“NJDEP Air Permits are Easy to Obtain”- Said Nobody Ever! (Infographic)

Part of many environmental advocacies that the state government of New Jersey has been heavily promoting for decades is the protection of clean air, both from a public health and welfare perspective.

Over the past 40 years, the ambient air in New Jersey has dramatically improved. According to NJDEP Division of Air Quality’s website, the better air quality was achieved by “constant air monitoring, inventories of sources, emission reduction plans, rules, permits, stack testing, air quality modeling and risk assessment, vehicle testing, inspections, and enforcement.”

That said, it is safe to say that a large number of companies based in New Jersey will ruin their reputation, all while trying to build and maintain one, by not understanding – let alone obtaining the right air permit suited for their operations.

To be fair, obtaining and maintaining air permits from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is no small accomplishment. The process is truly complex and time-consuming, yet businesses, operators, and individuals can’t do anything but to comply or they’ll get suspended, or worse banned to operate in the state.

That said, NJDEP has provided a free software application called RADIUS which allows applicants to submit air emission statements and air permit applications online. However, even with this software, there is no guarantee that a person or facility will enter the right data in the right section, or even complete the right application form suited to their equipment. The accuracy of data entry may further delay the issuance of a permit which could lead to disruption of operations and even heavy penalties.