40 C.F.R. § 49.5515

Current through October 31, 2024

Section 49.5515 - Federal implementation plan for Tri-Cities landfill, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

(a)Applicability. This section applies to the owner or operator of the project located on the Reservation of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) in Arizona, including any new owner or operator in the event of a change in ownership of the project.

(b)Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section. Except as specifically defined herein, terms used in this section retain the meaning accorded them under the Clean Air Act.

Actual emissions means the actual rate of emissions of a pollutant from an emissions unit as determined in paragraphs (1)-(3) of this definition:

(1) In general, actual emissions as of a particular date shall equal the average rate, in tons per year, at which the unit actually emitted the pollutant during a two-year period which precedes the particular date and which is representative of normal source operation. EPA shall allow the use of a different time period upon a determination that it is more representative of normal source operation. Actual emissions shall be calculated using the unit's actual operating hours, production rates, and types of materials processed, stored, or combusted during the selected time period.

(2) EPA may presume that the source-specific allowable emissions for the unit are equivalent to the actual emissions of the unit.

(3) For any emissions unit which has not begun normal operations on the particular date, actual emissions shall equal the potential to emit of the unit on that date.

Begin actual construction means, in general, initiation of physical on-site construction activities on an emissions unit which are of a permanent nature. Such activities include, but are not limited to, installation of building supports and foundations, laying of underground pipework, and construction of permanent storage structures. With respect to a change in method of operating this term refers to those on-site activities other than preparatory activities which mark the initiation of the change.

Building, structure, facility, or installation means all of the pollutant-emitting activities which belong to the same industrial grouping, are located on one or more contiguous or adjacent properties, and are under the control of the same person (or persons under common control) except the activities of any vessel. Pollutant-emitting activities shall be considered as part of the same industrial grouping if they belong to the same Major Group (i.e., which have the same two-digit code) as described in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1972, as amended by the 1977 Supplement (U.S. Government Printing Office stock numbers 4101-0065 and 003-005-00176-0, respectively).

Commence as applied to construction of a major stationary source or major modification means that the owner or operator has all necessary preconstruction approvals or permits and either has:

(1) Begun, or caused to begin, a continuous program of actual on-site construction of the source, to be completed within a reasonable time; or

(2) Entered into binding agreements or contractual obligations, which cannot be cancelled or modified without substantial loss to the owner or operator, to undertake a program of actual construction of the source to be completed within a reasonable time.

Construction means any physical change or change in the method of operation (including fabrication, erection, installation, demolition, or modification of an emissions unit) which would result in a change in actual emissions.

EPA means United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9.

Fugitive emissions means those emissions which could not reasonably pass through a stack, chimney, vent, or other functionally equivalent opening.

Lowest achievable emission rate means the more stringent rate of emissions based on the following:

(1) The most stringent emissions limitation which is contained in any State, Tribal, or federal implementation plan for such class or category of stationary source, unless the owner or operator of the project demonstrates that such limitations are not achievable; or

(2) The most stringent emissions limitation which is achieved in practice by such class or category of stationary sources. This limitation, when applied to a modification, means the lowest achievable emissions rate for the new or modified emissions units within a stationary source. In no event shall the application of the term permit a proposed new or modified stationary source to emit any pollutant in excess of the amount allowable under an applicable new source standard of performance.

Major stationary source means a stationary source of air pollutants which emits, or has the potential to emit, 100 tons per year or more of any pollutant subject to regulation under the Act. The fugitive emissions of a stationary source shall not be included in determining for any of the purposes of this project whether it is a major stationary source.

Potential to emit means the maximum capacity of a stationary source to emit a pollutant under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of the source to emit a pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on hours of operation or on the type or amount of material combusted, stored, or processed, shall be treated as part of its design only if the limitation or the effect it would have on emissions is federally enforceable. Secondary emissions do not count in determining the potential to emit of a stationary source.

Project means the construction of electricity-generating engines owned and operated by the Salt River Project at the Tri-Cities landfill, which are fueled by collected landfill gas.

Secondary emissions means emissions which would occur as a result of the construction or operation of a major stationary source, but do not come from the major stationary source itself. For the purpose of this section, secondary emissions must be specific, well defined, quantifiable, and impact the same general area as the stationary source which causes the secondary emissions. Secondary emissions include emissions from any offsite support facility which would not be constructed or increase its emissions except as a result of the construction of operation of the major stationary source. Secondary emissions do not include any emissions which come directly from a mobile source such as emissions from the tailpipe of a motor vehicle, from a train, or from a vessel.

Stationary source means any building, structure, facility, or installation which emits or may emit any air pollutant subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act.

(c)Requirement to submit an application. The owner or operator of the project shall submit an application for a permit to construct to EPA which contains all information necessary to perform any analysis or make any determination as required by this Federal Implementation Plan.

(d)Source obligations.

(1) The owner or operator of the project shall not begin actual construction on the project without obtaining a nonattainment New Source Review permit regulating emissions of air pollutants. The EPA Region 9 Regional Administrator has the authority to issue such a permit. Any permit issued by EPA shall ensure that the project meets the following requirements:

(i) By the time the project is to commence operation, the owner or operator of the project must have obtained sufficient reductions in actual emissions from existing facilities within the same nonattainment area which satisfy the requirements of section 173 of the Clean Air Act, to offset the potential to emit of the project;

(ii) The owner or operator of the project must comply with the lowest achievable emissions rate;

(iii) The owner or operator of the project must demonstrate that all major stationary sources owned or operated by such person (or by any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such person) located on the reservation of the SRPMIC are subject to emission limitations and are in compliance, or on a schedule for compliance, with all applicable emission limitations and standards under the Act; and

(iv) The owner or operator of the project has provided an analysis of alternative sites, sizes, production processes, and environmental control techniques for the proposed source which demonstrates that benefits of the proposed source significantly outweigh the environmental and social costs imposed as a result of its location or construction.

(2) If the owner or operator constructs or operates the project not in accordance with the application submitted pursuant to this section or with the terms of any approval to construct, or if the owner or operator subject to this section commences construction after January 24, 2000 without applying for and receiving approval under this section, then the owner or operator shall be subject to appropriate enforcement action.

(3) Approval to construct shall become invalid if construction is not commenced within 18 months after receipt of such approval, if construction is discontinued for a period of 18 months or more, or if construction is not completed within a reasonable time. The Administrator may extend the 18-month period upon a satisfactory showing that an extension is justified.

(4) Approval to construct shall not relieve any owner or operator of the responsibility to comply fully with applicable provisions of the Federal implementation plan and any other requirements under Tribal or Federal law.

(e)Public participation.

(1) When issuing a permit for the project, the EPA Region 9 Regional Administrator shall follow the procedures for decision making for PSD permits contained in 40 CFR part 124, including the requirements for public notice, consideration of and response to public comment, and the opportunity for public hearing.

(2) Within 30 days after the EPA Region 9 Regional Administrator has issued a final permit decision, any person who filed comments on the draft permit or participated in the public hearing, if one has been held, may petition the Environmental Appeals Board to review any condition of the permit. Review of the permit decision will be governed by the regulations for review of PSD permits contained in 40 CFR part 124.

40 C.F.R. §49.5515

64 FR 65663, Nov. 23, 1999. Redesignated at 83 FR 13191 , Mar. 28, 2018