Authority to Construct/ Permit to Operate Information	Instructions for Specific Equipment	Permits Issued
Application Directions Application Forms Accelerated Permits BACT/TBACT Workbook Permit Handbook Policy & Procedure Manual Pre-Certification	Agricultural Diesel Engines Engines/Standby Generators Portable Equipment     Miscellaneous Asbestos Notifications Rules & Regulations	Recent Permit Activity  Permits w/Public Notice Proposed Permits PSD Permit Issues Mailing List Title V Permits  Engineering Staff Ombudsman Technical Contacts

•  Authority to Construct/Permit to Operate

             Simplified Flowchart         Permit Handbook                  Policy & Procedure Manual

             Air Dispersion Modeling    BACT/TBACT Workbook        Proposed Permits w/Public Notice

•  Air Toxics

•  Emissions Banking

             Emission Reduction Credits (ERC)

             Interchangeable Emission Reduction Credits (IERC)

             Small Facilities Bank

•  Permit Renewal/Transfer of Ownership

•  Title V

             Title V Permits

The District's Engineering Division issues and annually renews air quality permits for equipment that emits air pollutants located at large and small facilities in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and the southern portions of Solano and Sonoma counties. Typical large businesses that need permits include bulk petroleum operations, refineries and power plants. Typical small businesses include dry cleaners, gasoline service stations, auto body shops, coating operations and printers.

An air quality permit is a document that states the requirements for equipment to comply with air pollution laws and regulations. Air quality permits, like city and county building permits, are required by state and federal law as a part of doing business in the San Francisco Bay Area. The District's rules and regulations cover both large and small businesses. New air quality permits are needed for:

• Any equipment that may cause air pollution
• Modifications of existing permitted equipment
• Existing permitted equipment at a facility with a new owner
• Permitted equipment that is transferred from one location to another
• Installation of abatement equipment used to control emissions

The permit system requires an engineering review of the equipment design and an inspection of the installed equipment to ensure compliance with District regulations. Two types of permits are required:

• An Authority to Construct, issued after District engineers review a proposed project and determine if it is capable of complying with air quality laws; and
• A Permit to Operate, issued after the project is built and compliance is demonstrated.

Both the Authority to Construct and the Permit to Operate are issued under the same permit application. By granting a permit, we indicate that equipment should be able to comply with all air quality rules and regulations.