General Procedures for General Permits

1. "General Procedures for General Permits" are provisions that apply to all general permits. This document lists and describes administrative procedures such as setting Effective Dates, Expiration Dates and the Renewal Process. It also lists regulatory provisions and procedures that apply in whole or part to all General Permits. This document removes repetitive procedures and requirements from specific general permits and locates them in one consolidated document. It is therefore imperative that a General Permit Registrant reviews, understands and incorporates all applicable requirements and procedures relevant to the selected General Permit.
2. A General Permit is a pre-approved permit and certificate which applies to a specific class of significant sources. By issuing a general permit, the Department indicates that it approves the activities authorized by the general permit, provided the owner or operator of the source registers with the Department and meets the requirements of the general permit. If a source belongs to a class of sources which qualify for a general permit, and the owner or operator of the source registers for the general permit and complies with the procedures and requirements for general permits at N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.8, the registrant satisfies the requirements at N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.3 for a permit and certificate. The currently available general permits are listed in Section C.
3. By electing to register a source under a general permit, rather than applying for a permit and certificate under the usual procedures set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.11 (Standards for issuing a permit), the owner or operator of the source avoids the processing time inherent in a case-by-case permit review. The owner or operator may begin to construct and/or operate the source under the terms of the General Permit as soon as the "Effective Date of Registration" has been set. See Section E, "Effective Date of Registration" for a description of how the Registration Date can be set.

"Hazardous air pollutant" or "HAP" means an air contaminant listed in or pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7412(b). The current list is found in Section M, Hazardous Air Pollutants, of this publication. If there is any conflict between the list at 42 U.S.C. 7412(b) and the list set forth above, the list at 42 U.S.C. 7412(b) shall control.

"Volatile organic compound" or "VOC" means any compound of carbon (other than carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbonates, metallic carbides, and ammonium carbonate) which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions. For the purpose of determining compliance with emission limits or content standards, VOC shall be measured by test methods in the approved SIP (such as N.J.A.C. 7:27B-3) or 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as applicable, or which have been approved in writing by the Department and are acceptable to EPA. This term excludes those compounds which EPA has excluded from its definition of VOC in the list set forth at 40 CFR 51.100(s)(1), which is incorporated by reference herein, together with all amendments and supplements. As of April 9, 1998, the compounds and classes of perfluorocarbons excluded from EPA’s definition of VOC at 40 CFR 51.100(s) are set forth below:

methane

ethane

methylene chloride (dichloromethane)

1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)

1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113)

trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11)

dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12)

chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)

trifluoromethane (HFC-23)

1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (CFC-114)

chloropentafluoroethane (CFC-115)

2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluororethane (HCFC-123)

1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a)

1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-141b)

1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane (HCFC-142b)

2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HCFC-124)

pentafluoroethane (HFC-125)

1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134)

1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a)

1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a)

parachlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF)

cyclic, branched, or linear completely methylated siloxanes

acetone

perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene)

3,3-dichloro-1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HCFC-225ca)

1,3-dichloro-1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HCFC-225cb)

1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-decafluoropentane (HFC 43-10mee)

difluoromethane (HFC-32)

ethylfluoride (HFC-161)

1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236fa)

1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245ca)

1,1,2,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245ea)

1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245eb)

1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245fa)

1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236ea)

1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane (HFC-365mfc)

chlorofluoromethane (HCFC-31)

1-chloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-151a)

1,2-dichloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123a)

1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxy-butane (C₄F₉OCH₃)

2-(difluoromethoxymethyl)-1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane ((CF₃)₂CFCF₂OCH₃)

1-ethoxy-1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane (C₄F₉OC₂H₅)

2-(ethoxydifluoromethyl)-1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane ((CF₃)₂CFCF₂OC₂H₅)

methyl acetate

perfluorocarbon compounds which fall into these classes:

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated ethers with no unsaturations

cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated tertiary amines with no unsaturations

sulfur containing perfluorocarbons with no unsaturations and with sulfur bonds only to carbon and fluorine

If there is any conflict between the list at 40 CFR 51.100(s)(1) and the list set forth above, the list at 40 CFR 51.100(s)(1) shall control.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of bulk solid materials receiving and storage systems using pneumatic or mechanical conveying where all particulate air contaminant emissions are captured and vented to a particulate control apparatus with a design removal efficiency of at least 99 %.

