Georgia
Air Quality Permits
Air Quality Permits for new and existing stationary sources of air pollution in Georgia are issued and amended by the Stationary Source Permitting Program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), in its Air Protection Branch. EPD says this includes New Source Review and all operating permit programs. A second program, the Stationary Source Compliance Program, checks sources against their permits.
In a Phase I ESA
ASTM E1527-21 does not name state air permit records among its standard record sources. An air permit is still a record that a source of air pollution was permitted at an address, in its owner's name.
The permitting program is divided into four industry-specific units. Some of the industry categories EPD lists for each show the range of operations it permits:
| Unit | Some of its industry categories |
|---|---|
| Chemical Permitting Unit | Batteries, bulk storage terminals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, resins and polymers, specialty chemicals, wood products |
| Minerals Permitting Unit | Asphalt, concrete, kaolin and fuller earth, laundries, military bases, quarries, rendering, waste oils |
| NOx Permitting Unit | Airports, hospitals, landfills, natural gas, power generation |
| VOC Permitting Unit | Aerospace, automobile assembly, electronic components, fiberglass molding, rubber products, surface coating, textiles |
Three details shape the search.
- A permit carries the owner's name. EPD says air quality permits are not transferable in Georgia, and that new permits are issued in the name of the facility's new owner. Look for permits under each past owner's name.
- A shutdown may leave a letter. EPD's FAQ says that to have the permit of a permanently shut down facility revoked, the company should send the Stationary Source Compliance Program a letter that identifies the facility by name, location, permit number and AIRS number, gives the shutdown date and the date the air-emitting equipment was permanently removed, and asks that the permit be revoked. For a former industrial property, ask whether the file holds that letter.
- Not every source holds a permit. EPD says the rules require a permit before construction or modification of any project that may result in air pollution, unless the project is exempt, and that a facility that goes through all the exemption criteria and concludes no permit is required does not have to submit anything to EPD, but should keep records that support the determination. Ask the owner for them. Its examples of exemptions with size or throughput thresholds include stationary engines, boilers, storage tanks and concrete plants.
Dry cleaners that use perchloroethylene have filings of their own, described on the Perchloroethylene (PCE) dry cleaners page.
What the record shows
EPD says the permit review includes a rule applicability analysis under federal and state rules, a Toxic Impact Assessment if necessary, and periodic monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and ends in the issuance of a Construction Permit, an Operating Permit or both. EPD says Title V applications must be submitted through GEOS, the Georgia EPD Online System.
The Stationary Source Compliance Program evaluates sources through onsite inspections and reviews of periodic monitoring reports, stack test results and annual compliance certifications. It takes enforcement action, investigates air pollution complaints, and reviews Risk Management Plans and performs inspections under section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act. The federal record of those plans is described on the Risk Management Plan Facilities page.
Where to look a site up
- Search Issued Air Permits, linked from EPD's eServices page and its Permitting Program page.
- GECO, Georgia Environmental Connections Online, which EPD describes as an online service allowing public access to various Air Protection Branch applications. The pages read do not say what GECO shows about a facility.
- The Permitting Program page also links a page it labels Title V Applications Online (prior to August 1, 2015), and a page of draft Title V permits.
- The Stationary Source Compliance Program page points to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ECHO to search facilities' compliance.
- The Permitting Program and the Stationary Source Compliance Program both give 404-363-7000.
Getting the file
The pages read do not describe a file room for air records. EPD's Air Protection Branch page says that since March 30, 2026, requests under the Georgia Open Records Act go through its Open Records Request Portal, and that after the first 15 minutes, fees are assessed for the search, retrieval, duplication and supervised inspection of the requested documents. Give the facility's name, address and, if you have it, the permit number.
Sources
Georgia Environmental Protection Division pages, read October 15, 2026:
- Permitting Program, last modified December 12, 2025.
- Permitting Program Frequently Asked Questions, no modified date in the saved page.
- Stationary Source Compliance Program, last modified March 25, 2026.
- Air Protection Branch, no modified date in the saved page.
Georgia Environmental Protection Division page, read October 7, 2026:
- eServices, last modified March 30, 2026.