Section 980. Minor permit amendments

A. Minor permit amendment procedures shall be used only for those permit amendments that:

1. Do not violate any applicable regulatory requirement;

2. Do not involve significant changes to existing monitoring, reporting, or recordkeeping requirements that would make the permit requirements less stringent, such as a change to the method of monitoring to be used, a change to the method of demonstrating compliance or a relaxation of reporting or recordkeeping requirements;

3. Do not require or change a case-by-case determination of an emission limitation or other standard;

4. Do not seek to establish or change a permit term or condition (i) for which there is no corresponding underlying applicable regulatory requirement and (ii) that the source has assumed to avoid an applicable regulatory requirement to which the source would otherwise be subject. Such terms and conditions include:

a. An emissions cap assumed to avoid classification as a modification under the new source review program or § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act; and

b. An alternative emissions limit approved pursuant to regulations promulgated under § 112(i)(5) of the federal Clean Air Act;

5. Are not modifications under the new source review program or under § 112 of the federal Clean Air Act; and

6. Are not required to be processed as a significant amendment under 9VAC5-80-990; or as an administrative permit amendment under 9VAC5-80-970.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, minor permit amendment procedures may be used for permit amendments involving the use of economic incentives, emissions trading, and other similar approaches, to the extent that such minor permit amendment procedures are explicitly provided for in a regulation of the board or a federally-approved program. Minor permit amendment procedures may also be used to require more frequent monitoring or reporting by the permittee or to reduce the level of an emissions cap.

C. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, minor permit amendment procedures may by used for permit amendments involving the rescission of a provision of a permit provided there is made by the board and the owner a mutual determination that the provision is rescinded because all of the statutory or regulatory requirements (i) upon which the provision is based or (ii) that necessitated inclusion of the provision are no longer applicable.

D. A request for the use of minor permit amendment procedures shall include all of the following:

1. A description of the change, the emissions resulting from the change, and any new applicable regulatory requirements that will apply if the change occurs.

2. A request that such procedures be used.

E. The public participation requirements of 9VAC5-80-1020 shall not extend to minor permit amendments.

F. Normally within 90 days of receipt by the board of a complete request under minor permit amendment procedures, the board will do one of the following:

1. Issue the permit amendment as proposed.

2. Deny the permit amendment request.

3. Determine that the requested amendment does not meet the minor permit amendment criteria and should be reviewed under the significant amendment procedures.

G. The requirements for making changes are as follows:

1. The owner may make the change proposed in the minor permit amendment request immediately after the complete request is filed.

2. After the change under subdivision 1 of this subsection is made, and until the board takes any of the actions specified in subsection F of this section, the source shall comply with both the applicable regulatory requirements governing the change and the proposed permit terms and conditions.

3. During the time period specified in subdivision 2 of this subsection, the owner need not comply with the existing permit terms and conditions he seeks to modify. However, if the owner fails to comply with the proposed permit terms and conditions during this time period, the existing permit terms and conditions he seeks to modify may be enforced against him.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 14, Issue 11, eff. April 1, 1998.

Statutory Authority

§§ 10.1-1308 and 10.1-1322 of the Code of Virginia.