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  2. New Source Review (NSR) Permitting

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Increments

Date Title EPA Office Author Issued Addressed
05/13/1983 PSD Increment Consumption Guidance (pdf) (14.17 KB) Region 4 Wilburn, James Regards the amount of degredation of air quality due to an emissions trade at a source for comparison with significance levels as applicable to determining PSD increment consumptions.
12/22/1976 Tall Stack Policy and its Relationship With PSD (pdf) (15.15 KB) OAWM

Strelow, Roger

Discusses tall stack policy and its relationship with Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD). 
05/03/1985

PSD Increment Consumption Calculations (pdf) (19.31 KB)

OAQPS McCutchen, Gary Whether a change in the North Carolina State implementation plan consumes increment. 
05/20/1992 TSP Redesignation Requests (pdf) (24.62 KB) OAQPS Paisie, Joseph Provides guidance on the technical review and processing of request to redesignate existing total suspended particulate (TSP) nonattainment areas to attainment. 
03/05/1980 General Applicability of the Existing PSD Regulations, Promulgated June 19,1978, and the Amendments Proposed September 5, 1979 (pdf) (34.52 KB) OE Wilson, Richard Response to the following questions related to PSD increment consumption: (1) whether the PSD baseline has been “triggered” in the air shed in which the facility is located; (2) to what extent SO2 emissions from burning coal at the units count towards consumption of PSD increments; and (3) the regulatory framework for assessing the extent of PSD increment consumption. 
08/24/1989 Guidance on Implementing the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) PSD Increments (pdf) (50.1 KB) OAQPS Calcagni, John Response to request for guidance on meeting requirements of the NO2 PSD increments regulation. 
09/29/1978 Applicability of PSD to Carter Oil Company Pilot Plant (pdf) (13.55 KB) CPDD Tyler, Darryl Whether modifications which were individually less than 100 tons/year potential and which were made to a major source between January 6, 1975, and August 7, 1977 would cumulatively count against PSD increment. 
03/13/1980 La EPA publica una norma final para reducir el metano y otros agentes contaminantes de las operaciones de petróleo y gas natural (pdf) (173.34 KB) OAQPS Beal, Bill Answers the following question: If a source burning 2.1 percent sulfur fuel in 1977 now switches to 3.5 percent sulfur fuel (the legal emission rate under the SIP), will the increase in SO2 emissions consume increment to be included in the baseline? The source was constructed prior to 1975. 
01/20/1984 PSD Increment Consumption Calculations (pdf) (19.3 KB) OAQPS O'Conner, John Whether the spatial and temporal calculation of PSD increment consumption is the appropriate methodology to be used in the ambient analysis for the Alumax PSD permit. 
01/11/1984 Storage Tank Finished Water Checklist Rooftop Components Fillable (pdf) (211.14 KB) OAR Cannon, Joseph Whether PSD increments apply to rooftops. 
02/15/1989 Guidance on Early Delegation of Authority for the NO2 Increments Program (pdf) (16.37 KB) OAQPS Emison, Gerald Guidance on the procedures to be followed in advancing the effective date of 40 CFR Part 52 for the NO2 prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) increments to enable States seeking delegation of authority to implement the NO2 increments prior to November 17, 1990. 
12/11/1978 Issuance of PSD Permit to Sources Impacting Dirty and Clean Air Areas (pdf) (22.11 KB) SSCD Reich, Edward Response to memo requesting a determination as to whether consumption of the applicable PSD increment results from the increased utilization of existing boiler capacity at an expanded kraft pulp mill. 
02/22/1992 PSD Applicability Determination for AEG Bovoni Power's Waste-to-Energy Project (pdf) (353.78 KB) OAQPS Noble, Eric Report estimating NOx emissions from mobile and area sources for PSD nitrogen dioxides increment analyses. 
  Colorado's Proposed Short Term Limits Policy (pdf) (65 KB) Region 8 Long, Richard Regards Colorado’s proposed policy for short-term limits. 
11/24/1986 Need for Short-Term BACT Analysis for the Proposed William A. Zimmer Power Plant (pdf) (26.36 KB) OAQPS Emison, Gerald Whether PSD permits must contain short-term emission limits to ensure protection of the applicable national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and PSD increments. 
11/29/1978 National Asphalt Pavement Association Questions and Answers on PSD (pdf) (25.93 KB) CPDD Tyler, Darryl Respond to several PSD issues, including (1) must asphalt hot-mix plants meeting the requirements of SIP, NSPS, and not impacting on a Class I area or an area where a known violation of an applicable increment exists, undergo a full PSD review? (2) What is considered to be a "safe distance" from a Class I area? (3) Do the 50-ton source requirements apply to nonattainment areas, as well as to attainment areas, and does the offset requirement apply to such a source? (4) Is the application of LAER or BACT required under any circumstances and in any designated area? (5) What is the definition of a known violation of an applicable increment? And (6) How are the emissions for a hot-mix asphalt plant calculated? 
02/09/1981 Petitions for Review of PSD Regulations (pdf) (43.12 KB) OAQPS Trutna, Michael Provides response to question relating to whether a fuel switch is a major modification under Section 52.21(b)(2)(iii) and under what conditions a decrease in actual emissions that occurs as a result of a reduction in capacity affect increment consumption. 
  PSD Determination - Baseline (pdf) (47.16 KB) SSCD Reich, Edward Response to request for determination as to whether Colorado-Ute Craig Units should be included in the PSD baseline or if they should be considered increment consuming sources. 
04/29/1980 PSD Analysis for SIP Relaxation in Metropolitan Boston Air Pollution Control District - Eastman Gelatin (pdf) (17.55 KB) SSCD Reich, Edward Whether a SIP relaxation allowing Eastman Gelatin to burn 2.2% sulfur fuel oil would consume PSD increment. 
10/08/1981 PSD Equivalency of Proposed Model Rule for California (pdf) (14.15 KB) OAQPS Barber, Walter Guidance on criteria to be used in reviewing State PSD plans. Specifically, this memo focuses on the general approvability of California’s proposed offset-based rule as an equivalent system to protect air quality. Discusses provision for tracking increment consumption and ambient monitoring. 
05/20/2014 Guidance for PM2.5 Permit Modeling (pdf) (2.62 MB, EPA-454/B-14-001) OAQPS Page, Stephen Provides guidance on demonstrating compliance with the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) increments, especially with regard to considerations of secondarily formed component PM2.5. 
12/10/2001 Response to September 7, 2001 Letter on PSD (pdf) (50.25 KB) OAQPS Seitz, John Regards the modeling method used to track increment and the use of continuous emissions monitor (CEM) data to replace calculated emissions values based on permit limits. This memorandum also addresses how the Federal Land Manager (FLM) certifications and variance procedures in the Clean Air Act (CAA) affect increment. 
09/21/1987 Ambient Air Definition (pdf) (12.33 KB) OAQPS Helms, G. Tom Provides clarification on EPA policy on PSD increment consumption on rooftops. 
11/19/1992 Interim Guidance on New Source Review (NSR) Questions Raised in Letters Dated September 9 and 24, 1992. (pdf) (51.47 KB) Region 6 Meiburg, Stanley Addresses multiple questions related to the nonattainment NSR program including the following: (1) Does any increase in emissions at a major source trigger the de minimis threshold test? Is there a lower cutoff? (2) What is the exact definition of the 5-year period for the de minimis threshold test? (3) Do major sources, such as asphalt concrete plants, that move often within nonattainment areas, as well as in and out of nonattainment areas, require a nonattainment permit each time they move? (4) TACB states that the definition of major source it serious and severe ozone nonattainment areas in Sections 182 (c) and (d)could be interpreted to include fugitives emissions. They would like to extend this definition to marginal and moderate ozone nonattainment areas for the purposes of Consistency. (5) For sources which trigger review for nitrogen oxides (NOX) under both nonattainment review and PSD, TACB proposes to conduct a combined review which will include nonattainment review enhanced by NOX increment modeling. (6) What are applicants and permit engineers expected to do when implementing lowest achievable emission rate (LAER)? 

