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Permit Streamlining Task Force Meeting

February 9, 2005 AQMD Headquarters

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Agenda

� Introduction of all Task Force Members� Purpose of the Task Force� Status Update of Permit Applications � Past Permit Streamlining Measures Summary� New Steps to Improve Permitting� Other Suggestions for Permit Streamlining and

Future Agenda Topics� Action Items and Meeting Schedule

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Purpose of the Permit Streamlining Task Force

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Permit Streamlining Task Force

� Purpose: Develop recommendations to expedite permitting and improve customer service for the businesses regulated by AQMD

� Formed in mid 1998 per Chairman Burke’s direction

� Task force members included three Board members, representatives from industry, consultants, and environmental groups.

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What was done?

� Creation of a Permit Streamlining Ombudsman and a Permit Streamlining Team.

� Evaluated suggestions from the Task Force Members & from Brainstorming sessions with staff & businesses.

� An independent contractor was hired to conduct a study of AQMD’s permitting program.

� Prepared a Permit Streamlining Report with 37 specific recommendations that were approved by the Board for implementation.

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Permit Streamlining Task Force Reconvened

� The purpose is to evaluate further Permit Streamlining proposals and examine enhancements to permitting programs and permitting resources.

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Status Update of Permit Applications

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Applications Received

4,139 4,1865,106

3,666 3,358

3,023

1,678 1,9531,892

711 662

845

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

CY2002 CY2003 CY2004

PCs POs Change of Operator Total Others

Total: 10,159Total: 10,194

Total:10,866

Increase of 707 Applications over 2003

Applications Processed

3,9133,306 2,901

6,225

5,1125,144

1,719

2,414

1,761

839641

1,063

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

CY2002 CY2003 CY2004

PCs POs & PC-POs Change of Operator Total Others

Total: 13,615

Total: 10,820

Total: 10,603

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Applications Pending

572 556 861 996 862

1,1711,516 1,377

1,490 1,327 1,375

964592

213378 529 413

6,294

4,375

3,4943,234

3,804 3,820

990

601

543613

582 583

1,0940

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

End CY2000 End CY2001 End CY 2002 End CY 2003 End CY 2004 End Jan 2005

Awaiting Prescreen Awaiting PCs Change of Operator Awaiting P/Os Total Others

Total: 7,656

Total: 10,513

Total: 6,183 Total: 6,576Total: 7,238 Total: 7,053

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Applications Received & Pending

10,194 10,159

10,866

6,1836,576

7,238

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

End CY2002 End CY2003 End CY2004

Applications Received Applications Pending

Incrase of 707 over 2003

Increase of 662 over 2003

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Permit Application Inventory – End of January 2005

862 862

1,375 1,375

413 413

2,207 2,207

1,613

577

577

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

End Jan 2005 Inventory End Jan 2005 w/o Applications Issued P/Cs

Awaiting Prescreen Awaiting PCs Change of OperatorP/Os w/o prior P/Cs P/Os with prior P/Cs Total Others

Awaiting P/O: 3,820

Total: 7,047

Total: 5,434

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Title V – Total of 785 Facilities

5%

20%

75%

Initial Title V Permits Issued Remaining Proposed+$17 Million235,000

Total Title V Program (Permitting, Compliance,

Support)

$13 Million175,000 Initial & Revised Title V Permits

CostPersonHours

ExpendituresPermitting Status

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Summary of Past Permit Streamlining Measures

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Past Permit Streamlining Measures Summary

� Included thirty-seven recommendations grouped into the following 4 Categories:� Group A - Reduce Steps Required to Issue

Permits� Group B -Improve Communications Internally

and Externally� Group C - Optimize Permit Structure and

Systems� Group D - Enhance Management and

Organizational Effectiveness

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Group A: Reduce Steps Required to Issue Permits

Permit Application Process

� Permit fees� Accept credit card payment (Discover).� Accept applications with 85% or more of the required

processing fees.

� Pre-Screening &Tracking� Pre-screening/deem completion at project engineer’s level.� Up-front receipt of acknowledgement letters.� New tracking system for applications.

� Streamlined Standard Permits

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Group A: Reduce Steps Required to Issue Permits

Rules Amended to Streamline Permitting

� Rule 219 and Rule 1401 were amended to clarify when permits are not required for equipment that emits toxics.

� Rule 3008- Potential to Emit Rule - Exempted from Title V several thousands low-emitting facilities with actual emissions below certain thresholds.

� Regulation XVII - Aligned AQMD's PSD program with federal requirements.

� Regulation XIII - Amended to require BACT vs. LAER and address relocations for non-major sources.

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Group B: Improve Communications Internally & Externally

� Application Status Tracking on the Web

� Redesign of Permit Application Forms to:

� Improve collection of needed information

� Make them more user-friendly

� Web Page Updates to Provide:

�Policies and Procedures

�Sample permit evaluations

�Emission factors

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Group C: Optimize Permit Structure and Systems

� Alternate Title V Format� New format for Non-RECLAIM facilities� Permits created in Microsoft Word instead of database

format

� Reduced the time necessary to issue Title V permits

� Positive feedback on format from applicants

� Enhancing Permit Processing Systems� Improvements to existing permit processing programs

for Facility Permits and Conventional Permits.

� Improve functionalities, provide more features, and ease of use.

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Group D: Enhance Management Organizational Effectiveness

� Reorganization to Focus on Permitting

� Performed a Permit Processing Time Tracking Study

� Performed District Fee Audit Study

� Reflected the results of the above studies into fee Rule Amendments for Cost Recovery

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New Steps to Improve Permitting

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New Steps to Improve Permitting

� Better Tracking

� Elimination of bottlenecks

� Additional resources

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Better Tracking� New monthly permit reports for managers and

supervisors

� Provides monthly data on the number and type of applications received, processed and pending for each permitting team.

� Weekly applications status report to Executive Management.

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Elimination of BottlenecksChanges made to streamline application processing� Workload Adjustments - Permit applications re-distributed to better adjust

the workload with available resources � Non-RECLAIM Oil and Gas Production (from Refinery to Commercial)� Plastic Extrusion, Paint & Ink Manufacturing (from Chemical to Coatings )

� Delinquent fees – Programming and workflow changes to allow Permit Services & Finance to resolve delinquent fees issues rather thanengineers.

� Expedited application approval - New Source Review (NSR) database cleanup and purging of inaccurate data.

� Facility Permits – Improvements to the program to prevent re-sequencing of the permit conditions and allow printing of selected permit sections and processes.

� Reduce application review time - Facility Permit Program changes to remove inactive applications before permit issuance (in Beta Testing).

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Elimination of Bottlenecks (cont’d)

Changes under implementation to further streamline application processing

� New Risk Assessment Procedures – Development of new updated calculation spreadsheets to assist engineers in determining health risks

� New permit application forms - will improve submittal of more complete applications

� New Programs – will assist in preparation of complete permit applications

� Enhanced NSR Updates for CPPs

� Web based Permit Application Fee Calculator

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Additional Resources

� Hiring of 5 additional engineers

� Increase average applications processed by approximately 455 applications a year

� Industry funded positions