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Bureau of Air Quality's current general and registration permits:

 

Asphalt Plants (General Conditional Major and General Synthetic Minor Construction) 

Interactive Map of permitted Asphalt Plants located in South Carolina

An asphalt plant, also known as an asphalt mixing plant, asphalt batching plant, or hot-mix plant, mix aggregates, binders, and fillers to produce a homogenous asphalt mix for paving project, from a high-traffic highway to airport runways. Plants may be eligible for coverage under the General Synthetic Minor Construction Permit and the General Conditional Major Operating Permits if the facility only produces asphalt and is comprised of one or any combination of the following:

  • Systems for receiving, crushing, screening, handling, storing, weighing, drying, and transferring aggregate (both virgin and non-virgin);
  • Systems for receiving, storing, and transferring asphalt cement;
  • Systems for mixing aggregate with asphalt cement;
  • Systems for the storing and dispensing of asphalt;
  • Asphalt cement and fuel storage tanks;
  • Auxiliary heaters (including hot oil heaters);
  • Associated emission control systems;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Autobody Refinishing Shop (Registration)

Autobody refinishing is the process of restoring or enhancing the exterior surface of a vehicle to its original or a desired appearance after it has been damaged, worn, or altered. The process includes a series of steps, including surface preparation, application of primers, painting, and clear coating. Shops may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the following criteria apply:

  • Spray coatings containing compounds of chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), or cadmium (Cd);
  • Use methylene chloride (MeCl) for the stripping of dried paint, enamel, varnish, shellac, lacquer, and other applications from wood, metal, plastic, and other substrates;
  • Spray applies coating to more than two (2) vehicles or parts of vehicles per year, without consideration of compensation.

Concrete Plants (General Operating and General Construction Permit)

Interactive Map of Permitted Concrete Plants located in South Carolina

Fact Sheet about South Carolina Concrete Batch Facilities (August 2025)

A concrete batching plant, also known as a batch plant or concrete mixing plant mixes various components such as cement, water, aggregates (sand, gravel, etc.), and additives to create concrete. Concrete batch plants, concrete block production facilities, and pug mills may be eligible for coverage under the General Construction Permit and the General State/General Conditional Major Operating Permit if comprised of one or any combination of the following:

  • Sand and aggregate storage;
  • Sand and aggregate transfer to elevated bin;
  • Cement and/or cement supplement loading;
  • Weigh hopper loading;
  • Truck loading, central mixer loading, and/or pug mixer loading;
  • Loading, transfer or storage associated with emission control systems;
  • Boilers and/or other fuel combustion devices less than 30 million BTU per hour;
  • Temporary/portable crushing and screening equipment for nonmetallic minerals processing;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Cotton Ginning Operations (Registration)

A cotton ginning operation separates cotton lint from cotton seed. This process typically includes cleaning (removing plant material, dirt, and other foreign matter) and packaging the lint into bales. Ginning operations and some grain handling operations may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the facility meets the criteria listed below:

  1. The facility shall not produce more than 140,000 bales of ginned cotton per ginning season.
  2. No fuel burning source shall have a rated input capacity greater than or equal to 10 million BTU/hr nor shall the combined rated input capacity of all fuel burning sources exceed 50 million BTU/hr.
  3. Each fuel burning source is allowed to use natural gas, propane, or a Department approved fuel.
  4. If applicable, the facility's grain handling operation shall not process more than 2,250,000 bushels of grain per year nor be in operation for more than 4,000 hours per year.

Crematory Operations (Registration)

Interactive Map of Permitted Crematory Operations in South Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions for Crematory Operations

Cremation is a respectful and dignified process of reducing a human or animal remains to their most basic elements through the application of intense heat. This process typically takes place in a specially designed furnace called a cremation chamber or retort.
Crematory operations (human and/or animal) may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the facility is comprised of only the following:

Process Specific Requirements:
The crematory incinerator must be one such that most of the necessary equipment required for cremation is sold in one package.

Field assembly should be minimal; the unit should be pre-tested, pre-plumbed, and pre-wired at a factory.

The unit shall be of the controlled atmosphere design, consisting of a primary chamber, secondary chamber, controls, burners, and/or refractory lined stacks.

Dry Bulk Terminal Operations (General State Operating)

Dry bulk terminal operations are facilities which receive, store and distribute bulk solid materials which are powdery, granular or lumpy in appearance such as aggregate, coal, minerals, chemicals, agricultural commodities, wood chips, etc. These operations may be eligible for coverage under the General State Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of one or any combination of the following activities performed on land or midstream using a marine vessel:

  • Dry bulk receiving;
  • Loading, transloading, offloading;
  • Storage;
  • Handling;
  • Shipping.

Fiber Reinforced Plastic Boat Manufacturing (General Title V)

Fiber reinforced plastic boat operations utilize a composite material made of polymer matrix reinforced with fibers to construct boats that are strong, lightweight and corrosion resistant. Boat operations may be eligible for coverage under the General Title V Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of the following:

  • Boat manufacturing operations utilizing resin and gel coat operations, carpet installation operations, and contact adhesive operations.
  • Wood furniture manufacturing including the finishing, gluing, cleaning, and wash-off operations associated with the production of wood furniture or wood furniture components for installation in boats.

