Opinion ID: 400897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Connecticut's Part D Submissions

Text: 9 EPA designated the entire state of Connecticut as nonattainment for the ozone NAAQS and southwestern and central Connecticut as nonattainment for the carbon monoxide NAAQS. 43 Fed.Reg. 8962, 8977 (Mar. 3, 1978). The cities of Waterbury and Greenwich were also designated as nonattainment for total suspended particulates (TSP). Ibid., as amended by 45 Fed.Reg. 84769, 84780, 84788 (Dec. 23, 1980). On June 22, 1979, almost six months after the date specified in the 1977 Amendments and only nine days before the EPA would have been required to approve or disapprove a timely submitted plan, Connecticut proposed revisions to its SIP to meet the requirements of Part D. 8 In response to requests by EPA, additional submissions were made on June 27, 1979, December 28, 1979, February 1, 1980, and May 1, 1980. Eleven months after it had received the proposed SIP revisions, EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking. 45 Fed.Reg. 45080 (July 2, 1980). EPA proposed to approve much of the plan including extension of the attainment date for carbon monoxide and ozone until December 31, 1987. However, EPA found that seven of the statutory requirements were not fully met. EPA could not certify a plan with such deficiencies as in full compliance with Part D. But since state environmental officials had provided strong assurances that the deficiencies would be remedied, EPA proposed to approve the revisions conditionally pending correction of the inadequacies by specified deadlines. 10 Connecticut submitted additional revisions in September and November 1980. EPA then, nearly one-and-one-half years after the statutory deadline for final approval or disapproval of Part D revisions, conditionally approved Connecticut's SIP revisions. EPA determined that the revisions satisfied the requirements of Part D with five exceptions. 9 As to the five statutory requirements not fully complied with, EPA outlined specific and, in some instances, alternative steps that Connecticut could take to secure unqualified approval. Since Connecticut had given assurance that it would take these steps, EPA made the taking of such further action the condition on which the revision was approved. 45 Fed.Reg. 84769 (Dec. 23, 1980). The five statutory requirements remaining to be met were: 11 1. Adoption of RACT for Ozone Attainment. Since Connecticut is nonattainment for ozone, sources emitting pollutants contributing to concentrations of ozone must adopt RACT to insure reasonable further progress toward ozone attainment. 10 § 7502(b)(3). EPA has issued Control Technology Guidelines (CTGs) providing the state with assistance regarding techniques to control emissions of various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to ozone pollution. The CTGs are not binding, but are a presumptive norm. 11 If a state can formulate a different strategy for a particular VOC that results in roughly the same emission reduction as would EPA's CTG-recommended strategy, EPA will approve the alternative approach. 45 Fed.Reg. at 45082. EPA found that Connecticut's proposed SIP failed to adopt CTG-identified RACT for controlling two source categories of VOC emissions: cutback asphalt and solvent metal cleaning (degreasing). 12 Cutback asphalt is a road patching mixture that emits VOCs. EPA has determined that the emission of VOCs can be reduced by replacing petroleum solvents in cutback asphalt with a water-based emulsion mixture and that the changeover could be accomplished within a two-year period. 45 Fed.Reg. at 45082-83. Connecticut's plan did not contain any enforceable regulation to control the use of cutback asphalt. Furthermore, Connecticut proposed only to restrict state use of cutback asphalt and not to disturb municipal cutback asphalt use until 1987. Municipal use of cutback asphalt accounts for 28 times more tonnage of VOC emissions than state use. Consequently, EPA conditioned approval of the ozone attainment portion of Connecticut's SIP on the submittal by December 15, 1980 12 of an adopted regulation controlling the use of cutback asphalt consistent with EPA guidance on RACT or an adequate justification for not following the CTG. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84772-73; 45 Fed.Reg. at 45082-83. 13 EPA found Connecticut's proposed regulations to control VOC emissions from solvent metal cleaning operations incomplete because the regulations did not contain labelling procedures as recommended by the CTG, exempted smaller operations contrary to the CTG, and used substantially different requirements than those suggested by EPA. EPA therefore additionally conditioned approval of the ozone attainment portion of Connecticut's SIP on the submittal by December 15, 1980 of a revision incorporating the RACT identified by EPA or a demonstration that Connecticut's rules would achieve roughly the same reduction in VOC emissions from solvent metal cleaning operations. