All businesses, no matter how small or large, need to be aware of environmental permitting requirements. Many different situations may require a business to secure an environmental permit. Even if a permit is not required for your business to release certain emissions, you are still required to comply with emission standards and may be required to report the levels of emissions. And although a permit may not be required, there can be severe penalties for not complying with other requirements. There are many different kinds of permits, particularly if state and local permits are taken into consideration.
Many federal regulations require permits.
This act was created to protect all U.S. surface waters for designated consumption, recreational, ecological and commercial uses. The CWA requires on-site controls and precautions for preventing spills and leaks of oil and other contaminants from reaching streams or rivers. The federal government sets ambient as well as emission standards, and states establish regulations to restrict emissions and grant permits to companies which meet the regulations. SARA was created to increase the public's access to information about hazardous chemicals and to require businesses which use hazardous chemicals to devise plans for responding quickly in the case of an accident. TSCA requires that the EPA be notified of any new chemical prior to its release to the marketplace, and gives EPA the authority to regulate production of materials considered hazardous.