Permit Assistance Questions
To determine whether a permit may be applicable to your business activities, review the questions below and mark “yes” or “no” to each question. Then, contact each respective program for follow up questions, consult the listed resources for more information, and apply for permit applications where necessary.
If you are still unsure where to start, have a project that may be permitted by more than one NDEE permitting section, or have general questions about the permitting process, reach out to the NDEE Environmental Assistance Coordinator by phone 402-471-8697 or email NDEE.Assistance@nebraska.gov. The coordinator can assist in answering questions and in directing you to the appropriate NDEE staff member or resource for your inquiries. They can also help set up a One Stop Shop meeting where you can present your business activities to a team of permitting staff who will give you feedback on the permitting process and potential applicable permits based on the information provided.
Two categories of permits which your facility may fall under are either general or individual permits. Individual permits are site-specific permits that take longer to authorize as regulations require that they must go through a public review and comment process. Individual permits must be submitted to each permitting program in a certain amount of days prior to regulated activities. General permits have already gone through the public review and comment process which facilitates a less time intensive authorization process.
Overview of NDEE Air, AFO, and Wastewater Permitting Programs
NDEE Permitting Programs
| AIR CONSTRUCTION AND OPERTATING |
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| Will your business involve the installation or construction of any process equipment that has the potential to emit air contaminants? |
| Will your business involve an expansion that will include the installation or construction of any equipment that has the potential to emit air contaminants? |
| Will your business involve the installation of an incinerator or bake-off oven? |
| Will your business involve the installation of standby generators? |
| Will your business involve the installation of an aggregate processing plant? |
| Will your business involve the installation of an asphalt plant? |
| Will your business involve the installation of a surface coating/paint operations? |
If you have answered “yes” to any of the “Air Construction and Operating” questions above, or if you are unsure whether your business will involve any of the listed activities, please reach out to a NDEE Air Permitting team member by email NDEE.AirQuality@nebraska.gov. Also, to look more in-depth at the air regulations and other online resources that are applicable to our Air Construction and Operating Permitting Programs, consult the following resources:
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| DRINKING WATER CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING |
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Will your project involve the construction or alteration of a public water system? If “yes”, a permit is likely to be required. Visit our Drinking Water Engineering Program webpage for more information or contact a Drinking Water Engineer team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.Engineering@nebraska.gov. |
Will your project involve the formation or change of ownership of a public water system? If “yes”, a permit is required. Contact a Drinking Water Program team member by phone 402-471-0930 or by email NDEE.DrinkingWater@nebraska.gov. |
To look more in-depth at the Public Water System regulations, consult:
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| UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL |
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Will your project involve the injection of liquids into the subsurface? If “yes”, a permit is required. Visit our Underground Injection Control Program webpage for more information or contact a Groundwater Program team member by phone 402-471-4290 or by email NDEE.Groundwater@nebraska.gov. To look more in-depth at the Public Water System regulations, consult:
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Will your project involve drilling into the subsurface for the purpose of identifying protentional mineral resource? If “yes”, a permit is required. Visit our Mineral Exploration Program webpage for more information or contact a Groundwater Program team member by phone 402-471-4290 or by email NDEE.Groundwater@nebraska.gov. To look more in-depth at the mineral exploration regulations, consult:
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| WASTEWATER FACILITY (WWF) |
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Will your project involve the construction or alteration of any sewage collection, treatment, or pre-treatment? If “yes”, a permit is likely to be required. Visit our Wastewater Facility Program webpage for more information or consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.Engineering@nebraska.gov. |
| SWIMMING POOLS |
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Will your project involve the construction or modification of a public swimming pool or spa? If “yes”, a construction permit may be required. Visit our Swimming Pool Program webpage for more information or consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.ESPPermitting@nebraska.gov. |
Will your business be operating a public swimming pool or spa? If “yes”, an operating permit may be required. Visit our Swimming Pool Program webpage for more information consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.ESPPermitting@nebraska.gov. |
| MOBILE HOME PARKS |
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Will your project be constructing or expanding a mobile home park? If “yes”, a construction permit may be required. Consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.Engineering@nebraska.gov. |
Will your business be operating a mobile home park? If “yes”, an operating permit may be required. Consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.ESPPermitting@nebraska.gov. |
| RECREATIONAL PARKS |
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Will your project be constructing or expanding a recreation camp? If “yes”, a construction permit may be required. Consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.Engineering@nebraska.gov. |
Will your business be operating a recreation camp? If “yes”, an operating permit may be required. Consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to you project, contact a Drinking Water Engineering team member by phone 402-471-0522 or by email NDEE.ESPPermitting@nebraska.gov. |
| CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER |
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Will your project disturb more than one acre of soil during construction? Is the combined area of disturbance for a whole project more than one acre? If “yes” to either question, a construction permit is likely required. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to your project, contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov. |
| INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER |
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Will your facility and its activities be exposed to stormwater? Requirements of the permit are based on the activities of the facility and if pollutants are exposed to stormwater. If “yes”, a permit is likely required. Visit NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
If your facility is one of the industries in Appendix D, do you meet the qualifications for no exposure? Please see Attachment 2 and apply using the online application. If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to your project, contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov. |
| WASTEWATER |
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Will your facility discharge wastewater? If “yes”, you may qualify for a wastewater permit. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to your project, contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov. |
Will your facility discharge process wastewater, or water that comes into contact with your products at any point? If “yes”, you may qualify for a process wastewater permit. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
If you plan on discharging the process wastewater to a stream, please contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov or fill out an application. If you are unsure whether this activity is applicable to your project, contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov. |
Will your facility discharge process wastewater into a sanitary sewer? If “yes”, it may qualify under the Nebraska Pretreatment Program. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
Please contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov, if you have further questions or are unsure if the activity is applicable to your project, or fill out an application. |
Will your facility discharge non-process wastewater? This may be something like boiler blowdown, non-contact cooling water, reverse osmosis reject water, or blowdown. If “yes”, you may qualify for a non-process wastewater permit. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
Please contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov, if you have further questions or are unsure if the activity is applicable to your project, or fill out an application. |
| LIVESTOCK |
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Will you be building an animal feeding operation? Is this an animal feeding operation subject to Title 130? If “yes”, you may need to have the site inspected prior to building. Visit our Livestock Waste Control Program webpage for more information or consult:
Please contact the Livestock Compliance Section at 402-471-0282, if you have further questions or are unsure if the activity is applicable to your project, or fill out a request for inspection. |
Will you be applying for a Construction and Operating permit for an animal feeding operation, or a CAFO NPDES permit? If “yes”, you will need to fill out an application and the corresponding Applicant Disclosure form. Visit our NPDES and State Permit Program webpage for more information or consult:
Please contact a NPDES and State Permit team member by email NDEE.CSW@nebraska.gov, if you have further questions or are unsure if the activity is applicable to your project. |
| SOLID WASTE |
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Will you be generating solid waste onsite?
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Will you compost solid waste?
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Will the facility be designed to store waste until it can be transferred to a permanent disposal site?
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Will you receive solid waste from other sites for processing or reuse?
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If you have answered “yes” to any of the “Solid Waste” questions above, or if you are unsure whether your business will involve any of the listed activities, please reach out to a NDEE Waste Permitting team member by email NDEE.SolidWaste@nebraska.gov. For more information our Solid Waste Program, consult:
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