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General Air Permits

The CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division is proposing revisions to several general permits, and the proposed revisions were available for review and public feedback in summer 2024. These general permits apply primarily to oil and gas operators in Colorado, and include:

  • GP01: Condensate Storage Tank Batteries.
  • GP02: Natural Gas Fired Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines.
  • GP05: Produced Water Storage Tank Batteries.
  • GP06: Diesel Engines.
  • GP07: Hydrocarbon Liquid Loadout.
  • GP08: Oil and Gas Industry Storage Tanks.
  • GP09: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities.
  • GP10: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities.
  • GP11: Oil and Gas Industry Routine or Predictable Gas Venting Emissions.

The public comment period closed on Aug. 31, 2024. Comments received after Aug. 31, 2024 will not be considered. If you have questions, send an email to cdphe_apcd_airpermitcomments@state.co.us using the subject line “General permit public comments.”

The revisions include updates to address the following:

  • Reclassification of the ozone nonattainment areas.
  • New regulations and updates to the Air Quality Control Commission Regulations 3, 7, and 26.
  • Consistent language and formatting for general permits and division policy such as monitoring frequencies and facility-wide emission limitations.
  • Requirements from Regulation Number 3, Part B, III.D.1, as they relate to National Ambient Air Quality Standards and Alternative Operating Scenarios.
  • Registration approval process clarifications.

Future updates and revised permits will be available on this web page.

Overview

General permits offer a streamlined approach, they're available for land development activities and certain oil and gas operations.

Sources that can meet the criteria of emissions limitations and other operating conditions may qualify for a general permit. On the Air Pollutant Emission Notice, you may choose to apply for a general permit.

When the general permit isn't applicable or doesn't meet the unique needs of a facility, we issue an individual permit through the traditional construction permit process.

The division no longer accepts blank Air Pollutant Emission Notices. We charge additional fees for applications submitted without the necessary information. Use only forms supplied by the Air Pollution Control Division.  For more information, see reporting your air emissions and applying for air permits step-by-step.

Effective September 7, 2022 the division has updated its registration process for General Permits GP01, GP02, GP05, GP06, GP07, GP08, GP09, GP10 and GP11 to align with recent updates to the construction permitting process. Sources newly seeking coverage under a General Permit need to submit a demonstration of compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) with the General Permit registration. Consistent with the updates, the division has created a Permit Application/Registration checklist (Form APCD-100) for General Permit registrations. For more information on the modeling determination process and permit modeling, please visit the Permit Modeling Unit webpage.

Effective August 1, 2023, in order for a General Permit registration to be considered complete, sources with any quantifiable amount of new emissions of NOx, SO2, PM, or CO, must fill out APCD Form-114, submit to the Permit Modeling Unit (PMU), provide PMU's determination with the General Permit registration, and obtain a completeness determination from the division. If an applicant does not receive notification of a completeness determination from the division within 60-days of the division's receipt of the registration, the registration will be deemed complete.* Form instructions are provided in the Modeling Requirements Determination Form APCD-114 Instructions. More information on when APCD Form-114 is provided in the Permitting Section Addendum to the Modeling Guideline.

If you have questions about this new process, you can contact oil and gas permit unit supervisors, Bradley Eades, bradley.eades@state.co.us, or Stephanie Spector, stephanie.spector@state.co.us. If you have specific questions about APCD Form-114, you can contact Miriam Hacker, permit modeling unit supervisor, at miriam.hacker@state.co.us.

*See "General Permit Registration Approval Process" terms within each general permit, which requires a complete registration before commencing construction.

Past General Permits public meetings

The Colorado Air Pollution Control Division  is developing a facility-wide general permit for upstream oil and gas facilities in Colorado. The division hosted public listening sessions in 2023 to provide more information, receive feedback, and answer questions. The public meetings focused on: 

  • Drafting of the facility-wide general.
  • Development of the Air Dispersion Modeling study used to support the permit.

June 7, 2023

June 21, 2023

The division is currently in the process of completing the Modeling Study being conducted to inform the requirements of a Facility Wide General Permit.

The basis of the proposed analysis is online for review.

General permits and forms

  • General Permit GP01: Condensate Storage Tank Batteries.
    • Cost to file: $395.50
  • General Permit GP02: Natural Gas Fired Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE) (for natural gas fired RICE engines for oil and natural gas operators only).
    • Cost to file: $2373.00
  • Form APCD-102: Facility Wide Inventory 
  • General Permit GP03: Land Development.
    • Cost to file: $79.10
  • General Permit GP05: Produced Water Storage Tank Batteries.
    • Cost to file:$395.50
  • General Permit GP06: Diesel Engines (for diesel fired RICE engines only).
    • Cost to file:$1,423.80
  • General Permit GP07: Hydrocarbon Liquid Loadout (for oil and gas operations). Please see the guidance memo below for more information.
    • Memo 14-02: Hydrocarbon Liquid Loadout General Permit GP-07 Regulatory Definitions and Permitting Guidance.
    • Cost to file:$395.50
  • General Permit GP08: Oil and Gas Industry Storage Tanks (Condensate, Crude Oil and Produced water).
    • Cost to file:$395.50
  • General Permit GP09: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities (Attainment)
    • ​Cost to file: $2,289.28
  • General Permit GP10: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities (Nonattainment)
    • ​Cost to file: $2,289.28
  • General Permit GP11: Oil and Gas Industry Routine or Predictable Gas Venting Emissions
    • ​Cost to file: $756.00

Frequently requested information about permitting fees.