Title 40

SECTION 71.25

71.25 Permit content.

§ 71.25 Permit content.

(a) Standard permit requirements. Each permit issued under this subpart shall include the following elements:

(1) Alternative emission limitation. An annual alternative emission limitation for hazardous air pollutants from the early reductions source reflecting the 90 percent reduction (95 percent for hazardous air pollutants which are particulate matter) which qualified the early reductions source for a compliance extension under subpart D of part 63 of this chapter.

(2) Additional limitations. Additional emission limiting requirements, such as limitations on operation, work practice standards, and any other emission limiting requirements for the early reductions source necessary to assure compliance with the alternative emission limitation.

(3) Monitoring requirements. Each permit shall contain the following monitoring requirements:

(i) All emissions monitoring and analysis procedures or test methods necessary to assure compliance with the emission limitations established under paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section. Such monitoring or testing shall be consistent with the demonstration made pursuant to § 63.74 of this chapter and any procedures and methods promulgated pursuant to sections 114(a)(3) or 504(b) of the Act;

(ii) Periodic monitoring or testing sufficient to yield reliable data from the relevant time period that are representative of the early reductions source's compliance with the permit. Such monitoring requirements shall assure use of terms, test methods, units, averaging periods, and other statistical conventions consistent with the demonstration made pursuant to § 63.74 of this chapter. Recordkeeping provisions may be sufficient to meet the requirements of this paragraph (a)(3)(ii); and

(iii) As necessary, requirements concerning the use, maintenance, and, where appropriate, installation of monitoring equipment or methods.

(4) Recordkeeping requirements. The permit shall contain recordkeeping requirements including the following, as applicable:

(i) Records of required monitoring information that include the following:

(A) The date, place as defined in the permit, and time of sampling or measurements;

(B) The date(s) analyses were performed;

(C) The company or entity that performed the analyses;

(D) The analytical techniques or methods used;

(E) The results of such analyses; and

(F) The operating conditions as existing at the time of sampling or measurement;

(ii) Retention of records of all required monitoring data and support information for a period of at least 5 years from the date of the monitoring sample, measurement, report, or application. Support information includes all calibration and maintenance records and all original strip-chart recordings for continuous monitoring instrumentation, and copies of all reports required by the permit.

(5) Reporting requirements. The permit shall require the following:

(i) Submittal of reports of all required monitoring at least every 6 months. All instances of deviations from permit requirements must be clearly identified in such reports; and

(ii) Prompt reporting of any deviations from permit requirements, including those attributable to upset conditions as defined in the permit. Such reports shall include the probable cause of such deviations and any corrective actions or preventive measures taken. The Administrator will define “prompt” in the permit for each situation and will do so in relation to the degree and type of deviation likely to occur.

(6) A severability clause to ensure the continued validity of the various permit requirements in the event of a challenge to any portions of the permit.

(7) Provisions stating the following:

(i) The permittee must comply with all conditions of part 71 permit issued under this subpart. A violation of an alternative emission limitation, as well as any other requirement established in a permit issued under this subpart, is enforceable pursuant to the authority of section 113 of the Act, notwithstanding any demonstration of continuing 90 percent (95 percent in the case of hazardous air pollutants which are particulates) emission reduction over the entire early reductions source. Any permit noncompliance constitutes a violation of the Act and is grounds for enforcement action or for permit termination, revocation and reissuance, or modification;

(ii) Need to halt or reduce activity not a defense. It shall not be a defense for a permittee in an enforcement action that it would have been necessary to halt or reduce the permitted activity in order to maintain compliance with the conditions of this permit;

(iii) The permit may be revised, revoked, reopened, and reissued, or terminated for cause. The filing of a request by the permittee for a permit revision, revocation and reissuance, or termination, or of a notification of planned changes or anticipated noncompliance does not stay any permit condition;

(iv) The permit does not convey any property rights of any sort, or any exclusive privilege; and

(v) The permittee shall furnish to the Administrator, within a reasonable time, any information that the Administrator may request in writing to determine whether cause exists for revising the permit, revoking and reissuing, or terminating the permit or to determine compliance with the permit. Upon request, the permittee shall also furnish to the Administrator copies of records required to be kept by the permitee.

(8) Terms and conditions for reasonably anticipated operating scenarios identified by the early reductions source in its application as approved by the Administrator. Such terms and conditions:

(i) Shall require the early reductions source, contemporaneously with making a change from one operating scenario to another, to record in a log at the permitted facility a record of the scenario under which it is operating. Provided that an emitting unit is monitored in a way that provides contemporaneous identification that a change to a particular alternate scenario has occurred, no notice to the Administrator is required. Otherwise, when such a change is made, the permittee at the beginning of the following week shall place in regular mail to the Administrator notice that a change to a particular alternate operating scenario has occurred; and

(ii) Must ensure that the terms and conditions of each such alternative scenario meet the alternative emission limitation and the requirements of this subpart.

