Emission Permit
Sutok Environmental Engineering specializes in environmental consulting, with particular expertise in preparing and submitting emission permit applications for industrial facilities. Our services include the collection and organization of all required documentation, performing necessary calculations, and professional, precise submission of applications to the Ministry of Environmental Protection. We strictly adhere to timelines and maintain ongoing communication with facility staff, including on-site professional inspections.
Sutok accompanies clients throughout the entire emission permit application process, from initial data collection to receipt of the permit, ensuring every detail is addressed.
Moreover, our support continues after the permit is obtained, guiding clients through compliance with all requirements set by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Obtaining an emission permit is an integral part of the environmental regulatory process for industrial plants, as mandated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Sutok Environmental Engineering manages a variety of emission permit projects, both for existing facilities required to update their permits and for newly established factories, such as the new ammonia plant in the Negev, following the closure of the ammonia tank in Haifa.
Who Needs an Emission Permit?
According to the Clean Air Law (2008), facilities with significant potential for air pollution are obligated to obtain an emission permit as part of an integrated environmental regulatory framework. This is a legal condition for continued plant operation, as required by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
The objective of the law is:
“…to improve air quality and to prevent and reduce air pollution, among other means, by establishing prohibitions and obligations based on the precautionary principle, all to protect human life, health, and quality of life, as well as the environment- including natural resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity- for the benefit of the public and future generations and in consideration of their needs.”
What Is an Emission Permit?
An emission permit is a document detailing all relevant information about the site, its emissions, and its compliance with environmental standards. The permit also includes a comprehensive review of facility processes, comparing them to the Best Available Techniques (BAT) as defined in European BREF reference documents, representing the highest industry standard.
As part of the permit, a gap-closing plan for emissions reduction and BAT implementation is formulated.
An environmental impact assessment must also be conducted—covering issues such as air pollution dispersion, wastewater treatment and discharge, and other relevant factors, helping the authorities determine the permit conditions that will apply to the facility and ensure continued environmentally responsible operation.
Following issuance, the emission permit is valid for seven years, during which the facility must continually strive to improve processes, comply with requirements set by the ministry, and implement the latest BAT as it becomes available for its sector.
Given the complexity and technical knowledge required for preparing an emission permit application, many facilities seek professional environmental consulting to support this process.
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Steps of the Emission Permit Application Process:
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Submission of an application to renew an emission permit
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Review of application completeness and requests for additional information
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Submission of supplementary materials
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Evaluation of application substance and requests for further clarifications
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Response to substantive document
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Issuance of a draft emission permit
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Applicant comments on the draft permit
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Ministry response to applicant comments
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Public notice of the draft permit for public feedback
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Ministry response to public comments
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Issuance of the final emission permit
Contents of the Emission Permit Application:
The emission permit application includes:
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General information about the emission source
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Process survey
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Emission survey
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Gap analysis against BAT
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BAT selection justification
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Plan for closing gaps, implementing BAT, and reducing emissions
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Environmental survey
The permit begins with general information about the facility, its area, and geographic context, with corresponding maps and diagrams showing production, storage, and emission points.
Next, the process survey details all on-site operations that contribute to pollutant generation, including emission sources, pollutant removal methods, and technical process descriptions.
The review covers data on fuel combustion units, energy production, storage tanks, waste streams, cooling systems, industrial wastewater management, runoff, conveyance infrastructure, water and energy consumption, alongside a full energy survey.
Further, the emission source survey distinguishes between point sources (e.g., stacks) and area sources (e.g., piles, ponds), while describing all technologies and operational techniques in place for pollution reduction.
The emission survey documents both point and non-point air emissions, leaks from equipment, occasional or abnormal emissions, wastewater and any exceptional releases.
Odor and noise nuisance surveys are also conducted, along with a mass balance for emission accountability.
A thorough BAT review is performed to evaluate regulatory compliance and to identify any technical or organizational gaps.
Additional Aspects of the Emission Permit:
The permit assesses gaps in environmental policy (such as the operation of an environmental management system), technologies for pollutant treatment, site procedures and maintenance, response and reporting protocols for abnormal events, environmental sampling, energy efficiency, and ongoing regulatory reporting duties.
After the gap analysis, a plan is created to close these gaps, including improvements and technological upgrades as mandated by BAT requirements.
As part of the application, air emissions, environmental impact assessments must be carried out. The air emissions assessment examines how changes at the facility will affect pollutant concentrations nearby, based on dispersion models such as AERMOD or CALPUFF.
Key Takeaways:
Preparing an emission permit is a large and complex project, requiring deep technical understanding, regulatory expertise, and thorough familiarity with current standards and on-site technologies—both to reduce emissions and ensure economic and energetic efficiency.
Sutok provides end-to-end professional services for emission permit applications, maintaining timelines, supporting clients at every stage, and offering tailored guidance to optimize industrial processes, enhance environmental compliance, and save costs.
Our environmental consulting enables your business to meet all legal standards, avoid unnecessary fines and complaints, streamline your processes, and prioritize both public health and environmental protection.