This General Permit includes all equipment in the process line beginning with discharge from raw material storage and ending at the point of product storage or the start of another process. All lines of equipment for processing bulk solid material that are physically connected for flow through one or more pieces of equipment are considered a single permit unit and may use one Registration Form.

GP-002 Confined Abrasive Blasting Equipment (available: 06/12/1998)

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more pieces of confined (enclosed) abrasive blasting equipment, located at the same facility, where all air contaminant emissions from the equipment are captured and vented to a particulate control apparatus with a design removal efficiency of at least 99 %.

Registration under this General Permit is for confined abrasive blasting equipment connected to single or multiple control devices venting to one or more common stacks.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more pieces of woodworking equipment, located at the same facility, where all air contaminant emissions from the equipment are captured and vented to a particulate control apparatus with a design removal efficiency of at least 99 %.

Registration under this General Permit is for woodworking equipment connected to single or multiple control devices venting to one or more common stacks.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more pieces of equipment used for storing and dispensing service station fuels at a single gasoline dispensing facility.

The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be 1.8 tons of VOC per year based on a maximum annual throughput of six million gallons of gasoline per year. The single gasoline dispensing facility must have:

1. Stage 1 vapor recovery equipment, complying with NJAC 7:27-16.3, which controls emissions during gasoline transfer from transport trucks into facility storage tanks; and
2. Stage 2 vapor recovery equipment, complying with NJAC 7:27-16.3, which controls emissions from vehicle fueling operations by capturing vapors at the vehicle fill pipe and returning them to the facility storage tanks returning them to the facility storage tanks. gasoline dispensing equipment at the facility.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation at no more than 500 hours per year of a single emergency generator, with a maximum gross heat input rate of 15 million BTU per hour (MMBTU/hr) for generators combusting Number 2 Fuel Oil, Diesel or Kerosene, or 40 MMBTU/hr for generators combusting Natural Gas or Propane.

The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be established based on the General Permit Number selected on the Registration Form.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of a single boiler with a maximum rated capacity (gross heat input) of less than 10 million BTUs per hour, combusting Natural Gas, Propane, Number 2 Fuel Oil, Diesel, Kerosene, or a combination of these fuels and no other fuels.

The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be established based on the General Permit Number selected on the Registration Form.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction and operation of single or multiple external combustion units [boilers and heaters, or any combination thereof, firing natural gas, propane, kerosene, diesel oil or No. 2 fuel oil exclusively] that meet the requirements outlined in Section III, Applicability, of the General Permit.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of single or multiple stationary non-floating roof storage tank(s) which are used for storing VOCs or a mixture of VOCs. All tanks within a single tank capacity category whose contents are below the corresponding maximum vapor pressure limits, may be covered by a single General Permit. The Permittee then selects the General Permit Number within that category corresponding to the maximum annual throughput limit for the tank, or in the case of multiple tanks, the sum of throughputs for all tanks in the group, as required by the Permittee’s operations. The tank size/vapor pressure categories are as follows:

1. Tank(s) with a maximum capacity of 20,000 gallons or less, the vapor pressure of the VOCs being stored shall be less than 11.1 psia (pounds per square inch absolute) at 70 degrees Fahrenheit;
2. Tank(s) with a maximum capacity greater than 20,000 gallons, but less than or equal to 40,000 gallons, the vapor pressure of the VOCs being stored shall be less than 4.0 psia at 70 degrees Fahrenheit;
3. Tank(s) has a maximum capacity of greater than 40,000 gallons, but less than or equal to 300,000 gallons, the vapor pressure of the VOCs being stored shall be less than 0.75 psia at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The potential-to-emit (PTE), maximum annual throughput limit for the tank(s) covered under this General Permit, and corresponding compliance plan requirements are established based on the General Permit Number selected by the Permittee on the Registration Form.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more of the following types of remediation systems at the specified location:

1. Soil Vapor Extraction without Air Sparging;
2. Air Sparging with simultaneous Soil Vapor Extraction;
3. Groundwater Air Stripping.

