Fee Schedule

Fees charged by the AQMD for various permits and applications vary with the type of project. Listed below are some of its fees. Applicants are encouraged to contact the AQMD to verify or obtain current information on the latest fee charges that may apply to a particular project.

1. General Permit Information:

Pursuant to Rules 2:1 and 2:1A, every application for or modification to an Authority to Construct or Permit to Operate shall be accompanied by a non-refundable filing fee of $75.

In the event that a source is constructed or modified without first obtaining an Authority to Construct as stated in Rule 2:1A, the filing fee shall be $150.

All applicants for an Authority to Construct shall pay to the AQMD an amount equal to that specified in Rule 2:11.a.(3)(e) for each hour of staff time expended in excess of two (2) hours to cover the costs of all aspects of the preparation and issuance of the Authority to Construct. Any applicant who has an Authority to Construct application pending before the Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) on the date of this rule adoption shall pay the aforementioned fee beginning as of the date of rule adoption.

Every application submitted pursuant to Rule 2:21 shall pay a non-refundable transfer fee of $15. (Amended 4-10-90)

2. Specific Permit Fees:

Before a Permit to Operate is issued or renewed as stated in Rule 2:1A.b., a non-refundable permit fee shall be paid to the AQMD according to the following permit fee schedule:

Device/Category

3. General Rules Applicable to Permit Fee Schedules

a. The permit fee of a multi-component system shall be the sum of those fee schedules for each individual device in the multi-component system.

b. If more than one fee schedule is applicable to an individual device, the schedule with the higher fee shall be used exclusively.

c. If the APCO ascertains that tests will be required that are not routinely performed, then he is authorized to charge additional fees not to exceed the estimated cost of making such test, provided that:

• The applicant shall be advised of such additional permit fee prior to the making of such test, and
• The applicant shall be given the option to have such test made by an independent laboratory approved by the APCO at the applicant's cost.

All fees estimated and collected by the APCO for special tests that are later found to exceed the actual test costs will be refunded.

d. For devices that the APCO ascertains are inherently seasonally operational due to location or nature of raw materials processed (as defined in Rule 2:1, Section 223), the permit fee shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of the regular fee. (Amended 7-22-86)

e. Any person who requests that the AQMD undertake or perform any of the following activities shall pay for the full cost of such activity as incurred by the AQMD. Such costs shall include staff time, materials, mileage, etc. Staff time shall be charged at a rate of $37.50 per hour.

• Source testing
• Ambient monitoring
• Source specific modeling
• Ambient modeling
• Air quality impact analysis
• Technical evaluations and/or pre-permit
• Any other activity not routinely performed by the AQMD.

The minimum charge for pre-permit evaluations shall be $100.

f. Any new, existing, or modified stationary facility that, after construction or modification, emits any pollutant shall be required to test such facility of emissions according to the following schedule.

Any affected facility shall have the option of contracting with the AQMD or an approved testing firm, or submitting its own test data, to fulfill this requirement.

Should the facility choose to contract with an approved firm or submit its own test data, the AQMD will assess a fee of $250 to cover its costs for observation and compliance analysis of such tests. Any facility that chooses to submit emission data from continuous monitors in lieu of testing shall pay a fee of $500 to cover the costs of compliance analysis.

The following schedule outlines the current charges for AQMD testing activities:

g. A fee shall be paid for services rendered by the AQMD for photocopies and transcription of tapes to reimburse the AQMD for actual costs incurred. (Amended 7-28-87)

h. All fees collected pursuant to Rule 2:11 and 4:4 will be deposited in the AQMD fund and shall be used solely to defray the expenses in administering the services required in the operation of the AQMD .(Amended 7-29-87)

i. If payment of any required fee as stated in Rule 2:1 or 4:4 is not received within thirty (30) days of notice of assessment by the APCO, the fee shall be increased by one-half the amount due. The owner or operator shall thereupon be notified by mail of the increased fee.

4. Fees For California Air Resources Board (CARB) Atmospheric Acidity Protection Program

a. Purpose

This fee regulation is to implement the Atmospheric Acidity Protection Act of 1988 (Health and Safety Code Sections 39900-39911). This Act authorized the CARB to require local air pollution control districts to impose additional variance and permit fees on major non-vehicular sources which emit 500 tons per year or more of either sulfur or nitrogen oxides to partially fund the Atmospheric Acidity Protection Program.

