EPA Approves Ohio's Air Permit Updates for Seamless Compliance
Published Date: 1/9/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA wants to approve Ohio’s updated air permit rules to make sure state and federal rules match up. This affects businesses and industries in Ohio that need air permits, helping keep the air cleaner and rules clearer. You’ve got until February 9, 2026, to share your thoughts before these changes move forward—no extra costs, just smoother air rules!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New small-source permit exemptions
Ohio added many new permanent exemptions so certain small operations do not need an installation permit. Examples with numeric limits include valve sites with VOC potential under 5.0 tons per year; temporary portable flares processing no more than 14,000.0 million British thermal units per year; breweries with capacity up to 60,000 31‑gallon barrels per year; portable sawmills processing up to 5,000,000 board feet per year; sand and gravel operations handling up to 125,000 tons per year; animal crematories processing up to 600 pounds per hour; welding using up to 116 pounds of electrode per day; and ozone generators up to 189 grams/hour.
Construction permit deadline extension and pause
Ohio clarified that an installation permit that would normally terminate after 18 months can be extended or paused in certain situations, including when a third‑party appeal is pending; the 18‑month clock is paused during the appeal until it is resolved. Ohio also issued an engineering guide on October 31, 2025, describing the appeal pause and related procedures.
New permits‑by‑rule for small operations
Ohio moved permits‑by‑rule (PBR) into a separate rule (OAC 3745‑31‑30) and added new PBRs, including a "transloader" PBR for portable belt/screw conveyors and a "petroleum‑solvent dry cleaner" PBR for small and medium dry‑cleaning shops that use non‑perchloroethylene solvents. PBRs set emission limits, controls, and recordkeeping instead of requiring a full installation permit.
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