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Public Participation

  Environmental Protection   >   Air Quality   >   Public Participation

Stakeholder Involvement

The Air Quality Bureau frequently seeks input and recommendations from stakeholders on various planning and rulemaking activities, along with permits that will be issued.

  • Public Input allows opportunities for comment and general information to review Air Quality rulemakings and draft permits. Please see the fact sheet Making Your Comments Count for tips on making effective comments.
  • Meetings are ongoing, regularly scheduled meetings to discuss current and upcoming regulatory issues.
  • Workgroups are established to assist the Air Quality Bureau with specific air quality program implementation activities.

Interested members of the public can view agendas, documents, and general information; meeting and workgroup activities can also be tracked.

Please note that not all categories will have items available for comment at all times. Public meetings being held throughout the state are also available on the State of Iowa public meeting calendar.

Public Input

Meetings - Fee Advisory Groups

Legislation passed by the 86th session of Iowa General Assembly (Senate File 488) established authority to collect application fees for new source air construction permits at major sources. Construction permit application fees will pay for the reasonable direct and indirect costs of implementing and administrating new source review programs for major sources. The legislation directs the DNR to convene a fee advisory group to obtain recommendations regarding these fees for major source air construction permits, including Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits. The advisory group will meet at least once annually to consider the fees. For more information contact Jim McGraw at Jim.Mcgraw@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-689-1439.

Construction Permits

* The Iowa DNR is proposing to issue these construction permit(s). Written comments should be directed immediately to the assigned engineer.

Operating Permits

Meetings - Air Quality Client Contact

Air Quality Client Contact Meetings focus on current and upcoming air program issues and changes. The meetings provide an open forum for stakeholders and the general public to discuss new state and federal air quality rules or air program developments and are a good source of information for anyone who works with or has an interest in activities related to air quality.

All meetings are open to the public.


Workgroups

+ Executive Order 10 Implementation

Final Air Quality Rules and Rule Change Crosswalk

After providing stakeholder engagement and considering both informal input and formal public comments, the DNR has finalized air quality rule changes to implement Executive Order 10 (EO10). The final rules for section 567 Iowa Administrative Code (IAC), Chapters 15 and 20-35, were published on May 15, 2024, in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin and in the IAC Supplement (available at legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/bulletinSupplementListings.) The rule changes became effective on June 19, 2024. The updated 567 IAC with the new chapters can also be accessed at legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/agencies

For assistance navigating the new air quality rules, please access the EO10 Rules Crosswalk:

For questions, please contact Christine Paulson at Christine.Paulson@dnr.iowa.gov or by phone at 515-725-9510. 

Background on Executive Order 10

Executive Order 10 (EO10) signed by the Governor on January 10, 2023, requires all state agencies to identify which administrative rule chapters will be retained or rescinded. For more information on EO10 please go to the Governor's Office webpage for Executive Orders.

The EO10 process for both the review of existing rule chapters and the reauthorization of rule chapters that will be retained includes public engagement with the opportunity for meaningful input throughout the process. Opportunities for public input and information for public review during the Air Quality Bureau's implementation of EO10 will be posted below as they become available.

Previous EO10 Activities, Rulemaking Documents, and Stakeholder Meetings

The DNR held a formal public comment period from Dec. 27, 2023 - Jan, 30, 2024, for the DNR's proposed air quality rule changes (Notices of Intended Action), which were published in the IAB on Dec. 27. Public hearings were held on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30. 

Previously, the DNR held a public comment period from Sept. 6 - Sept. 28, 2023, for the DNR's regulatory analysis and the draft rule changes, which were published in the IAB on Sept. 6. A public hearing on the draft changes was held on September 28.  

Draft Rule Changes (Redline/Tracked) Previously Provided for Informal Public Input

EO10 Stakeholder Meetings and Materials

The DNR Air Quality Bureau held four stakeholder meetings between March and July 2023. At these meetings, held March 14, May 18, June 15, and July 11, the Air Quality Bureau shared its EO10 implementation plans, schedules, and draft rule changes. Stakeholders had the opportunity to provide feedback and informal comments at the meetings and during the informal review period following each meeting.

