Official State of Iowa Website Here is how you know

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.

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.


+ Executive Order 10 Implementation

Comment Opportunity for Proposed Air Quality Rule Changes (updated Dec. 21, 2023)

As part of the implementation requirements for Executive Order 10 (EO10), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a formal public comment period from December 27, 2023 – January 30, 2024, for proposed rule changes to the air quality chapters. The published proposals (Notices of Intended Action) are slated for publication in the December 27 edition of Iowa Administrative Bulletin (IAB), available at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/bulletinSupplementListings.

The public may provide written comments on the documents for each air quality chapter of the Iowa Administrative Code (567 IAC Chapters 15 and 20-35). Additionally, two virtual public hearings on the proposed changes will be held on Monday, January 29, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, and on Tuesday, January 30, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. To participate in the hearings, please register at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88467152068?pwd=dDhDcmNnMzM0Z2FIalBYeUlEdEFaQT09 and https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86884058351?pwd=bTJtejFhYzhEaXlveURLcjA1M1B4dz09, respectively.

Written comments may be sent to Christine Paulson by email to Christine.Paulson@dnr.iowa.gov, or by mail to the Iowa DNR, Attn: Christine Paulson, 502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. All public comments must be received no later than 4:30 pm on January 30.

For questions, please contact Christine Paulson at the email provided above 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 public comment period from September 6 – September 28, 2023, for the DNR’s regulatory analysis and proposed rule changes to the air quality chapters. The proposals were published on September 6 in the IAB and remain available at legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/bulletinSupplementListings. 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.

1-Hour SO2 Interstate Transport Plan

The DNR invites the public to provide comment on a proposed revision to Iowa's state implementation plan (SIP) to address the interstate transport provisions of Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(l) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS).

The interstate transport, or "good neighbor" provisions of the CAA are designed to protect downwind states from air pollution that may originate in upwind states. To comply with its requirements, the DNR is proposing a SIP revision to demonstrate that no air emissions sources in Iowa contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state. The draft plan is accessible through the link below. 

Draft 1-Hour SO2 Interstate Transport Plan

Public Comments & Public Hearing Information

Anyone may make written comments on this proposed SIP revision. The comment period starts on February 21, 2024. Written comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on March 21, 2024, and may be sent to:

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Air Quality Bureau
c/o Matthew Johnson
502 East 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

Or email: matthew.johnson@dnr.iowa.gov

A public hearing will be held virtually on Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Shortly before the 2:00 p.m. start time, participants may access the hearing as follows:

Video Conference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86400651563?pwd=R2UxTUNmcDAyY001UVNXM3RaSnpoUT09

Teleconference: 305-224-1968; Meeting ID: 864 0065 1563; Passcode: 959301

Those who wish to make comments at the public hearing will be asked to state their name or affiliation for the record.

DNR will summarize and respond to public comments after the close of the public comment period and will include the responsiveness summary in the final plan. DNR will submit the final plan to EPA as a revision to Iowa’s SIP. The final documents will be posted online at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Air-Quality/Implementation-Plans

Individuals with disabilities or limited English proficiency are encouraged to participate in all DNR activities, including submitting public comments. If a reasonable accommodation or language services are needed to participate, contact the Air Quality Bureau staff member listed or Relay Iowa TTY Service at 800-735-7942 in advance to advise them of your specific needs. DNR’s language access and disability nondiscrimination plans are available at https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Environmental-Justice.

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.