Opinion ID: 757000
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Federal Implementation Plan.

Text: 64 The majority concludes that the EPA abused its discretion by promulgating the Tribe's redesignation as a FIP. The majority correctly notes that Congress has provided for the promulgation of Tribal Implementation Plans (TIPs). This Court has previously stated in interpreting an earlier version of the CAA that [t]he effect of the regulations was to grant the Indian tribes the same degree of autonomy to determine the quality of their air as was granted to the states. Nance, 645 F.2d at 714. The inclusion of TIPs was a similar attempt by Congress to expand the Tribes' authority. See 42 U.S.C. § 7601(d). By remanding for implementation under nonexistent regulations, the majority punishes the Tribe for administrative sluggishness. The autonomy granted to the Tribe by Congress is thus nullified since the Tribe may not act at all until the EPA completes the relatively ministerial task of establishing the regulations guiding promulgation of TIPs.