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Air Quality Management
Maintaining clean air is our priority

Air Quality Management banner

Air Quality Management
Maintaining clean air is our priority

Headline 1: Follow Orange County's Open Burning Rules: instead of burning yard debris, bundle it and place it at the curb for yard waste collection day. Remember, where there's smoke, there's air pollution!

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May 16-17, 2025 Air Pollution Precaution

The Orange County Environmental Protection Division is issuing an Air Pollution Precaution due to elevated levels of ozone. Ozone levels are in the moderate range (51-100 AQI) with the Air Quality Index and will possibly move into the unhealthy for sensitive groups range (101-150 AQI) based on model projections.

Moderate and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups AQI values recommend that people sensitive to air pollution and groups that have health effects (elderly, children, people with respiratory disease) should limit their outdoor exposure. The general public should also avoid prolonged exposure outside.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ozone is one of the criteria air pollutants to be monitored via the Clean Air Act. Ground level ozone is not emitted directly into the air but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by vehicles and industrial sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments. It primarily affects children, the elderly and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. Additional information regarding Ground-Level Ozone can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution .

If you have any questions or need further information, please call the Environmental Protection Division, Ambient Air Monitoring Department Representative Regina Gilliland at (407) 836-1484. For current air quality information, visit www.airnow.gov.

AQM Section

The Air Quality Management (AQM) section ensures that the air quality of Orange County meets standards set forth in the Federal Clean Air Act and in the Florida Statutes.  The AQM section’s primary duties include permitting, compliance (including asbestos), monitoring, compliance assistance & outreach.

Permitting

AQM staff issue permits to regulate emissions generated by facilities in Orange County. These facilities include, but are not limited to, hospitals, bakeries, small power plants, painting operations, defense plants, and plastic manufacturing companies. Check our flow chart. Do you need a permit?

AQM staff meets with facility management prior to the submittal of permit applications. These meetings educate facility staff about the permit process and EPD expectations in order to help alleviate unnecessary informational requests after the submittal of the application. Additional permitting information and applications are available in the environmental permitting section at Permits and Licenses.

Facilities classified as a minor source of air pollution may be eligible for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Air General (AG) Permit Registration Program, which is administered by DEP’s Division of Air Resources Management (DARM). This program offers an alternative to individual air operating permits and simplifies the process.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates certain types of facilities without EPD involvement. Examples include the release of Greenhouse Gases and Freon, and the EPA’s Collision Repair Campaign (for additional information visit Environmental Protection Agency Collision Repair).

Compliance & Assistance

The AQM staff routinely inspects and audits over 200 air permitted facilities within Orange County.  Compliance assistance is offered to businesses wishing a preliminary audit of their facility in order to determine if they are meeting the permit conditions.  Visible emissions and stack test audits must be scheduled with the AQM section at least 15 days prior to the test date.

Asbestos inspections are conducted on buildings scheduled for renovation and demolition. Contractors must submit Notice for Demolition or Asbestos Renovation form and a Demolition Permit to the AQM section at least 10 days prior to the commencement of a job.

Monitoring

AQM staff operates stationary air monitoring stations located throughout Orange County.  Ambient air is monitored for Criteria Pollutants (pollutants deemed harmful to human health & the environment), which include: ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.  Current and historical ambient monitoring data can be located on FDEP’s website.  For current air quality conditions, check out EPA’s AIRNow website.

Outreach

The AQM section provides numerous outreach services to area business – from educational services designed to assist businesses reduce fuel consumption for fleet vehicles to lowering energy costs at their place of business.  Prior County projects involved:

  • Adding pollution control equipment to over 400 school buses and 93 heavy duty construction trucks (reducing tailpipe emissions by 50%)
  • Reduced petroleum fuel consumption by over 20% by using cleaner burning biodiesel, E85 (85% ethanol), and electricity as transportation fuels
  • Partnered with a national trucking company to assist them in converting a portion of their truck fleet from diesel to biodiesel
Through these sustainability initiatives the AQM section is taking proactive measures to reduce air emissions and improve Air Quality.

 

In 2010, the AQM section spearheaded Get Ready Central Florida (GRCF) (Facebook), a coalition of municipalities, utility providers, businesses, and electric vehicle enthusiasts committed to preparing Central Florida for electric transportation.  Through the efforts of GRCF, Orlando is now ranked, along with 13 other cities, as a national leader in electric transportation (according to the Rocky Mountain Institute).  Nearly 300 public charging stations have been installed within a 70 mile radius of downtown Orlando.

Contact Us

Environmental Protection Division
3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200
Orlando, FL 32803

Email:
Air Permit Inquiries: AirPermitsOrangeCounty@ocfl.net
Asbestos Inquiries: AsbestosInquiriesOrangeCounty@ocfl.net
Phone: (407) 836-1400
Fax: (407) 836-1499

All e-mail sent to this address becomes part of Orange County public record. Comments received by our e-mail subsystem can be read by anyone who requests that privilege. In compliance with "Government in the Sunshine" laws, Orange County Government must make available, at request, any and all information not deemed a threat to the security of law enforcement agencies and personnel.