Air permitting requirements are established in the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) for the protection of public health and the environment. The CAA does not allow an owner/operator to construct or modify a stationary source if the construction or modification would cause or contribute to a violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Air permits are legal documents that identify the potential sources of air pollution emissions at a given facility and specify all applicable state and federal air pollution regulations and requirements for protecting human health and the environment. In most areas of the U.S., states are responsible for issuing air permits. IDEM's Office of Air Quality (OAQ) is Indiana’s CAA permitting authority.
The owner/operator of a permitted source must construct and operate the source in such a manner to assure compliance with the air permit requirements. Businesses and industrial operations help Indiana meet federal air health standards by working with IDEM to obtain any required air permits. The public can participate in the air permitting process.