Topic - Air Management
Existing Business
Exemptions Based on Categories of Units Installed

The first step to deciding whether you are exempt is to determine if your operations fit into specific categories. Does your existing business include processes from any of the four main categories listed below (Combustion, VOCs, Material Handling, or Miscellaneous Processes)?

From the list below, identify your Process(es) or Source(s) (topics listed with clickable, drop-down definitions). If you experience problems with the drop-down definitions, you can view/print out Categories of Exempt Sources [PDF 29KB]. If you have any processes from these categories, you'll answer "Yes" at the bottom of this page to continue working through the Primer.

If your operations do not include anything in these four categories, you'll answer "No" at the bottom of this page to proceed on to the second exemption approach.

Topics with Clickable, Drop-down Definitions

1) Combustion

• External Combustion Furnaces
• Indirect Malt Dryers
• Emergency Electric Generators Powered by Internal Combustion Engines
• Equipment that Temporarily Increases Steam Electric Generation Capability

2) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Other Organic Emissions

Use adhesives, coatings, paints, inks, other solvents or solvent containing materials

• Automobile Refinishing Operations
• Painting or Coating Operations
• Graphic Arts Operation
• Storage Tanks - Organic Compounds
• Storage Tanks - Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Bulk Gasoline Plants
• Cold Cleaning Equipment
• Batch Cold Cleaning Equipment
• Open Top Vapor Degreasing Equipment
• Batch Open Top Vapor Degreasing Equipment
• Conveyorized Non-vapor Degreasing and Conveyorized Vapor Degreasing Equipment
• Perchloroethylene Dry Cleaning Area Sources
• Private Alcohol Fuel Production Systems
• Soil or Water Remediation
• Other Processes that Emit Organic Vapors

3) Material Handling

• Incinerators
• Grain Dryers
• Grain Storage Facilities
• Grain Processing Facilities
• Portland Concrete Batch Plants
• Ledge Rock Quarries
• Industrial Sand Mines
• Fixed Sand and Gravel Plants
• Portable Sand and Gravel Plants
• Replacement of Equipment at a Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Facility

4) Miscellaneous Processes

• Chromium Electroplating and Anodizing Operations
• Crematories
• Gasoline Dispensing Facilities
• Indirect Sources - Existing Sources, Road and Highway Projects, Parking
• Laboratories Emitting Air Pollutants
• Paper Sorting or Transporting Equipment
• Municipal Drinking Water Chlorination Facilities
• Research and Testing Equipment
• Renovation or Demolition Operations Involving Friable Asbestos

If you have anything not included under the specific categories above, bypass the "Yes/No" question below and click on the "Other Process" button instead.

• Other Processes that Emit Aerosols, Mists, Fumes
• Other Processes that Emit Dusts
• Other Processes that Emit Acid Gases

Having trouble with drop-down menus? You can use the PDF file on Categories of Exempt Sources [PDF 29KB].

Does the new or expanding portion of your business include any of the processes from the four main categories listed above (Combustion, VOCs, Material Handling, or Miscellaneous Processes)?