Fuel Combustion Operations (General Conditional Major and Registration)

Facilities comprised of one or any combination of the following sources may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit or General Conditional Major Operating Permit:

  • Boilers;
  • Emergency generators;
  • Non-emergency generators, for example peak-shaving generators;
  • Fuel Storage tanks;
  • Ethylene Oxide Sterilizers (hospitals only);
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Gasoline Dispensing Facilities (Registration)

A gasoline dispensing facility is any stationary facility which dispenses gasoline into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle engine, nonroad vehicle, or nonroad engine, including a nonroad vehicle or nonroad engine used solely for competition. These facilities include, but are not limited to, facilities that dispense gasoline into on- and off-road, street, or highway motor vehicles, lawn equipment, boats, test engines, landscaping equipment, generators, pumps, and other gasoline-fueled engines and equipment.
A gasoline dispensing facility may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the monthly throughput is at least 320,000 gallons of gasoline and no more than 40,000,000 gallons per calendar year. 

Grain Elevators and Process Operations (Registration)

Grain elevators receive, store and then distribute grain for direct use, process manufacturing or export. These operations may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if comprised of one or any combination of the following:

  • Grain receiving, storage, cleaning and drying;
  • Grain/headhouse handling;
  • Shipping.

Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Plants (General Conditional Major and General State Operating)

Interactive Map of Permitted Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Plants in South Carolina

Nonmetallic mineral processing plants transform mined or quarried nonmetallic minerals, such as sand, gravel, stone, clay, and refractory materials, into products for intermediate or final consumption. These plants may be eligible for coverage under the General Conditional Major Operating Permit or General State Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of only the following:

  • Nonmetallic mineral processing plant with any combination of equipment that is used to crush or grind nonmetallic minerals;
  • Nonmetallic minerals meaning any of the following minerals or any mixture of which the majority is any of the following minerals: Crushed and Broken Stone, Sand and Gravel, Clay, Gypsum Sodium Compounds, Pumice, Gilsonite, Talc and Pyrophyllite, Boron, Barite, Fluorospar, Feldspar, Diatomite, Perlite, Vermiculite, Mica, and Kyanite;
  • Wet suppression or water carryover as the only method used to control emissions from the process equipment;
  • Stationary internal combustion engines that are electric or fired on low sulfur (500 ppm or less) fuel.

Petroleum Distribution Operations (General Conditional Major)

Petroleum distribution operations will cover a variety of sources which provide bulk storage and distribution of gasoline, petroleum distillates, fuel additives, and ethanol. Petroleum distribution operations may be eligible for coverage under the General Conditional Major Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of only the following:

Sawmill Operations (General State Operating)

A sawmill is where logs (greenwood) are cut into lumber. Sawmills may be eligible for coverage under the General State Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of one or any combination the following:

  • Debarking;
  • Decking;
  • Sawing;
  • Planing;
  • Edging;
  • Trimming;
  • Drying;
  • Loading of lumber and wood residue;
  • Wood preserving;
  • All associated equipment such as cyclones, baghouses, engines, tanks, and other department approved sources and activities;
  • Surface finishing of woods and all associated finishing materials and control devices such as paint booth filters, cartridges, etc.;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Surface Finishing Operations (General Conditional Major, General State Operating, and Registration)

A surface finishing operation may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit, General State Operating Permit or General Conditional Major Operating Permit if the facility is comprised of one or any combination the following:

  • Coating preparation/mixing;
  • Coating application and cleanup of coating application equipment;
  • Adhesive application;
  • Abrasive blasting;
  • Welding operations;
  • Stationary combustion sources;
  • Miscellaneous activities such as cutting, grinding, etc. associated with the coating operations;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Temporary Crushing and Screening Operations (Registration)

Temporary Crushing and Screening Operations (TCSO) reduce the size of nonmetallic mineral material by means of physical impaction upon the material. TCSO may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the facility is comprised of only the following:

  • Crushers (including, but not limited to, jaw, cone, hammer mill, or impactor) that reduce the size of nonmetallic mineral material by means of physical impaction;
  • Screens that separate material according to size using mesh screens;
  • Conveying equipment (including but not limited to feeders or belt conveyors) that transports material from one piece of equipment or location to another location;
  • Diesel engines or electric motors to power process equipment;
  • Fuel storage tanks;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Textile Operations (General Conditional Major and General State Operating)

Textile operations produce the following materials:

  • Staple fibers and filaments suitable for conversion to or use as yarns, or for the preparation of woven, knit, or non-woven fabrics;
  • Yarns made from natural or manufactured fiber;
  • Fabrics and other manufactured products made from staple fibers and filaments and from yarn;
  • Garments and other articles fabricated from fibers, yarns, or fabrics.

A textile operation may be eligible for coverage under the General State Operating Permit or General Conditional Major Operating Permit if comprised of one or any combination the following:

  • Fuel combustion sources;
  • Greige operations;
  • Dyeing, finishing, printing and coating operations;
  • Slashing operations;
  • Storage vessels and tanks;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).

Wood Working Operations (Registration)

Wood working operations generate small wood waste particles (shavings, sander dust, sawdust, etc.) by mechanical manipulation of wood or wood byproducts. Wood working operations may be eligible for coverage under the Registration Permit if the facility is comprised of one or any combination the following:

  • Sawing;
  • Planing;
  • Chipping;
  • Shaping;
  • Moulding;
  • Hogging;
  • Lathing and sanding;
  • Control devices such as baghouses, cyclones, and portable dust collectors;
  • Internal combustion engines that may be used to power the wood working equipment;
  • Any wood working waste transfer or collection units such as silos, cyclones, trailers, conveyors, etc.;
  • Surface finishing of woods and all applicable finishing materials, control devices such as paint booth filters, cartridges, etc. and dryers, burn-off and curing ovens that may be used during the drying process;
  • Sources exempt under S.C. Regulation 61-62.1, Section II(B).
     

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