(9) Terms and conditions, if the permit applicant requests them, for the trading of hazardous air pollutant emissions increases and decreases among emissions units within the early reductions source without permit revision or case-by-case approval of each emissions trade, provided that:

(i) Such terms and conditions include all terms required under paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section to determine compliance;

(ii) The changes in hazardous air pollutant emissions do not exceed the emissions allowable under the permit;

(iii) The changes in hazardous air pollutant emissions are not modifications under any provision of title I of the Act;

(iv) The Administrator determines that the emissions are quantifiable and that replicable procedures or other practical means exist to enforce the emission trades; and

(v) The early reductions source owner or operator provides the Administrator written notification at least 7 days in advance of the proposed changes and includes in the notification a description of the change in emissions that will occur, when the change will occur, and how the increases and decreases in emissions will comply with the alternative emission limitation and other terms and conditions of the permit.

(b) Federally enforceable requirements. All terms and conditions in a permit issued under this subpart are enforceable by the Administrator and citizens under the Act.

(c) Compliance requirements. All permits issued under this subpart shall contain the following elements with respect to compliance:

(1) Consistent with paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), and (a)(5) of this section, testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements sufficient to assure compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit. Any document (including reports) required to be submitted by a permit shall contain a certification by a responsible official that meets the requirements of § 71.24(f).

(2) Inspection and entry provisions that require that, upon presentation of credentials and other documents as may be required by law, the permittee shall allow the Administrator or an authorized representative to perform the following:

(i) Enter upon the permittee's premises where the early reductions source is located or emissions-related activity is conducted, or where required records are kept;

(ii) Have access to and copy, at reasonable times, any records that must be kept under the conditions of the permit;

(iii) Inspect at reasonable times any facilities, equipment (including monitoring and air pollution control equipment), practices, or operations regulated or required under the permit; and

(iv) Sample or monitor at reasonable times substances or parameters for the purpose of determining compliance with the permit.

(3) Requirements for compliance certification with terms and conditions contained in the permit, including the alternative emission limitation. Permits shall include each of the following:

(i) The frequency (not less than annually) of submissions of compliance certifications;

(ii) Consistent with paragraph (a)(3) of this section, a means for monitoring the compliance of the early reductions source with its alternative emission limitation;

(iii) A requirement that the compliance certification include the following:

(A) The identification of each term or condition of the permit that is the basis of the certification;

(B) The compliance status;

(C) Whether compliance was continuous or intermittent;

(D) The method(s) used for determining the compliance status of the early reductions source, currently and over the reporting period consistent with paragraph (a)(3) of this section; and

(E) Such other facts as the Administrator may require to determine the compliance status of the early reductions source;

(iv) A requirement that all compliance certifications be submitted to the Administrator or the Administrator's designated agent; and

(v) Such additional requirements as may be specified pursuant to sections 114(a)(3) and 504(b) of the Act.

(4) Such other provisions as the Administrator may require.

(d) Permit shield. (1) The Administrator will expressly include in a permit issued pursuant to this subpart a provision stating that compliance with the conditions of the permit shall be deemed compliance with part 63, subpart D, of this chapter (the Early Reductions Rule), as of the date of permit issuance.

(2) A permit shield may be extended to all permit terms and conditions for alternate operating scenarios pursuant to paragraph (a)(9) of this section or that allow increases and decreases in hazardous air pollutant emissions pursuant to paragraph (a)(10) of this section.

(3) Nothing in this paragraph (d) or in any permit issued pursuant to this subpart shall alter or affect the following:

(i) The provisions of sections 112(r) and 303 of the Act (emergency orders);

(ii) The liability of an owner or operator of an early reductions source for any violation of applicable requirements prior to or at the time of permit issuance; or

(iii) The ability of the Administrator to obtain information from an early reductions source pursuant to section 114 of the Act.

(e) Emergency provision - (1) Definition. An “emergency” means any situation arising from sudden and reasonably unforeseeable events beyond the control of the early reductions source, including acts of God, which situation requires immediate corrective action to restore normal operation, and that causes the early reductions source to exceed an emission limitation under the permit, due to unavoidable increases in emissions attributable to the emergency. An emergency shall not include noncompliance to the extent caused by improperly designed equipment, lack of preventative maintenance, careless or improper operation, or operator error.

(2) Effect of an emergency. An emergency constitutes an affirmative defense to an action brought for noncompliance with such an emission limitation if the conditions of paragraph (e)(3) of this section are met.

(3) The affirmative defense of emergency shall be demonstrated through properly signed, contemporaneous operating logs, or other relevant evidence that:

(i) An emergency occurred and that the permittee can identify the cause(s) of the emergency;

(ii) The permitted facility was at the time being properly operated;

(iii) During the period of the emergency the permittee took all reasonable steps to minimize levels of emissions that exceeded the emission limitation, or other requirements in the permit; and

(iv) The permittee submitted notice of the emergency to the Administrator within 2 working days of the time when emission limitations were exceeded due to the emergency. This notice fulfills the requirement of paragraph (a)(5)(ii) of this section. This notice must contain a description of the emergency, any steps taken to mitigate emissions, and corrective actions taken.

(4) In any enforcement proceeding, the permittee seeking to establish the occurrence of an emergency has the burden of proof.