Opinion ID: 187215
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Title I of the Clean Air Act

Text: Title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401 et seq., requires EPA to issue national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for each air pollutant that cause[s] or contribute[s] to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare [and] the presence of which in the ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary sources ..., id. § 7408(a)(1)(A), (B). It also requires EPA to divide the country into areas designated as nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable for each air pollutant, depending on whether the area meets the NAAQS. Id. § 7407(c), (d). Title I gives states the primary responsibility for assuring air quality within their borders, id. § 7407(a), and requires each state to create a state implementation plan (SIP) to meet the NAAQS for each air pollutant and submit it to EPA for its approval, id. § 7410. If a state is untimely in submitting a compliant SIP to EPA, EPA must promulgate a federal implementation plan (FIP) for the state to follow. Id. § 7410(c)(1). One provision of Title I requires SIPs to contain adequate provisions  (i) prohibiting, consistent with the provisions of this subchapter, any source or other type of emissions activity within the State from emitting any air pollutant in amounts which will(I) contribute significantly to nonattainment in, or interfere with maintenance by, any other State with respect to any [NAAQS].... 42 U.S.C. § 7410(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) (statutory provision to which we refer throughout this opinion as section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)). In 1998, EPA relied on this provision to promulgate the NOx SIP Call, which imposed a duty on certain upwind sources to reduce their NOx emissions by a specified amount so that they no longer `contribute significantly to nonattainment in, or interfere with maintenance by,' a downwind State. Finding of Significant Contribution and Rulemaking for Certain States in the Ozone Transport Assessment Group Region for Purposes of Reducing Regional Transport of Ozone, 63 Fed.Reg. 57,356, 57,358 (Oct. 27, 1998) (NOx SIP Call). The NOx SIP Call created an optional cap-and-trade program for nitrogen oxides (NOx). Id. at 57,359. Like the NOx SIP Call, the Clean Air Interstate RuleRule To Reduce Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone (Clean Air Interstate Rule); Revisions to Acid Rain Program; Revisions to the NOx SIP Call, 70 Fed.Reg. 25,162 (May 12, 2005) (CAIR)which is the rule at issue in these consolidated petitions for review, also derives its statutory authority from section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).