Revised On: April 7, 2024 - 10:00 p.m.

Air Quality Authorities in Arizona

ADEQ works with three of Arizona's most populous counties to administer the provisions of the Clean Air Act and our state's air quality rules. The Maricopa County Air Quality Department, Pinal County Air Quality Control District and Pima County Department of Environmental Quality oversee permitting, inspections, and compliance and enforcement activities for air quality. ADEQ maintains oversight of county and state facilities within all other counties within Arizona, excluding tribal lands, for air quality related activities. EPA Region 9 is responsible for issuing air quality permits on tribal lands in Arizona except for Navajo Nation and Gila River Indian Community.

Maricopa County Air Quality Department | Visit Site > 

Pinal County Air Quality Control District | Visit Site > 

Pima County Department of Environmental Quality | Visit Site >

EPA Contact Resources for Arizona | Visit Site >

Permitting Help

General Permits

• Air Curtain Incinerator General Permits are issued for burning up to 35 tons per day of 100 percent wood waste, yard waste and clean lumber.  Each Air Curtain Incinerator under this general permit is required to have an "Authorization to Operate" (ATO) | Learn More >
• Concrete Batch Plant General Permits allow facilities to produce concrete and can be obtained online via myDEQ. This permit covers pugmills, silos, boilers, internal combustion engines, baghouses, storage bins, storage piles, wash plants, direct-fired fuel burning equipment and vehicular traffic | Learn More >
• Crushing and Screening General Permits allow facilities to produce crushed stone and can be obtained online via myDEQ. Concrete batch plants can also be operated under this permit to produce concrete. This permit covers crushers, screens, pugmills, silos, boilers, internal combustion engines, baghouses, storage bins, storage piles, wash plants, direct-fired fuel burning equipment and vehicular traffic | Learn More >
• Dust Action General Permits are issued to dust-generating operations within Maricopa County that do not currently have a PM₁₀ permit through ADEQ or Maricopa County Air Quality Department. This permit¹ specifies best management practices necessary to reduce or prevent PM₁₀ emissions as soon as practicable before and during a day that ADEQ forecasts to be at high risk of dust generation² | View Permit >
• Hospital General Permits are issued to medical facilities that operate boilers, emergency engines, and ethylene oxide sterilizers. Equipment covered under this general permit will be required to have an “Authorization to Operate” (ATO) | Learn More >
• Hot Mix Asphalt General Permits allow facilities to produce hot mix asphalt and can be obtained online via myDEQ. The permit covers drum dryers, asphalt heaters, water heaters, crushers, screens, pugmills, silos, boilers, internal combustion engines, baghouses, storage bins, storage piles, wash plants, direct-fired fuel-burning equipment and vehicular traffic | Learn More >
• Soil Vapor Extraction Unit General Permits are for equipment that extracts contaminants (typically solvents for gasoline) from below ground for treatment above ground.  Equipment covered under this general permit will be required to have an "Authorization to Operate" (ATO) | Learn More >

Individual Permits

• Class I Permits are issued to any source that meets certain requirements.³ Such sources include: any major source, defined as any source that has the potential to emit in an amount greater than or equal to 100 tons per year of any criteria air pollutant.⁴ A source is also considered major if actual or potential emissions is at or above 10 tons per year of any single Hazardous Air Pollutant or 25 tons per year of any combination of Hazardous Air Pollutants | Learn More >
• Class II Permits are issued to sources that do not qualify for Class I permits and that meet certain requirements.⁵ Such sources have the potential to emit in an amount greater than or equal to significant quantities of regulated air pollutants⁶ | Learn More >
• Open Burn Permits are issued to Arizonans to burn vegetative material to reduce yard waste and minimize the risk of wildfire spreading. Arizona residents can obtain this permit from one of the following based on the open burn location: local delegated fire jurisdiction or service provider, ADEQ, Maricopa, Pima & Pinal Counties, or Tribal Lands | Learn More >
• Registrations are issued to sources that do not qualify for a Class I permit or a Class II permit and that meet certain requirements.⁷ Such sources include sources that have a maximum capacity to emit in an amount greater than or equal to the permitting exemption thresholds⁸ | Learn More >

Reporting Help

Excess Emissions and Permit Deviations
Permittees must report all deviations, including those noted by the ADEQ inspector during an inspection. Permittees can refer to “Excess Emission, Permit Deviations and Emergency Reporting” Section in Attachment “A” of their permit to determine the timelines for deviation reporting. To report excess emissions and permit deviations, log in to myDEQ, ADEQ's online portal | Learn More >

Compliance Certification
ADEQ is migrating compliance certifications to the myDEQ portal for a more streamlined and user-friendly experience fulfilling annual or semi-annual compliance certification requirements | Learn More >

Please reach out to ADEQ to check the status of your compliance certification | Email >

Performance Testing
Facilities are required to submit performance test protocols and results for air pollutant emissions to ADEQ. The Arizona Testing Manual for Air Pollutant Emissions outlines the requirements for performance tests protocols and reporting | View/Download Testing Manual >

Environmental Complaints
ADEQ strives to identify and respond to environmental concerns. To report a complaint in Maricopa, Pinal or Pima County, use the local air quality regulatory authority’s complaint form. Otherwise, use ADEQ’s complaint form.

Maricopa County | View Form > 

Pinal County | View Form > 

Pima County | View Form > 

All other AZ counties | View Form >

Inspections & Enforcement

Field inspections can be planned, initiated through a file review or complaint, or, on occasion, occur unannounced. ADEQ can take informal or formal action against a facility and its owner if deficiencies are found during an inspection. ADEQ uses the informal compliance assurance tools, Notice of Opportunity to Correct Deficiencies (NOC) and the Notice of Violation (NOV) | View/Download Compliance Handbook > 

Other Air Quality Services

In addition to permitting, ADEQ:

• Conducts air dispersion modeling to determine air quality impacts from new sources or facility changes | Learn More >
• Provides outreach to agricultural operations on rule requirements and measures to reduce dust | Learn More >
• Enforces actions on demolition and construction activities associated with asbestos | Learn More >

¹Per Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 49, Chapter 3, Article 2, Section 49-457.05
²Pursuant to Section 40-424
³A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 302(B)(1)
⁴A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 101(75)
⁵A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 302(B)(2)
⁶A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 101(131)
⁷A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 302(b)(3)
⁸A.A.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Article 101(101)