This General Permit will allow the remediation of subsurface gasoline contamination at:

1. vehicle fueling stations, including current or former retail gasoline stations,
2. vehicle fueling activities located at municipal, county and state garages, fire and police departments,
3. similar vehicle fueling activities located at commercial and industrial sites, and
4. an adjacent property, provided the remediation activities are related to and conducted concurrent with remediation activities at an approved site.

The control apparatus that may be used under this General Permit to reduce air emissions of offgases during site remediation activities are limited to a:

1. Thermal Oxidizer
2. Catalytic oxidizer, or
3. Carbon adsorption system consisting of a minimum of two carbon beds in series.

This General Permit allows the replacement of one type of remediation system and/or control apparatus with another system throughout the duration of the project as long as the equipment complies with the applicable requirement of this General Permit. This General Permit can also be used to conduct a pilot test at vehicle fueling station sites in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27-8.9 provided an approved control apparatus is used.

The site remediation activities covered under this General Permit are solely for contamination due to gasoline discharges. It does not include site remediation activities being conducted at bulk fuel terminals, petroleum refineries, or chemical manufacturing sites.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction and operation of a single or multiple boilers or other indirect fired external combustion equipment firing natural gas, propane, kerosene, diesel oil or No. 2 fuel oil exclusively or firing natural gas or propane with limited back-up of kerosene, diesel oil, or No. 2 fuel oil. Any equipment permitted by this General Permit must meet the applicability requirements outlined below:

1. Equipment included in this permit must be either a boiler or indirect fired external combustion equipment.
2. The equipment must combust only the following fuels: natural gas, propane, kerosene, diesel oil or No. 2 fuel oil.
3. The individual equipment must have a maximum heat input capacity of greater than or equal to 10 million BTU per hour but less than 50 Million BTU per hour.
4. Each piece of equipment covered by this permit shall be equipped with a Low NOx burner(s) or a Low NOx burner(s) with Flue Gas Recirculation that meets the Equipment/Control Specifications in Section V of the General Permit.
5. Each piece of equipment covered by this permit shall vent to a stack with a height of no less than thirty (30) feet above ground level.
6. Each facility may possess only one GP-009 at any time. A facility wishing to change this General Permit by adding new equipment or modifying existing equipment must follow the procedure listed in Applicability, Section III of the General Permit.
7. The liquid fuel combusted in any equipment covered by this General Permit is required to have a maximum Sulfur content of 0.05 % (500 parts per million).

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more or any combination of non-HAP VOC solvent degreasers of the following types:

1. Cold cleaning machines that use a VOC solvent with a vapor pressure of < 0.02 psia (1mm Hg)
2. Heated cleaning machines that use a VOC solvent with a vapor pressure of <0.02 psia (1mm Hg)
3. Batch vapor cleaning machines; or
4. In-line (conveyorized) vapor cleaning machines.

Typical non-HAP VOC solvents used in these operations include, but are not limited to: Stoddard Solvent, N-Propyl Bromide, and Mineral Spirits. The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be established by the permittee after reviewing the options in Section VI of the General Permit and recording the selected option on the Registration Form.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification, and operation of one or any combination of solvent degreasers using only Methylene Chloride or 1,1,1-Trichloroethane of the following types:

1. Batch vapor cleaning machine(s); or
2. In-line vapor cleaning machine(s);

The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be established by the permittee after reviewing the options in Section VI of the General Permit and recording the selected option on the Registration Form

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more of the following types of equipment located at a dry cleaning facility that uses 150 gallons or less of perchloroethylene (PERC) per 12 - month period:

1. Dry-to-Dry Machines that are equipped with a refrigerated condenser as the primary control and also equipped with a carbon adsorber on the cylinder outlet designed to reduce the PERC concentration below 300 ppm.

