Our county recently attained the federal ozone standard and is requesting reclassification as an ozone attainment area. Reclassification would result in increased Part 70 threshold levels, and fewer county sources would be required to obtain the federal permits. Companies are able to make equipment or process changes that allow them to avoid the federal Part 70 permitting process. During the review and comment period of the permitting process, the public has direct input on the permit. The APCD holds public hearings, if requested, and responds to written public comments.
Some comments result in changes to the final permit.
After the Part 70 permit is issued, if citizens are concerned that the source is not complying with that permit, their first option is to call on the APCD to enforce the permit. If they re still not satisfied, then they can call the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the permit. Incorporating local permitting procedures and requirements with the federal program will reduce redundancy. Companies will be allowed to go through a combined process on a single schedule rather than have to be on two different schedules, with permit renewals coming up at different times. 70 Permits Sources are divided into facilities, and permits are issued on a facility level.