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Applying for a Notice of Construction (NOC) Permit
Prior to constructing, installing, replacing, and/or modifying air contaminant sources, emissions units or air pollution control equipment in Spokane County, the owner/operator must file an application for Notice of Construction (NOC) approval with our agency.
If approved, an Order of Approval will be issued that is valid for the life of the equipment at a specific location. NOCs can be issued for a single piece of equipment, or for an entire facility.
NOC application forms are available for some specific operations, otherwise a general NOC application form should be used. Completed forms and accompanying information, along with the base fee, and the SEPA Checklist (if required) must be mailed or delivered to our office.
Details you should know prior to applying:
NOC Application Review Process
Once Spokane Clean Air receives the NOC permit application and accompanying information, a 15-day public notice is posted on the agency’s webpage, and staff reviews the project to ensure that all applicable local, state and federal air pollution regulations are addressed.
After the review, a draft NOC approval will be sent to the applicant, detailing approval conditions and deadline for notifying the agency of any concerns with meeting the approval conditions.
A final NOC permit is issued with an invoice for the review fees. The entire process typically takes 30-60 days after receipt of complete application. More complex NOC reviews can take 90 days or more.
What information must be submitted?
If your project requires an NOC, you will need to submit an application. Application documents for general and some specific types of sources can be found here.
In addition to the information in the application, the following information is required for your application to be considered complete:
Detailed schematics of the equipment and layout, including but not limited to:
- source dimension(s), including stack height(s) and diameter (if applicable)
- building(s) dimensions, including height(s) that are within 200 feet of your source property lines
Emissions information, including but not limited to:
- manufacturer emissions rates
- emissions guarantees
- representative source tests (including operational data)
- information on any proposed control equipment/control strategies for your source
- the base fee for the project
- a SEPA Checklist, if applicable (see next section to determine if applicable)
SRCAA may require additional information to demonstrate that the proposed source will meet regulatory requirements.
How much will the NOC cost?
The NOC fee has two parts:
1) a base fee that must be submitted with the NOC application, which covers specific review hours; and
2) additional fees, if applicable, that are invoiced when the review is complete (e.g. hours exceeding those covered in the base fee, SEPA review fee).
Ways to keep costs down on NOC reviews
To keep your costs to a minimum during the NOC application process, we offer these suggestions:
- Submit a complete NOC application with all of the requested information, including manufacturer information and SDS sheets, if required
- Submit a site plan that shows the location of the proposed equipment in relation to the building(s) on the property and the distance from the stack(s) to the nearest property line
- Finalize the project and/or equipment design prior to submitting the NOC application to minimize changes during the permit review process
- Check with other government agencies (e.g., fire dept) prior to submitting NOC application to ensure all other requirements have been met
- Ensure requirements of SEPA have already been met for the project location or submit an Environmental Checklist to SRCAA as part of the NOC application
- As a general rule, NOC applications submitted for used equipment and/or equipment that has already been installed takes significantly more time to review and process than applications submitted for new equipment that has not yet been installed.
We offer free business assistance services and staff are available to review a project or draft NOC application prior to submission. Schedule a call or meeting to review your project prior to submission by contacting Engineer John Conklin, 509-477-4727, x 107 or JConklin@spokanecleanair.org
What is SEPA checklist and do I need to submit one?
The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires that an environmental determination be made any time certain types of permits are issued. This includes NOCs issued by SRCAA.
If no other permitting authority for your project has required that a SEPA checklist be submitted as part of an application, SRCAA will require the submittal of a checklist as
part of your NOC application.
Please remember to fill out the whole checklist. Many times, “not applicable” is an appropriate answer. The applicant should review all documents for previous projects at the site as SRCAA may be able to issue an addendum to an existing SEPA determination. If no previous determination can be found for your site and no other permitting agency issues a determination for your project SRCAA will review the submitted checklist.
If SRCAA determines there are no discernable impacts from your project, SRCAA will issue a determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) for your project. If SRCAA issues a DNS, a SEPA fee ($500) will be invoiced when your NOC is issued.
It should be noted that as part of issuance of a DNS, a 14-day public notice in the legal section of a local paper may be required and is paid by the applicant. Your SRCAA permitting engineer will notify you if this is a necessary step for your project.