Area: If located in a nonattainment area, 

calculate the PTE of your entire facility (include new, modified, and existing units) and determine if the 

facility is below the NSR major source thresholds listed. Note the NSR major source classification is 

pollutant specific. You only need to consider the nonattainment area thresholds for the particular 

pollutant for which your area is designated as nonattainment. If the PTE of the proposed facility is equal 

to or above the threshold for ANY pollutant for which the area is designated as nonattainment then this 

new or modified source does not qualify for this general permit. The EPA is providing a PTE calculator to 

assist with this task. The calculator is available online at: http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html.
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18. Qualification for General Permit – Hazardous Air Pollutants: Calculate the PTE of your entire facility 

(include new, modified, and existing units) and determine if the facility is below the major source 

thresholds for hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). If the PTE of the proposed facility is equal to or above 10 

tpy for a single HAP or 25 tpy for any combination of HAPs, then this new or modified source does not 

qualify for this general permit. The EPA is providing a PTE calculator to assist with this task. The 

calculator is available online at: http://www.epa.gov/air/tribal/tribalnsr.html.

19. Setback Requirement: The permit contains a setback requirement and this question seeks information 

to verify compliance with that requirement.

Section 3: Technical Information for Requesting Coverage under the General Air Quality 

Permit for New or Modified True Minor Source Sawmill Facilities

20. Fuel Combustion Units: List the unit identification number, unit description, maximum heat input 

capacity, fuel(s) used for each fuel combustion unit and installation date. 

21. Sawmill and Planar Mill Equipment: List the unit identification number, description, and the maximum 

material processed and control technology for each piece of equipment used within the sawmill and 

planar mill operations. This includes, but is not limited to, the debarker, head saw, chipper, and hedger.

22. Wood Drying Kilns: For each kiln, list the unit identification number, number of tracks (single, double, 

triple), annual production in thousand board-feet, the species of wood dried in each kiln, and the 

heating method of each kiln (boiler steam, electric steam, direct heating, etc.)

23. Material Handling Equipment: Provide information on the unit identification number, description, 

maximum material transferred, average moisture content and control technology.

24. Surface Coating Operations: Provide the unit identification number, description of each coating line, 

expected annual coating usage (gallons), expected maximum density of coatings (lbs/gallon), and the 

expected maximum volatile organic compound content of coating (in percent).

25. Emergency Internal Combustion Engines: Provide information on the identification number, unit 

description, maximum rated capacity, manufactured date, and type(s) of fuel used.

Section 4: Information on Compliance with Federal Statutes Necessary for Requesting 

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

Sawmill Facilities

26. Endangered Species Act: To request coverage under this permit, sources must demonstrate that they 

have satisfied the permitting requirements related to the Endangered Species Act. The EPA is providing 

procedures with the application to assist with this task.

27. National Historic Preservation Act: To request coverage under this permit, sources must demonstrate 

that they have satisfied the permitting requirements related to the National Historic Preservation Act. 

The EPA is providing procedures with the application to assist with this task.
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Section 5: Applicant’s Statement

Certify that the information supplied in the application is correct, then sign the document, print your name, and 

date the document in the spaces provided.