Virginia Law

A. General requirements for actions to combine permit terms and conditions are as follows:

1. Except as provided in subdivision 3 of this subsection, the department may take actions to combine permit terms and conditions as provided under subsections B through E of this section.

2. Requests to combine permit terms and conditions may be initiated by the permittee or by the department.

3. Under no circumstances may an action to combine permit terms and conditions be used for any of the following:

a. To combine the terms and conditions of (i) a federal operating permit, (ii) a PAL permit, or (iii) any permit that is or will be part of the implementation plan.

b. To take an action to issue a permit or change a permit for the fabrication, erection, installation, demolition, relocation, addition, replacement, or modification of an emissions unit that would result in a change in emissions that would otherwise (i) be subject to review under this article or (ii) require a permit or permit amendment under the new source review program.

c. To allow any stationary source or emissions unit to violate any federal requirement.

d. To take an action to issue a permit or change a permit for any physical change in or change in the method of operation of a major stationary source that is subject to the provisions in 9VAC5-80-1605 C (restrictions on relaxing enforceable emission limitations that the major stationary source used to avoid applicability of the major NSR program).

B. The department may take actions to combine the terms and conditions of state operating permits and new source review permits along with any changes to state operating permits and new source review permits.

C. If the department and the owner make a mutual determination that it facilitates improved compliance or the efficient processing and issuing of permits, the department may take an action to combine the terms and conditions of permits for emissions units within a stationary source into one or more permits. Likewise the department may require that applications for permits for emissions units within a stationary source required by any permit program be combined into one application.

D. Actions to combine the terms and conditions of permits are subject to the following conditions:

1. Each term or condition in the combined permit shall be accompanied by a statement that specifies and references the origin (enabling permit program) of, along with the regulatory or any other authority for, the term or condition.

2. Each term or condition in the combined permit shall be accompanied by a statement that specifies the effective date of the term or condition.

3. Each term or condition in the combined permit shall be identified by its original designation (i.e., state-only enforceable or federally and state enforceable) consistent with the applicable enforceability designation of the term or condition in the contributing permit.

4. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, all terms and conditions in the contributing permits shall be included in the combined permit without change. The combined permit will supersede the contributing permits, which will no longer be effective.

E. Actions to make changes to permit terms and conditions as may be necessary to facilitate actions to combine permit terms and conditions may be accomplished in accordance with the minor amendment procedures (unless specified otherwise in this section) of the enabling permit program (i.e., the permit program that is the origin of the term or condition), subject to the following conditions:

1. Updates to regulatory or other authorities may be accomplished in accordance with the administrative amendment procedures of the enabling permit program.

2. If two or more terms or conditions apply to the same emissions unit or emissions units and are substantively equivalent, the more restrictive of the duplicate terms or conditions may be retained and the less restrictive one removed, subject to the provisions of subdivision 4 of this subsection.

3. If two or more similar terms or conditions apply to the same emissions unit or emissions units and one is substantively more restrictive than the others, the more restrictive of the terms or conditions shall be retained, regardless of whether the less restrictive terms or conditions are removed. If the less restrictive of the similar terms or conditions is removed, the provisions of subdivision 4 of this subsection apply.

4. The removal of similar terms or conditions from contributing permits is subject to the following conditions:

a. If any one of the terms or conditions removed is federally and state enforceable, the more restrictive term or condition that is retained in the combined permit shall be federally and state enforceable.

b. If any one of the terms or conditions originates in a permit subject to a major NSR program, that major NSR program shall become the effective enabling permit program for the more restrictive term or condition that is retained in the combined permit. If more than one major NSR program is the basis for a term or condition, all of the applicable major NSR programs shall be the enabling permit program for that term or condition.

c. The regulatory basis for all of the similar terms or conditions that are removed shall be included in the reference for the term or condition that is retained.