Opinion ID: 2812638
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The discharge will be in compliance

Text: with all permit conditions established pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section. Paragraph (d) then provides certain conditions that are mandatory for permits issued pursuant to paragraph (c), including a monitoring program to assess the impact of the discharge on aquatic life, and a clause providing for revocation of the permit if the director determines at any time that continued discharges may cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment. Proceeding under paragraph (a), the director determined on the basis of available information that the discharge would not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment after the monitoring condition and cancellation clause of paragraph (d) were added to the Permit. EPA accordingly issued the Permit. AEWC argues that, because the EPA applied two conditions specified in paragraph (d), the EPA somehow became subject to paragraph (c) and its requirement that the director determine that there were no reasonable alternatives to on-site disposal of materials. This contention, however, simply is not what the regulations provide. The director was free to impose two conditions specified in paragraph (d), as paragraph (a) authorized. Nothing in the regulations provides that proceeding in such a manner somehow converts a paragraph (a) proceeding to a paragraph (c) proceeding. ALASKA ESKIMO WHALING COMM’N V. EPA 13 Accordingly, should the EPA determine on remand that available information still supports its determination that discharges will not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment, there is no error in its decision to proceed under subsection (a). If, however, the EPA determines on remand that the record does not contain sufficient “available information” to support its determination that “the discharge[s] will not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment after application of any necessary conditions specified in § 125.123(d),” 40 C.F.R. § 125.123(a), its issuance of the Permit pursuant to subsection (a) cannot stand, and it will be obliged to proceed under subsection (c) and conduct the alternatives analysis and meet the other requirements for permit determinations under that subsection.