2. Non-HAP VOC Dry-to-Dry Machines where the facility uses less than 1000 gallons of Non-HAP VOC solvent per 12-month period.

3. One or more boilers or heaters which meet the definition of a significant source, with a combined maximum heat input of less than or equal to 3 million Btu/hour burning natural gas, propane, No. 2 fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, or any combination of these fuels.

This general permit includes all equipment typically used by a PERC Dry Cleaning Facility.

An owner or operator should check to see if air pollution control permits are needed prior to the installation and operation of any equipment not described in this permit.

Each facility may possess only one GP-012 at any time. A facility wishing to change this General Permit by adding new equipment or modifying existing equipment must follow the procedure listed in Applicability, Section III of the General Permit.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more of the following types of equipment located at a dry cleaning facility:

1. Non-HAP VOC Dry-to-Dry Machines where the facility uses less than 1000 gallons of Non-HAP VOC solvent per 12-month period.
2. Dry Cleaning Machines that use Carbon Dioxide.

An owner or operator should check to see if air pollution control permits are needed prior to the installation and operation of any equipment not described in this permit.

Each facility may possess only one GP-013 at any time. A facility wishing to change this General Permit by adding new equipment or modifying existing equipment must follow the procedure listed in Applicability, Section III of the General Permit.

This General Permit allows for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and operation of one or more pieces of equipment used for storing and transferring gasoline at gasoline dispensing facilities requiring only stage one vapor controls.

The potential-to-emit (PTE) for the equipment covered under this General Permit shall be 0.74 tons of VOC per year based on a maximum annual throughput of 120,000 gallons of gasoline per 12-month period.

1. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:27-8, any person who wishes to construct, install, reconstruct, modify and operate equipment under the authority of the General Permit may register for the General Permit, if the piece of equipment meets the APPLICABILITY requirements listed in the General Permit.
2. General Permits may only be used for equipment located at facilities without an approved Title V Operating Permit unless otherwise noted in the specific General Permit. Facilities that will be getting a Title V Operating Permit in the future or those that are in the process of getting a Title V Operating Permit currently, may use General Permits until they obtain an approved Title V Operating Permit. A Permittee with equipment located at facilities with an approved Title V Operating Permit shall consult N.J.A.C. 7:27-22 for applicability.
3. General Permits may not be used in cases where, during the last five-year period, annual emissions of any air contaminant from the facility where the piece of equipment is, or will be located, have increased by such amounts (including emissions from the piece of equipment considered for registration) that would trigger other regulatory requirements such as those at 40 CFR 52 (PSD) or N.J.A.C. 7:27-18 (Emission Offsets).
4. Some General Permit Registrations will be for multiple pieces of equipment, others will be for a single piece of equipment. The instructions to the Registration Form for the specific General Permit will specify when more than one piece of equipment can be included in a single General Permit.

The Authority to act under a General Permit begins on the Effective Date of Registration. The Effective Date of Registration can be established in three ways. They are:

1. The permittee shall either hand carry or mail the Registration Form to the Department. The Department will mail to the permittee a dated, written acknowledgment receipt of the Registration Form, which establishes the Effective Date of Registration.
2. The permittee can mail the Registration Form certified. Then the certified mail receipt establishes the Effective Date of Registration.
3. The Registrant may also file electronically by using the world wide web at: www.state.nj.us/dep/online. The effective Date of Registration when filing electronically is established on the date the Registration is completed successfully on line.

The authority to act under this General Permit shall be effective for a period of five years from the Effective Date of Registration. Any General Permit in effect, at the time a facility receives a Title V Operating Permit, will be incorporated into that Operating Permit.

