Virginia Law

A. The department shall take final action on each permit application (including a request for permit modification or renewal) as follows:

1. The department shall issue or deny all permits in accordance with the requirements of this article and this section, including the completeness determination, draft permit, administrative record, statement of basis, public notice and comment period, public hearing, proposed permit, permit issuance, permit revision, and appeal procedures as amended by 9VAC5-80-660 C.

2. For permit revisions, as required by the provisions of 9VAC5-80-500 through 9VAC5-80-630.

B. A permit, permit modification, or renewal may be issued only if all of the following conditions have been met:

1. The department has received a complete application for a permit, permit modification, or permit renewal.

2. Except for modifications qualifying for minor permit modification procedures under 9VAC5-80-570 or 9VAC5-80-580, the department has complied with the requirements for public participation under 9VAC5-80-670.

3. The department has complied with the requirements for notifying and responding to affected states under 9VAC5-80-690.

4. The conditions of the permit provide for compliance with all applicable requirements, the requirements of Article 2 (9VAC5-80-310 et seq.) of this part, and the requirements of this article.

5. The administrator has received a copy of the proposed permit and any notices required under 9VAC5-80-690 A and B and has not objected to issuance of the permit under 9VAC5-80-690 C within the time period specified therein.

C. The issuance of the acid rain portion of the federal operating permit shall be as follows:

1. After the close of the public comment period, the department shall incorporate all necessary changes and issue or deny a proposed acid rain permit.

2. The department shall submit the proposed acid rain permit or denial of a proposed acid rain permit to the administrator in accordance with 9VAC5-80-690, the provisions of which shall be treated as applying to the issuance or denial of a proposed acid rain permit.

3. Action by the administrator shall be as follows:

a. Following the administrator's review of the proposed acid rain permit or denial of a proposed acid rain permit, the department or, under 9VAC5-80-690 C, the administrator shall incorporate any required changes and issue or deny the acid rain permit in accordance with 9VAC5-80-490 and 9VAC5-80-500.

b. No acid rain permit (including a draft or proposed permit) shall be issued unless the administrator has received a certificate of representation for the designated representative of the source in accordance with Subpart B of 40 CFR Part 72.

4. Permit issuance deadlines and effective dates shall be as follows:

a. The department shall issue an acid rain permit to each affected source whose designated representative submitted in accordance with 9VAC5-80-430 G a timely and complete acid rain permit application by January 1, 1996, that meets the requirements of this article. The permit shall be issued by the effective date specified in subdivision 4 c of this subsection.

b. Not later than January 1, 1999, the department shall reopen the acid rain permit to add the acid rain program nitrogen oxides requirements, provided that the designated representative of the affected source submitted a timely and complete acid rain permit application for nitrogen oxides in accordance with 9VAC5-80-430 G. Such reopening shall not affect the term of the acid rain portion of a federal operating permit.

c. Each acid rain permit issued in accordance with subdivision 4 a of this subsection shall take effect by the later of January 1, 1998, or, where the permit governs a unit under 9VAC5-80-380 A 3, the deadline for monitor certification under 40 CFR Part 75.

d. Both the acid rain draft and final permit shall state that the permit applies on and after January 1, 2000. The draft and final permit shall also specify which applicable requirements are effective prior to January 1, 2000, and the effective date of those applicable requirements.

e. Each acid rain permit shall have a term of five years commencing on its effective date.

f. An acid rain permit shall be binding on any new owner or operator or designated representative of any source or unit governed by the permit.

5. Each acid rain permit shall contain all applicable acid rain requirements, shall be a portion of the federal operating permit that is complete and segregable from all other air quality requirements, and shall not incorporate information contained in any other documents, other than documents that are readily available.

6. Invalidation of the acid rain portion of a federal operating permit shall not affect the continuing validity of the rest of the operating permit, nor shall invalidation of any other portion of the operating permit affect the continuing validity of the acid rain portion of the permit.

D. The department shall take final action on each permit application (including a request for a permit modification or renewal) no later than 18 months after a complete application is received by the department, except in cases where a public hearing to provide the opportunity for interested persons to contest the application is granted pursuant to 9VAC5-80-35. The department will review any request made under 9VAC5-80-670 E 2, and will take final action on the request and application as provided in Part I (9VAC5-80-5 et seq.) of this chapter. The initial permits issued under this article shall be issued by the effective date specified in subdivision C 4 c of this section.

E. Issuance of permits under this article shall not take precedence over or interfere with the issuance of preconstruction permits under the new source review program.

F. The department shall provide a statement that sets forth the legal and factual basis for the draft permit conditions (including references to the applicable statutory or regulatory provisions) as follows. The department shall send this statement to the administrator and to any other person who requests it.

1. The statement of basis shall briefly set forth significant factual, legal, and policy considerations on which the department relied in issuing or denying the draft permit.

2. The statement of basis shall include the reasons, and supporting authority, for approval or disapproval of any compliance options requested in the permit application, including references to applicable statutory or regulatory provisions and to the administrative record.

3. The department shall submit to the administrator a copy of the draft acid rain permit and the statement of basis and all other relevant portions of the federal operating permit that may affect the draft acid rain permit.

G. Within five days after receipt of the issued permit, the applicant shall maintain the permit on the premises for which the permit has been issued and shall make the permit immediately available to the department upon request.

H. In granting a permit pursuant to this section, the department shall provide in writing a clear and concise statement of the legal basis, scientific rationale, and justification for the decision reached. When the decision of the department is to deny a permit pursuant to this section, the department shall, in consultation with legal counsel, provide a clear and concise statement explaining the reason for the denial, the scientific justification for the same, and how the department's decision is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Copies of the decision, certified by the director, shall be mailed by certified mail to the permittee or applicant.