Air Pollution Control
The Division of Air Pollution Control is directed to maintain the purity of the air resources of the State of Tennessee consistent with the protection of normal health, general welfare, and physical property of the people while preserving maximum employment and enhancing the industrial development of the State.
The Division directly serves 91 counties within the state and oversees and assists in the actions of Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, and Shelby counties, which have their own local air pollution control programs.
The Division establishes emission standards and procedure requirements to monitor industries in the State through the issuance of construction and operating permits. Established to carry out control and abatement of air pollution, the Tennessee Air Pollution Control Board adopts regulations, holds hearings, and initiates court actions to enforce regulations. Division staff function as the administrative agency of the Board.
Other duties include conducting source visits and compliance inspections, developing enforcement cases on violations of the regulations, maintaining surveillance of the state's ambient air sampling stations, performing and observing stack tests, certifying persons as Visible Emissions Readers, and collecting and disseminating information relative to the control of air pollution.
Air Quality Monitoring & Forecasting
Find out about air quality color codes, what they mean, and what you can do to help reduce ozone pollution and improve air quality levels.
Ethylene Oxide Information
Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Recent Developments
Asbestos Information
Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity.
Open Burning
Help reduce air pollution in Tennessee by avoiding outdoor burning. Alert Tennesseans know burning trash outdoors is: harmful to the air we breathe, unhealthy for our neighbors – near and far, unsafe, and often unnecessary.
Open Burning of Natural Disaster Debris
This contains information on the exception for anyone conducting open burning of materials resulting only from a natural disaster.
Prescribed Fire
Prescribed fire can reduce the overall size of a future wildfire and the associated smoke emissions and smoke-related health impacts, as well as benefit the safety of the public, the environment, and the economy of Tennessee.
Emissions Inventory Reporting Requirements
The emission inventory is required by Code of Federal Regulations 40 CFR Part 51 Subpart A (Air Emissions Reporting Requirements). Most Title V facilities and some non-Title V facilities must submit annual or triennial emission inventory data.
Visible Emissions Evaluation
Certification will be awarded to those applicants who meet the qualification requirements of EPA Federal Reference Method 9. Certification in this program is recognized and accepted nationwide.
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This Page Last Updated: January 23, 2023 at 9:56 AM