Virginia Law

A. Except as provided under 9VAC5-140-7090, each CO₂ budget source, including all CO₂ budget units at the source, shall have one and only one CO₂ authorized account representative, with regard to all matters under the CO₂ Budget Trading Program concerning the source or any CO₂ budget unit at the source.

B. The CO₂ authorized account representative of the CO₂ budget source shall be selected by an agreement binding on the owners and operators of the source and all CO₂ budget units at the source and must act in accordance with the account certificate of representation under 9VAC5-140-7110.

C. Upon receipt by the department or its agent of a complete account certificate of representation under 9VAC5-140-7110, the CO₂ authorized account representative of the source shall represent and, by his representations, actions, inactions, or submissions, legally bind each owner and operator of the CO₂ budget source represented and each CO₂ budget unit at the source in all matters pertaining to the CO₂ Budget Trading Program, notwithstanding any agreement between the CO₂ authorized account representative and such owners and operators. The owners and operators shall be bound by any decision or order issued to the CO₂ authorized account representative by the department or a court regarding the source or unit.

D. No CO₂ budget permit shall be issued, and no COATS account shall be established for a CO₂ budget source, until the department or its agent has received a complete account certificate of representation under 9VAC5-140-7110 for a CO₂ authorized account representative of the source and the CO₂ budget units at the source.

E. Each submission under the CO₂ Budget Trading Program shall be submitted, signed, and certified by the CO₂ authorized account representative for each CO₂ budget source on behalf of which the submission is made. Each such submission shall include the following certification statement by the CO₂ authorized account representative: "I am authorized to make this submission on behalf of the owners and operators of the CO₂ budget sources or CO₂ budget units for which the submission is made. I certify under penalty of law that I have personally examined, and am familiar with, the statements and information submitted in this document and all its attachments. Based on my inquiry of those individuals with primary responsibility for obtaining the information, I certify that the statements and information are to the best of my knowledge and belief true, accurate, and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false statements and information or omitting required statements and information, including the possibility of fine or imprisonment."

F. The department or its agent will accept or act on a submission made on behalf of owners or operators of a CO₂ budget source or a CO₂ budget unit only if the submission has been made, signed, and certified in accordance with subsection E of this section.