The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reviews applications and issues all permits to sources of air emissions in Sedgwick County. These permits restrict the way a facility is constructed and operated, thus ensuring that emissions from the facility will have minimal impact on the surrounding population and the environment.
The local Air Quality Section assists local businesses, KDHE, and citizens who have questions or comments about the applications and permits, and also helps inform regulated emission sources about local, state, and federal air quality laws that affect their facilities.
Annual facility inspections of air pollution sources in Sedgwick County are conducted by the Air Quality Section to determine compliance with air regulations and permit conditions. Appropriate air pollution control equipment, as specified in the permit, must be in place and operating properly. Surveillance observations and routine inspections are also regularly conducted. These routine compliance audits help insure that sources in Wichita and Sedgwick County maintain compliance over time.
There were 247 facilities in Wichita and Sedgwick County that are required to maintain air pollution permits as of December 2004. Of these, 207 were inspected during the calendar year. These inspections were required annual inspections plus evaluation inspections of new or modified sources. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require complex inspections of many of these sources. Consequently, inspections are more thorough and take longer to complete than in the past. There are 21 large facilities that have Class I permits and 40 facilities that have Class II permits. All of these are inspected annually. In addition, there are also 186 smaller facilities (B sources) that are inspected on a rotating basis. Air quality staff conducted 131 inspections for asbestos containing materials at demolition sites in the City. Citizen complaints regarding major and minor sources are also investigated by the Air Quality Section.
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