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Colorado Oepattmeftt of Public Health and Environment <br />Air Pollution Control Division <br />Air Quality Requirements <br />for Surface Mining <br />Operations <br />If you own or operate a surface mining operation, <br />inGuding a sand and grevel pit, borrow pit, or quarry, you <br />may need to report air emissions to, or obtain an air <br />permit from, the Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) at <br />the Colorado Department of Public Health and <br />Environment (CDPHE). This document provides an <br />overview of the air pollution reporting and permitting <br />requirements that apply to Colorado surface mining <br />operations. <br />What Must Be Reported? <br />The APCD regulates a1r pollutants released from surface <br />mining operations and from Ure equipment used at <br />mining sites. Surface mining activities and mining <br />equipment (such as crushers and screens) release <br />fugitive dust that can be carried from the site by the <br />wind. In addition, many surface mining operations use <br />generetore fueled with natural gas, oil, propane, or diesel <br />that release byproducts of combustion such as volatile <br />organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), <br />nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (S02 - if sulfur <br />is present in the fuel). Emissions of fugitive dust and <br />fuel combustion that exceed certain thresholds must be <br />reported to the APCD through the submission of an Air <br />Pollutant Emission Notks (APEN). Almost all surface <br />mining operations and associated equipment require the <br />filing of an APEN. The APEN forma are available <br />through the APCD and downloadable at: <br />www.cdohe.state.co.us/ao/downloadfortns.aso <br />- RepoRJng Emissions for Surface MJning <br />Sites <br />The APEN form titled Mining Operations -APEN and <br />Application for Construction Permit and Fugitive <br />Particulate Emissions Control Plan is used to report <br />emissions from the mining sNe. This form requests <br />information on the location and ownership of the site and <br />detailed information on the nature of site emissions, <br />production, and associated equipment. The APEN also <br />requests information on the site-speck Fugitive Dust <br />Control Plan. <br />~, <br />1,..~` <br />- Reporting Emissions for Process <br />Equipment <br />The Generel APEN form is used to report air emissions <br />from process equipment such as generators, crushers, <br />screen decks, and cortveyor systems. This form <br />requires information about the equipment such as the <br />type of equipment, make, model, and serial number, <br />hours of operation, and quantity of material processed <br />through the equipment. This form also requires <br />infortnatron regarding whether the process equipment is <br />portable or stationary: <br />• Portable equipment can be moved from site to site; <br />however, a "Notice of Relocation" must tre submitted <br />to the Division at least 10 days prior to relocation of <br />pertnilted equipment. At your home base, ma(ntain <br />an up-to-date list of your equipment locations. <br />To be considered "stationary' or "fixed; equipment <br />must remain at the location indkated on the APEN <br />for at least two years. If you decide to move <br />permitted stationary equipment, you must submit an <br />APEN to modify the permit for that equipment to a <br />portable source prior to the move. <br />Each individual piece of process equipment is typically <br />reported on a separate General APEN forth. However, <br />multiple pieces of equipment maybe grouped and <br />reported on a single General APEN forth ff the <br />equipment will always remain together (i.e., pierres of <br />equipment can not be added or removed from the <br />group). For example, if a portable group of equipment <br />is moved to a new site, each piece of equipment in that <br />group must move W the new site; no place of equipment <br />can be left behind. Grouping equipment onto a single <br />Genera/APEN can help you avoid extra APEN filing <br />fees. <br />What Must Be Permitted? <br />Based on the information provided on the APEN, the <br />APCD will determine whether an air permit is required <br />for your surface mining operation and/or equipment. As <br />a rule of thumb: <br />Surtace mining operations that mine over 70,000 <br />tons of product material per year (i.e., raw material <br />removal or processing for sale, which could include <br />top soil, overburden, and raw material) almost <br />always require an air permit. Surface mining <br />activities that mine less than 70,000 tons of product <br />material per year are specifically exempt from <br />permitting requirements (although they still require <br />an APEN). <br />Air Quality Requirements for Surface Mining Operations May 2006 <br />