Opinion ID: 771458
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: EPA's Prior Determination Under Subpart OOO

Text: 64 In arguing that its determination in this case is neither plainly erroneous nor inconsistent with Subpart J, the EPA relies in part on what it characterizes as a prior, analogous determination under Subpart OOO--Standards of Performance for Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Plants. 17 The EPA's reliance on this determination is misplaced for two reasons. 65 First, while the factual background of the EPA's earlier determination under Subpart OOO is not entirely clear (the record is incomplete), it is clear that the facts of this earlier determination are distinguishable, in at least one key respect, from the facts in this case. Unlike the stationary gas turbines at issue here, the Cement Treated Base plants located at nonmetallic mineral processing plants were portable. This fact alone distinguishes the EPA's prior determination under Subpart OOO because, as discussed above, physical location is the touchstone for determining which facilities are affected facilities as the term is defined in Subpart J. Because the Cement Treated Base plants at issue in this prior determination were portable, had the EPA concluded that these Cement Treated Base plants were subject to regulation under Subpart OOO based on their physical location, the regulatory framework established by Subpart OOO could have been easily circumvented simply by moving the Cement Treated Base plants. Phrased differently, when portable facilities are at issue, physical location cannot possibly be the touchstone for determining if, and/or when, regulation is appropriate. This obvious consequence of portability is, of course, irrelevant in the present case because the gas turbines here are stationary. 66 Second, and more importantly, even assuming, arguendo, that the facts surrounding the prior determination under Subpart OOO and the present determination under Subpart J are sufficiently analogous, this in no way implies that the EPA's prior determination under Subpart OOO was either correct or consistent with Subpart OOO. Neither this Court nor any other court of which we are aware has addressed the propriety and/or legality of this prior determination upon which the EPA relies in part. As such, even assuming that the facts surrounding this prior determination under Subpart OOO and the present determination under Subpart J are sufficiently analogous, we can only conclude from this that the EPA has addressed the issues consistently, not correctly. 18