Six months prior to expiration of the operational authority under this General Permit, a renewal notice will be sent from the Department to the Permittee. For the operational authority to remain in effect, the Permittee must complete and return the renewal Registration form, with the appropriate fees, to the Department. For those facilities that receive a Title V Operating Permit, there is no need to renew the General Permit. The General Permit will be incorporated into the approved Operating Permit. The Permittee may apply for the registration renewal and pay the registration fee on the world wide web at: www.state.nj.us/dep/online.

Permit Revisions

Equipment: A General Permit is for the construction, installation, reconstruction, modification and/or operation of a piece or pieces of equipment eligible for a General Permit. When the General Permit offers more than one general permit selection (permitting option), as in the case of boilers and emergency generators (see Section D of the Registration Form), changes in the option chosen on the Registration Form require the submittal of a new Registration Form and the appropriate Registration Fee.

Permit Amendments

Facility: For changes to Section A of the Registration Form (except for facility location), the General Permit must be amended pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:27-8, with the appropriate fee and amendment form, within 120 days after the change.

1. Registration Form: Any person proposing to act under the authority of a General Permit shall register with the Department using the appropriate Registration Form (R-GP-...). All sections of that form must be completed (except when the instructions say otherwise), and the form must be signed by the individual with direct knowledge and the responsible official. The Registration Form can be either hand-delivered or sent to the Department through regular or certified mail. The Registrant may also file electronically by using the world wide web at: www.state.nj.us/dep/online.
2. Registration Fee (check, payable to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey"): For the convenience of the Registrant, the fee amount for the Registration under a General Permit is provided on the Registration Form, whenever appropriate. A General Permit Registration Form shall not be deemed complete, and no activity shall be authorized by the General Permit, unless the Registration Fee is submitted with the completed General Permit Registration Form. When filing electronically, the Registrant shall submit the fee on-line via credit card, e-check, or any other acceptable payment form listed on the web site.
3. A completed Registration Form (R-GP-...) and Registration Fee shall be sent to the Department at:

1. Permits and certificates issued under N.J.A.C. 7:27-8 are based on emissions of air contaminants only and do not in any way relieve the Permittee from the obligation to obtain necessary permits from other governmental agencies.
2. The Department issues the General Permit on the basis of the equipment descriptions and operating procedures presented in the Registration. If the final design and operation of the equipment differ from those presented, the General Permit becomes invalid. 
3. The General Permit approval shall not be construed as superseding the terms and conditions of any Administrative Order or any Administrative Consent Order issued by the Department to the Permittee.
4. The General Permit is not transferable from the facility authorized in the Registration to another facility, or from any one piece of equipment or control apparatus to another.
5. It is recommended that the Permittee contact the Regional Enforcement Office for guidance and corrective action as soon as the Permittee anticipates exceedance of any permit specified limits including, but not limited to hours of operation, fuel usage, or types and amounts of materials processed. (see Section L for a listing of the regional offices addresses and phone numbers).
6. Monitoring requirements (e.g. fuel limits or hours of operation) shall be based on calendar years unless otherwise stated in the Compliance Plan in each General Permit.
7. These General Procedures and the General Permit Registration Forms may be revised without prior notice. However, General Permits will only be changed after public notice and comment. For any questions regarding general permits contact the Bureau of Preconstruction Permits at (609) 633-2829.

Facilities are required to submit annual emission statements of their actual emissions if the Potential-to-emit for the entire facility exceeds the following thresholds (including all emissions from the facility, both permitted and unpermitted).

Actions required to be performed by the permittee:
Any Facility is required to submit an annual emission statement if it emits air contaminants in excess of any of the above amounts. Additional Information about Emission Statement reports can be obtained by calling (609) 984-5483.

Facilities are required to submit a Title V Operating Permit, within one year, if the potential-to-emit for the entire facility exceeds any of the following thresholds (including all emissions from the facility, both permitted and unpermitted). Additional Information about Operating Permits can be obtained by calling the Operating Permit Hotline at (609) 633-8248.

Listed below are the Department’s Regional Offices.

The following is a list of HAPs. This list is provided as a convenience to General Permit Registrants, who may need to identify whether compounds used in processes for a proposed General Permit are HAPs or not.