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To report
environmental
emergencies
only, call the
Illinois Emergency
Management Agency
800-782-7860
217-782-7860
(24 hrs/day)

AirFacts

AirFacts: Guidelines for
Determining Businesses'
Potential to Emit Air Pollution

Business owners commonly need assistance in determining a business’s potential to emit air pollutants. The definition provided here is found in Section 39.5 (1) in the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Potential to emit (PTE) is defined as: The maximum capacity of a stationary source to emit any air pollutant under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of a source to emit an air pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on hours of operation or on the type or amount of materials combusted, stored, or processed, shall be treated as part of its design. This definition does not alter or affect the use of this term for any other purposes under the Clean Air Act, or the term "capacity factor" as used in Title IV of the Clean Air Act or the regulations promulgated thereunder. Under this definition, when calculating your PTE you must assume all emission units at a source will run 8,760 hours per year at full production capacity, unless your operation is restricted by a federally enforceable permit limitation. Also: For purposes of a Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit, you must add your PTE for similar pollutants from all emission units at your site. You must total all the emission units at your site, whether or not they are covered by the same air permit.
	For small business assistance contact:
	Illinois EPA Office of Small Business 1021 N. Grand Ave. East, Box 19276 Springfield, IL 62794-9276 888-372-1996 (toll-free)		Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs 620 E. Adams Springfield, IL 62701 Small Business Environmental Assistance Helpline 800-252-3998
	For more information about this or other fact sheets contact:
	Public Information Officer Illinois EPA, Bureau of Air 1021 N. Grand Ave. East, Box 19276 Springfield, IL 62794-9276 217-782-6936 Hearing impaired: 217-782-9143.

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Illinois Green Fleets

Regulatory Development of Key Rules (CAIR/Mercury)

Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group

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Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

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