The fees collected shall be in addition to permit and other fees already authorized to be collected from such sources.

b. Transfer of Fees Collected

The APCO shall transfer the fees required by the rule, less an amount equal to the AQMD's administrative costs of establishing the program and collecting and transmitting the fees, to the CARB for deposit into the Air Pollution Control Fund no later than 180 days after the effective date of the fee schedule adopted by the Board in each fiscal year of the program.

c. Administrative Costs

The administrative costs of collecting the fees required by this Rule shall be determined by the total number of staff hours expended in establishing and implementing the fee regulation in each fiscal year, calculated directly in accordance with AQMD Rule 2:11a.3(e).

d. Definitions: For the purpose of this rule:

• Major non-vehicular source: Any plant, building, structure, stationary facility or group of facilities under the same ownership that in the base calendar year emitted to the atmosphere oxides of nitrogen or oxides of sulfur, expressed as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide respectively, in an amount equal to or exceeding 500 tons.
• Base year emissions (BYE): The calendar year accumulative emissions of oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur that have been listed in an emission inventory used by the Air Resources Board to calculate fees for a particular year.
• CARB assessment: The assessed value for the AQMD in Section 90621 of the California Administrative Code, or any subsequent Section applicable in future fiscal years.

e. Fee Schedule

The owner or operator of each major non-vehicular source is hereby assessed an Atmospheric Acidity Protection Program fee payable to the AQMD and due within thirty (30) days of notice of assessment by the APCO. This fee rate and major source fee shall be calculated by the following formulae:

Fee Rate = CARB Assessment divided by the Total Major Source Emissions of NOx and SOx (Tons/Year)

Major Source Fee = (Fee Rate) X (BYE) + Admin. Costs

5. Fees for CARB Implementation of the California Clean Air Act

a. Purpose

The purpose of this fee regulation is to implement the California Clean Air Act of 1988 (Health and Safety Code Section 39612).

This Act authorized the CARB to require local air pollution control districts to impose additional permit fees on major non-vehicular sources that emit 500 tons per year or more of non-attainment pollutants, or their precursors, to partially fund the Board's California Clean Air Act Program. The fees collected shall be in addition to permit and other fees already authorized to be collected from such sources.

b. Transfer of Fees Collected

The APCO shall transfer the fees required by the rule, less an amount equal to the AQMD's administrative costs of establishing the program and collecting and transmitting the fees, to the CARB for deposit into the Air Pollution Control Fund no later than 180 days after the effective date of the fee schedule adopted by the CARB in each fiscal year of the program.

c. Administrative Costs

The administrative costs of collecting the fees required by this rule shall be determined by the total number of staff-hours expended in establishing and implementing the fee regulation in each fiscal year, calculated directly in accordance with District Rule 2:11.a.3(e).

d. Definitions: For the purpose of this rule:

• Major non-vehicular source: Any plant, building, structure, stationary facility or group of facilities under the same ownership, which in the base calendar year, emitted to the atmosphere any non-attainment pollutant or precursors in an amount equal to or exceeding 500 tons.
• Base year emissions (BYE): The calendar year accumulative emissions of non-attainment pollutants or their precursors that have been listed in an emission inventory used by the CARB to calculate fees for a particular year.
• CARB assessment: The assessed value for the AQMD in Section 90800 of the California Administrative Code or any subsequent Section applicable in future fiscal years.
• Non-attainment pollutant: Any substance for which an area is designated in Sections 60200-60209 as not having attained a State ambient air quality standard listed in Section 70200,Title 17, Health and Safety Code.
• Non-attainment precursor: Any substance that reacts in the atmosphere to contribute to the production of a non-attainment pollutant or pollutants in an area designated in Sections 60200-60209 as not having attained a State ambient air quality standard listed in Section 70200, Title 17, California Code of Regulations. Rule 2:11
• Non-attainment pollutants and precursors shall be defined as follows for the purposes of this Rule:

e. Fee Schedule

The owner or operator of each major non-vehicular source is hereby assessed a California Clean Air Act fee, payable to the AQMD and due within thirty (30) days of notice of assessment by the APCO. This fee rate and major source fee shall be calculated by the following formulae:

Fee Rate = CARB Assessment divided by the Total Major Source Emissions of NOx and SOx (Tons/Year)

Major Source Fee = (Fee Rate) X (BYE) + Admin. Costs