Section 270. Public participation

If the owner of an affected facility chooses the demonstration under 9VAC5-60-260 A 2, the provisions of this section shall apply.

1. Prior to the decision of the board on the acceptability of the demonstration, the demonstration shall be subject to a public comment period of at least 30 days.

2. The board shall notify the public of the opportunity for public comment on the information available for public inspection under the provisions of subdivision 3 of this section. The notification shall be made by advertisement in one newspaper of general circulation in the affected air quality control region and, if available, one newspaper that circulates in the area where the affected facility is located. A copy of the notice shall be sent to the governing body of the locality where the affected facility is located and to the governing bodies of the localities where ambient air quality impacts from the affected facility exceed the significant ambient air concentration guidelines in 9VAC5-60-230. The notice shall include a brief description of the pollutants of concern and their possible impacts, the demonstration, a statement listing the requirements in subdivisions 4 and 5 of this section, and the name and telephone number of a department staff person from whom detailed information on the demonstration and the pollutants may be obtained.

3. Information relevant to the demonstration, including (i) information produced by the owner showing that the emissions from the affected facility do not endanger human health and (ii) the preliminary review, analysis and tentative determination of the board, shall be available for public inspection during the entire comment period in at least one location in the affected air quality control region.

4. Following the initial publication of notice of a public comment period, the board will receive written requests for a public hearing to consider the source's demonstration under 9VAC5-60-260 A 2. The request shall be submitted within 30 days of the appearance of the notice in the newspaper. Request for a public hearing shall contain the following information:

a. The name, mailing address and telephone number of the requester;

b. The names and addresses of all persons for whom the requester is acting as a representative;

c. The reason why a hearing is requested; and

d. A brief, informal statement setting forth the factual nature and the extent of the interest of the requester or of the persons for whom the requester is acting as representative, including an explanation of how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the demonstration in question.

5. The board shall review all timely requests for public hearing filed during the 30 days following the appearance of the public comment notice in the newspaper. Within 30 calendar days following the expiration of the public comment period the board shall grant a public hearing if it finds that one or both of the following apply:

a. There is significant public interest in the demonstration in question.

b. There are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the demonstration in question.

6. The board shall notify by mail the owner making the demonstration and each requester, at his last known address, of the decision to convene or deny a public hearing. The notice shall contain a description of the procedures for the public hearing and for the final determination under this section.

7. If the board decides to hold a public hearing, the hearing shall be scheduled at a time between 30 and 60 days after mailing the notification required by subdivision 6 of this section. The public hearing shall be held in the affected air quality control region.

8. The procedures for notification to the public and availability of information used for the public comment period and provided in subdivisions 2 and 3 of this section shall also be followed for the public hearing.

NOTE: In adopting amendments to this article to be effective May 1, 2002, the board renumbered the sections. In the interest of economy and efficiency, the board did not make the corresponding change at each place the old section numbers occur throughout the Regulations for the Control and Abatement of Air Pollution. However, it is the intent of the board to make that change in other parts of the regulations as the opportunity presents itself. Until such changes are made, the old section numbers (9VAC5-40-160 through 9VAC5-40-230) shall be construed to mean the new section numbers (9VAC5-60-200 through 9VAC5-60-270) throughout the regulations of the board.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 18, Issue 14, eff. May 1, 2002.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-1308 of the Code of Virginia.