Opinion ID: 78150
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Title v. Permit Program

Text: The Clean Air Act is a comprehensive regulatory scheme developed by Congress to prevent and control air pollution. See 42 U.S.C. § 7401. Under the Act, the EPA establishes national air quality standards for various pollutants and works with the states to achieve those standards. See, e.g., id. §§ 7409-7410. In 1990, Congress added Title V to the Act and created a national permitting program. See Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Pub.L. No. 101-549, §§ 501-507, 104 Stat. 2399, 2635-48 (codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 7661-7661f (2000)). Title V requires all major sources of air pollution to obtain operating permits that contain emission limitations and other conditions to ensure compliance with air quality control standards. Sierra Club v. Johnson, 436 F.3d 1269, 1272 (11th Cir.2006). Each permit is source specific: The intent of Title V is to consolidate into a single document (the operating permit) all of the clean air requirements applicable to a particular source of air pollution. Sierra Club v. Ga. Power Co., 443 F.3d 1346, 1348-49 (11th Cir.2006) (citing Operating Permit Program, 57 Fed.Reg. 32,250, 32,251 (July 21, 1992) (codified at 40 C.F.R. § 70)). In this way, clarity and transparency were added to the regulatory process to help citizens, regulators, and polluters themselves understand which clean air requirements apply to a particular source of air pollution. The goal is [i]ncreased source accountability and better enforcement. Operating Permit Program, 57 Fed.Reg. at 32,251. Title V does not generally impose new substantive air quality control requirements. Id. ; Sierra Club v. Ga. Power Co., 443 F.3d at 1348; Sierra Club v. Johnson, 436 F.3d at 1272. Instead, in order to ensure compliance with existing requirements, Title V requires permits to contain monitoring, record keeping, reporting, and other conditions. Sierra Club v. Johnson, 436 F.3d at 1272. In order to carry out Title V, Congress called on the states to design and enforce their own permitting programs and to submit those programs to the EPA for final approval. 42 U.S.C. § 7661a. The State of Georgia's permitting program has been approved by the EPA and is administered by the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of Georgia's Department of Natural Resources. See Sierra Club v. Ga. Power Co., 443 F.3d at 1349. When a state permitting authority, like EPD, issues Title V permits, the terms of those permits must contain all air quality requirements that apply to the source of pollution, as well as conditions sufficient to assure the source's compliance with those requirements. See 42 U.S.C. § 7661c(a). To that end, each permit must include a schedule of compliance, id., and if a source is out of compliance when the permit is issued, the permit must also include a schedule of remedial measures, including an enforceable sequence of actions ... leading to compliance, 40 C.F.R. § 70.5(c)(8)(iii). See also 42 U.S.C. § 7661(3); 40 C.F.R. § 70.6(c), (c)(3). Among the many air quality requirements included in an operating permit, if applicable, are prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) limits. PSD limits were enacted as part of the 1977 amendments to the Clean Air Act for the purpose of ensuring air quality in clean areas does not degrade. Alaska Dep't of Envtl. Conservation v. EPA, 540 U.S. 461, 470-71, 124 S.Ct. 983, 992, 157 L.Ed.2d 967 (2004). PSD limits do not, however, apply to all sources of air pollution. Pollution sources in existence as of August 7, 1977 were grandfathered out of complying with PSD requirements unless and until those sources are modified in a way that increases pollution. See 42 U.S.C. §§ 7475(a), 7479(2)(c), 7411(a)(4). No new construction or modifications can take place without first receiving a permit. Alaska Dep't of Envtl. Conservation, 540 U.S. at 472, 124 S.Ct. at 992. As it does with all state issuing authorities, the EPA oversees permits issued by EPD in order to ensure they comply with the letter of the law. See 42 U.S.C. § 7661d(a)-(b); 40 C.F.R. § 70.8(a). To this end, Title V defines specific procedures governing the EPA's duty to object to defective permits. First, the EPA Administrator is required to object to a permit if the Administrator determines it is not in compliance with the law. 42 U.S.C. § 7661d(b)(1). Second, if the Administrator does not issue an objection during the EPA's permit review period, any person may challenge the Administrator's decision by filing a petition with the EPA. Id. § 7661d(b)(2). Title V describes the Administrator's duty to review citizen permit petitions in § 7661d(b)(2): The Administrator shall issue an objection... if the petitioner demonstrates to the Administrator that the permit is not in compliance with the requirements of [the Clean Air Act], including the requirements of the applicable implementation plan. Id. (emphasis added). Thus, if the petitioner successfully demonstrates that a permit does not comply with clean air requirements, the EPA Administrator must issue an objection to the permit. Sierra Club v. Johnson, 436 F.3d at 1273. If the Administrator issues an objection, the proposed permit is sent back to the state permitting authority which must correct the problem; if the problem is not corrected, the EPA will issue the permit itself. See 42 U.S.C. § 7661d(b)(3)-(c). Depending on whether the permit is ultimately issued by the state or the EPA, the permit applicant may contest the final terms through state proceedings, see id. § 7661a(b)(6), or federal proceedings, see id. § 7607(b).