/2rEPAHearingonProposedActionstoIssuePermitsunderthePSDProgramtoSourcesofGreenhouseGasEmissionsSeptember14,2010TestimonyoftheSierraClubGoodmorning.MynameisCraigSegallandIamanattorneywiththeSierraClub.ThankyoufortheopportunitytocommentontheproposedStateImplementationPlan(“SIP”)callandFederalImplementationPlan(“FIP”)whichEPAhasproposedtoensurethatstategreenhousegaspermittingcontinuestofunctionsmoothly.See75Fed.Reg.53,892(Sept.2,2010)&75Fed.Reg.53,883(Sept.2,2010).Wewillalsosubmitwrittencomments.TheCleanAirActprovidesthat“airpollutioncontrolatitssourceistheprimaryresponsibilityofStatesandlocalgovernments,”whilerecognizingthat“Federalfinancialassistanceandleadershipisessential”tosupportthestates.42U.S.C.§7401(a).Globalwarmingpollutionposesanespeciallypressingpollutioncontrolresponsibility.TheSierraClubagreeswithEPAthat“[t]hesciencesupportingtheAdministrator’sfindingthatelevatedconcentrationsofgreenhousegasesintheatmospheremayreasonablybeanticipatedtoendangerthepublichealthandwelfareofcurrentandfutureU.S.generationsisrobust,voluminous,andcompelling.”75Fed.Reg.49,557,49,557(Aug.13,2010).Thelion’sshareofstationarysourcegreenhousegasemissionscomesfromjustafewthousandverylargefacilities.SeeTableV-i,75Fed.Reg.31,514,31,540(June3,2010).EPAhasthereforeappropriatelydecidedtophaseincontrolrequirements,focusinginitiallyonlyonthesedominantpolluters.SeeId.Becausegreenhousesgasesarepollutants“subjecttoregulation”undertheCleanAirAct,newfacilities,andfacilitiesconductingmajorconstructionprojects,arerequiredtousethe“bestavailablecontroltechnology”tolimittheiremissions,andtoobtainpermitscontainingtheselimitationsbeforetheybeginconstruction.See42U.S.C.§7475;seealsoMassachusettsv.EPA,549U.S.497(2007).Manyofthesefacilitieshavelongexperiencewiththispreconstructionpermittingprocessforotherpollutantsandwillreadilyadapttothisadditionalresponsibility.Weexpectthatthetechnologiesusedtocontrolgreenhousegases—includingcontrollingleaks,usingmoreefficientboilers,orburningcleanerfuels—willbefamiliartomostemitters,andwillberelativelyinexpensivetoincludeinthepre-constructionplanningprocess.Stateshavetheexperience,andexpertisetobeginimplementingthesecontrols,butsomestateswillneedEPA’shelptoovercomesometechnicallegalhurdles.Specifically,althoughEPAhasdeterminedthatnewpre-constructionpermitsmustcontaingreenhousegaslimitsbeginningJanuary2,2011,see75Fed.Reg.17,004,17,007(Apr.2,2010),somestates’SIPshaveoutdatedlanguagewhichmaypreventthosestatesfromincludingsuchcontrolsatthattime.Untilthesestatesupdatetheirplans,theywillnotbeabletoissuelegalpre-constructionpermitstopollutersemittinggreenhousegases.See42U.S.C.§7477.Asaresult,importantprojectsmightnotbeabletomoveforward,astheywouldlackimportant,andlegally-required,pollutioncontrols.TheCleanAirActgivesEPAthetoolsitneedstopreventthatimpasse.WhenaSIPisinadequateinthisway,EPA“shallrequiretheStatetorevisetheplan,”42U.S.C.§7410(k)(5),witha“SIPcall”and,ifthestatecannotmaketherevisionsintime,mustputaFIPinplacetokeeppermittingrunninguntiltheStatefixestheproblem,42U.S.C.§7410(c).Thisoverlappingauthoritykeepsthestatesinthedriver’sseat;stateregulatorsmakethekeydecisionsonwhenandhowtorevisetheirplanstobeconsistentwithfederallawandEPAbacksthemupbyusingfederalauthorityintheinterim.WeagreewithEPAthat,withtheJanuary2,2011greenhousegascontroldeadlinefastapproaching,itmakessensetoissueaSIPcallbyearlyDecemberofthisyear.EPAmayestablish“reasonabledeadlines”forthestates,42U.S.C.§7410(k)(5),andweagreethata12-monthdeadlineisappropriateinthiscontext,whereEPAhasalreadybeguntoworkwiththestatesontheirrevisionsandwhereatmosphericgreenhousegasconcentrationsarewellabovesafelimitsandclimbingdaily.Wehope,likeEPA,thatmanystateswithout-datedregulationswilleithersucceedinmakingrevisionsbytheendofthisyear,ortakeEPAuponitsofferofsettinganearliersubmissiondeadline.StatesthattakeanearlierdeadlinewilltriggerEPA’slegalauthoritytosupplementtheirprogramswithfederalpermittingruleswhiletheycontinuetheirownstatelawrevisionsprocesses.See42U.S.C.§7410(c).WeagreewithEPAthatthisfederalauthority,orFIP,shouldapplyassoonasthesubmissiondeadlinesrun,whichwillhelpensurethatthereisnointerruptioninthepermittingprocess.EPAregularlyusesSIPcalls,andFIPs,liketheonesproposedtodaytohelpthestateskeeptheirrulesup-to-datewhileretainingtheirprimaryroleasguardiansoftheircitizens’healthandwelfare.Theprocessisoneofthehallmarksofthestate/federalcooperativepartnershipthatdrivestheCleanAirAct’scontinuedsuccess.Today’sproposedrulescontinueinthatlongtraditionastheyworktohelpstatescontrolthepressingproblemofglobalwarming.WethankEPAforitsefforts,andlookforwardtoworkingwithittoimplementtheserules._7-