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84773; 45 Fed.Reg. at 45083. 14 2. Reasonable Further Progress Demonstration for Ozone Attainment. Because Connecticut failed to include a SIP revision controlling cutback asphalt, EPA conditioned approval of the reasonable further progress requirement for ozone (§ 7502(b)(3)) on submittal of an acceptable cutback asphalt regulation by December 15, 1980. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84779-80. 15 3. Stationary Source Inventory for VOC Emissions. EPA conditioned its approval of Connecticut's emission source inventory (§ 7502(b)(4)) on the submittal by January 1, 1981 of a more refined inventory identifying the sources of various VOC emissions. Connecticut's original submission attributed more than 50% of certain VOC emissions to miscellaneous industrial sources. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84779; 45 Fed.Reg. at 45088. 16 4. Adoption of RACT for TSP Attainment in Waterbury. EPA's New England Regional Office has identified RACT guidance for the following sources of TSP: oil burning boilers, asphalt batch plants, quarry operations, ferrous foundries, non-ferrous foundries, and portland cement concrete batch plants. EPA approved the TSP attainment plan conditioned upon adoption of the identified RACT for these sources by December 15, 1980 (March 15, 1981 for oil burning burners) or a demonstration of why adoption of RACT is not needed. EPA also conditioned approval upon a reexamination by December 15, 1980 of the existing regulations for fabricated metal products manufacturing, stone, clay, and glass products manufacturing, and textile mill products to see if RACT was being employed. EPA has no RACT guidance for these sources of TSP. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84781; 45 Fed.Reg. at 45090-91. 17 5. Permit Requirements for New Construction and Modification of Major Stationary Sources. The permit program required by § 7503 replaces the ban on major new source construction that is required by § 7410(a)(2)(I) prior to fulfillment of the requirements of Part D (including § 7503). EPA approved Connecticut's proposed permit system under two conditions to be satisfied by December 15, 1980. Connecticut would have to change its regulations so that in crediting emission offsets it counted allowable emissions rather than actual emissions. Under the statute a reduction in allowable as opposed to actual emissions (which in a nonattainment area may be excessive) must be achieved to offset emissions from proposed new sources. § 7503(1)(A). Second, EPA required Connecticut to limit its exemption for resource recovery facilities from the permit requirements to make it as strict as the similar exemption permitted under EPA's emission offset ruling. See 44 Fed.Reg. 20372, 20379-80 (Apr. 4, 1979). Accordingly, EPA conditioned approval on a limitation of permits for major stationary sources, after the granting of an exemption for resource recovery facilities, until the resulting increase in pollution is offset. 45 Fed.Reg. at 84783; 45 Fed.Reg. at 45093. 18 With respect to all five sets of requirements, Connecticut environmental officials made written commitments to submit corrections by the specified deadlines. Connecticut submitted SIP revisions on December 15, 1980 to satisfy the RACT requirements for control of cutback asphalt and solvent metal cleaning operations and the permit requirements for new sources. Although we were not so informed by the parties, on September 25, 1981 (two days after oral argument) EPA filed a notice of proposed approval of these revisions as bringing Connecticut into full compliance with the requirements for adoption of RACT for ozone attainment, for demonstration of reasonable further progress toward ozone attainment, and for a permit system for major new stationary sources. 46 Fed.Reg. 47469 (Sept. 28, 1981). 13 EPA also approved Connecticut's refined inventory for stationary sources of VOCs; Connecticut submitted this revision on May 29, 1981, nearly five months after the deadline specified in EPA's conditional approval. Ibid. The parties also neglected to inform us of EPA's response to Connecticut's proposals to adopt RACT for TSP attainment, which were submitted on June 19, 1981, July 7, 1981, and August 5, 1981-many months after EPA's specified deadline. EPA proposed to approve the TSP attainment plan under its experimental parallel processing program 14 since once Connecticut's proposed regulatory changes are adopted by the state and formally submitted to EPA for incorporation into the SIP, Connecticut would be in compliance. 46 Fed.Reg. 56461 (Nov. 17, 1981). 15 Today, over 18 months after Part D plans were due to take effect and less than one year before one of the NAAQSs is supposed to be finally attained, Connecticut is still not in full and final compliance with Part D. Against this background of statutory requirements and steps towards compliance we consider the lawfulness of EPA's actions.