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MassDEP Facility-Wide Emission Restrictions, Caps & Reporting

A number of Massachusetts facilities operate with voluntary or imposed limits on their air emissions. They are required to keep records of operating parameters, in some cases submit annual reports to MassDEP, and notify the agency if they exceed any limits.

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Restrictions & Caps Overview

A number of Massachusetts facilities operate with voluntary or imposed limits on their emissions of specific air pollutants.

Facilities operating with these restrictions or caps are required to:

  • Keep on-site records of operating parameters;
  • Report monthly and 12-month rolling emissions data to the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in some cases, and
  • Notify the agency if they exceed any of the emission limits specified in their approval letters from the agency.

Facilities may complete their annual reports on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and submit them to MassDEP.

Timely facility reporting of emissions and exceedances, and maintenance of accurate on-site records, are among the mechanisms that MassDEP uses to determine a facility's compliance status.

Application & Notification Forms

Your Massachusetts facility may opt to apply for:

  • Restricted Emissions Status (RES) if you want to legally limit its potential emissions through a restriction on raw materials use.
  • A 50% or 25% Facility-Wide Emissions Cap if your facility's federal potential emissions are equal to or exceed one or more major facility thresholds.

By voluntarily restricting or capping emissions, you may be able to exempt your facility from the Operating Permit & Compliance Program, or lower its MassDEP annual compliance fees.

Key Actions   for Application & Notification Forms

Apply for Restricted Emissions Status (RES)  Voluntarily Elect to Cap Your Facility's Emissions 

Record-Keeping & Reporting

As owner/operator of a facility with either restricted emissions status or a facility-wide emissions cap, you are required to keep on-site records documenting emissions.

You may use the interactive Microsoft Excel workbook provided for this purpose and also submit it to MassDEP to fulfill your annual reporting requirements.

The workbook is designed to be completed electronically, and will automatically populate all reporting dates and calculate 12-month rolling totals as monthly emissions values are entered.

Please note: Facilities with 25% or 50% emissions caps are not required to submit annual reports unless MassDEP specifically directs them to do so.

Additional Resources   for Record-Keeping & Reporting

Open PDF file, 33.78 KB,  Instructions: Emissions Restriction & Cap Record-Keeping & Reporting (English, PDF 33.78 KB)
Open XLS file, 394.5 KB,  Workbook for Annual Emissions Reporting & On-Site Record Keeping (English, XLS 394.5 KB)

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