Opinion ID: 186946
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: PSD Regulations for Ozone and Particulate Matter

Text: 42 Next, the petitioner contends EPA unlawfully ignored the contribution of NO x to formation of ozone and fine particulate matter, Pet'r Br. at 31, which are secondary pollutants formed in part by reactions of NO x emissions with other pollutants in the atmosphere, 70 Fed.Reg. at 59,590. We believe that EPA reasonably justified its decision not to address either fine particulate matter or ozone in the NO x PSD regulations on the ground that the statutory PSD provisions require EPA to establish regulations specific to both fine particulate matter, 42 U.S.C. §§ 7473, 7476(f), and ozone (photochemical oxidants), id. § 7476(a), and EPA intends to do just that in separate rulemakings. 7 The petitioner asserts that EPA has abrogated its responsibility to do so—having promulgated PSD regulations for neither pollutant thus far—but, as EPA notes, the petitioner's appropriate avenue of relief is to seek by judicial mandate that EPA conduct those rulemakings within a certain time frame, which is precisely the procedure Environmental Defense Fund followed when EPA was slow to repromulgate the regulations at issue here. See In re Envtl. Def., No. 03-1220 (filed July 31, 2003) (mandamus petition seeking order directing EPA to complete NO x PSD regulation remand by date certain).