To stay current on EO10 and other air quality rulemaking activities, be sure to subscribe to Air Quality News through GovDelivery at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/IACIO/subscriber/new?topic_id=IACIO_421. If you have difficulty, please contact DNR's Wendy Walker at 515-725-9570.

For more information contact Christine Paulson at Christine.Paulson@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-725-9510.

Sulfur Dioxide Data Requirements Rule Report

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Data Requirements Rule (DRR) (80 FR 51052, August 21, 2015) requires states to submit an annual report documenting SO2 emissions in areas where modeling of actual SO2 emissions served as the basis for designating the area attainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The annual reports are due by July 1 and each must include an assessment of the cause of any emissions increases from the previous year and a recommendation regarding whether additional modeling is needed. 

No DRR report is currently on public comment. The most recent report, and those for prior years, are available on the DNR's Implementations Plans webpage, under the "Designation Recommendations" heading, within the "2010 SO2 (include Muscatine 1-hour SO2 Nonattainment Area)" section.

The Air Quality Bureau is convening a stakeholder advisory group to receive input on a potential rule making regarding requiring electronic submittal of air emissions inventory reports, air permit applications, and other air quality documents. An advisory group meeting will be held with Zoom on August 19 at 10 am [air electronic submittals advisory group meeting, add to calendar]. Registration details are included in the meeting agenda.

For more information please contact Jessica Reese Mcintyre at jessica.reesemcintyre@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-725-9547, or Jim Mcgraw at jim.mcgraw@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-689-1439. For information on the potential rule making, please contact Christine Paulson at christine.paulson@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-725-9510.

The DNR held a value stream mapping event (VSM) on October 17 – 20, 2016. This was a collaborative event with six industry representatives and was co-facilitated by the Department of Management. The VSM participants thoroughly discussed various opportunities to transform Title V permitting and came to consensus on six key deliverables to improve efficiency:

  • optional pre-application meeting
  • optional pre-technical review meetings
  • improved application forms
  • metrics to determine missing information and customer satisfaction
  • critical information earlier in the process
  • directory for just-in-time sharing of internal data

These deliverables will relate to receiving better information from our applicants, thereby improving the efficiency of the DNR staff who will no longer spend time collecting information that could have been provided up front.

Since three of these improvements are more complex in nature, the DNR is asking for the input of additional team members. Two workgroups will be held between January 17 and 20, 2017 to address the optional pre-meetings and improvements to the application forms. The workgroups will consist of a diverse group of twelve to fifteen industry representatives.

Additional Information:

If you have comments or questions about the VSM event, please contact Marnie Stein, Title V permit supervisor, at 515-725-9525 or marnie.stein@dnr.iowa.gov.

Title V Workgroups

Representatives from eight businesses collaborated with Title V permit writing staff from the DNR and Linn County in two workgroups held between January 17 and 20, 2017. One team addressed optional pre-meetings for hands-on help with the application, likely resulting in a faster application review time a permit that better reflects the needs of the business. The second team simplified the Title V application forms by creating excel spreadsheet versions of some forms, allowing the use of previous versions of the forms, reducing the information requested, and updating the application instructions.

Proposed Modeling Updates

DNR Seeking Input on Proposed Updates to Air Dispersion Modeling Guidance 

The DNR is seeking public input on proposed changes to our air dispersion modeling guidance. These updates are aimed at decreasing unnecessary regulatory burden related to new annual PM2.5  NAAQS while preserving air quality protection by refocusing our modeling efforts and refining the model estimates. Proposed updates include:

  • Revise modeling triggers to be on an averaging period basis for each pollutant.
  • Develop site-specific background data annually that excludes the influence of smoke events, such as wild fires.
  • Use site-specific PM2.5  and PM10 backgrounds in modeling determinations, if available. 
  • Refine model inputs, when possible, to reduce concentrations below future modeling thresholds.
  • Screen out adjacent facilities if their potential to emit is less than the applicable ton per year significant emission rate.
  • Cease evaluation of combined impacts on shared boundaries where public access is precluded.

Additional details about these changes, as well as draft versions of affected guidance documents are available below:

Please send any comments to Brad Ashton at Brad.Ashton@dnr.iowa.gov, or by phone at 515-725-9527 by 7/8/2024. The DNR will release the final guidance after reviewing, addressing, and responding to all comments that are received.