Related Topics: Significant Impact Levels (SILs) & Cumulative Analyses | Air Quality Monitoring | Ambient Air Definition/Interpretations

Return to Policy & Guidance Document Index

The “Relevant Guidance” index includes a collection of documents issued by EPA organized by topic area. These documents include memoranda, letters, orders, and other types of EPA actions that may provide guidance in one or more forms, such as an adjudication, statement of policy, interpretation of statutes or regulations, or technical information. Each collection is intended to be representative of EPA statements on the topic, but it may not be a complete listing of such statements. The collection does not reflect topic-specific statements that have been expressed by EPA though published rule preambles and Title V petition orders, nor does it include EAB decisions. Each document in the collection speaks for itself, and the inclusion or exclusion of a document in the collection is not intended by EPA to communicate anything more than what is expressed within each document. EPA makes no independent representations on this website as to the extent to which any document in the collection reflects EPA’s current views on the topic, is a final action by EPA, or has any legal effect or precedential weight. Readers are advised to review the documents in the collection and conduct their own assessment of such considerations based on the content of each document and other documents in the collection. Some of the information or views included in the documents may be affected by subsequent changes to the referenced statutory or regulatory language or by court decisions. In addition, many of the statements in these documents are based upon the federal regulations which may differ from rules that govern federally-approved programs. Permitting authorities are advised to consult with their EPA Regional Offices if there is a question as to the relevance of a particular statement to their NSR program.

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Last updated on April 3, 2025
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