Air Permitting 101
Permit Document Availability/Final Exam (Module 5)
|
If you are starting Module 2, 3, 4, or 5, you may begin with Page 3. Pages 1 and 2 of these modules contain the same information as Pages 1 and 2 of Module 1, with the exception of scoring. Each module requires a different minimum score to pass, so please review Page 2 of the module if you are interested in specific scoring values. Please review Pages 1 and 2 of this module if you need to refresh your memory regarding course objectives and any instructions that may be helpful for navigation, bookmarking, printing (lesson pages and certificate), accessibility, and contacts. |
A person completing the Air Permitting 101 on-line training will be able to do the following:
Recognize the organizational structure of the Air Permits Division;
Identify the purpose of the two air permitting programs and the types of authorizations available under each program;
Apply the process of issuing air permits;
Identify which areas of the TCEQ are involved in the air permitting process and how air permits data is used;and
Recognize the different mechanisms to locate permit documents.
The module opens with the Table of Contents (TOC). From the TOC, you may go directly to any page within the module by clicking on the page number or specific heading within the page. You may navigate between pages by clicking on the page numbers at the top of each page or by using the "previous page" or "next page" options at the bottom of each page. You may return to the TOC at any time by clicking on any one of the "Contents" buttons in the upper left, sidebar, or bottom of each page.
If you click on a link within the module, you may return to the module from the linked page by using the following procedures:
There is a final exam at the conclusion of this module. This exam is a grouping of questions and covers all of the modules in this training course. You earn points with every correct response you give. If you answer everything correctly, you can earn a total of 100 points. If you earn a minimum of 70 points (70%) when you complete the final exam, you've passed and earned your certificate. You can see your score in the lower right hand corner of the screen as you work through the exam or you can click on the "score" button in the upper right corner of the lesson page at any time to view your current score.
This module will not allow you to bookmark, so please keep that in mind as you begin. If you cannot finish the module and must close it, your scores will not be retained and you must start the module over to get complete credit on the scored quizzes and activities.
To print your fifth and final certificate and score summary, type your name in the box at the end of the module. Your certificate will only print if you earn the minimum number of points.
Use the "print all" button in the upper right corner of the lesson page to print the lesson. Please be aware that any hidden text (i.e., text poppers), sidebars, quizzes, and activities will not print. If you'd like to print additional information from the module, press ALT-PRINT SCREEN then CTRL V. You can then paste that most current screen image into Word and print from Word.
When the accessibility icon (which looks like a keyhole) appears, users have the option of clicking the icon to view the data in a separate accessible content tab.
If you see brown, bolded text in the module, this is most likely a text popper. If you roll your mouse over the bolded word(s), additional information regarding that specific term will "pop up." The module also has hyperlinks scattered throughout. In the main pages of the module, these are in brown, underlined text. Additional links (identified by white, bolded, and underlined text) may also be found in the sidebars.
If you are an employee of the Air Permits Division and have any questions as you go through this module, please see the Subject Matter Experts list. See the contacts listed under the Subject Matter Heading, "On-line Training Modules - Air Permits."
If you are not an employee of the Air Permits Division and have any questions as you go through this module, please contact the Air Permits Division receptionist at (512) 239-1250. Ask the receptionist to transfer you to a subject matter expert for on-line training modules.
This training is broken up into the following five modules:
You are currently in Module 5, entitled "Permit Document Availability/Final Exam." To access the other modules, simply click on the bulleted links. For the most effective learning experience, it is recommended that the modules be completed in the order listed above.
After completing the previous module, entitled "Air Permits Division Interaction and How Permitting Data is Used Throughout the Agency," you should have an understanding of the Air Permits Division's interaction with other TCEQ programs and how the technical information generated during a permit review is important to other state initiatives and public interest. Module 5 will cover how the division handles the documentation generated during a permit review, the importance of that information in future reviews, and the availability of that information to agency staff and the public.
Document access is a very important aspect of the permitting process for the permit reviewer since it is vital that existing authorizations are evaluated to determine site-wide and cumulative impacts from emissions. However, it is just as important for members of the public to access files in order to be informed of those permitting actions that may affect them and to be able to comment on those actions.
Permit documents and other logistical permitting information can be accessed on-line through the Central File Room Web Content Center and through the NSR and Title V permitting databases. Originals or microfilmed copies of permit files can be found in the TCEQ Central File Room. See "File Locations" in the sidebar for ways that members of the public can aquire file copies.
Central File Room Online ("CFR Online") allows users to search the Central File Room inventory, request copies of records, and access available electronic records by using basic information on the many facilities, organizations, and people regulated by the TCEQ. Additional information can be found in the document "How to Use Central File Room Online."
The NSR database, also referred to as the NSR Information Management System (IMS), is another important tool that provides easy access to historical and current logistical permitting information for agency staff and the public.
For NSR permit reviewers, this database provides an authorization history for specific facilities and sites. It allows the permit reviewer to see what facilities have been authorized, the mechanism for authorization (i.e., permit, amendment, permit by rule, standard permit, etc.), and authorization/issuance dates. All of this information is important when reviewing pending authorization requests and evaluating the cumulative effects of contaminants during the technical review.
Information in the NSR database is also used to develop reports that allow division management to keep permits on track and notify elected officials and the public regarding facility and site-specific information.
The Title V database, also referred to as the Title V IMS, contains quite a bit more detail than the NSR IMS. It contains extensive administrative and technical information, including all emission units authorized by the permit and detailed information about each emission unit. In addition, the database includes the entire permit to date.
The database is an important resource, as it gives the division the ability to develop reports to extract specific information to help keep permits on track, inform the Texas Legislature, and inform the public regarding important dates relating to comment periods, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review, and public petition periods.
The TCEQ Central Records File Room contains originals or microfilmed copies of all permit files and compliance files. These files are available to TCEQ staff and members of the public. For members of the public, copies of entire files and/or various documents from files may be made, but copying fees are applicable.
It is important to note that making files available to the public is the law; although, special consideration must be given to material that is specifically marked "confidential" by the applicant. Any material marked "confidential" must be treated as such by the permit reviewer. However, specific items cannot be classified as confidential and these (as well as additional information regarding the TCEQ's confidentiality policy) can be found in the agency document entitled "Confidential Information in Air Permit Applications." Permit reviewers should notify their supervisors as soon as confidential information is received as part of a permit application.
You've just completed the fifth and final module in this training course. Now you're ready for the final Air Permits test. This one covers all of the modules in this course.
