Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§7503 Permit requirements
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 85— - AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES › Part Part D— - Plan Requirements for Nonattainment Areas › Subpart subpart 1— - nonattainment areas in general › § 7503
Summary
Permits to build or run new or changed big pollution sources can only be issued when the permit agency finds several things are true. The agency must follow EPA rules for measuring baseline emissions and must make sure enough emission reductions (offsets) are obtained so total allowable emissions in the region will be lower than before the permit application and will count toward “reasonable further progress.” In a special zone chosen for economic development, a new big source must not make emissions go above the cap set for new or changed major sources. The new or changed source must meet the lowest achievable emission rate. The owner must show all major sources they control in the State have limits and are following them or are on a schedule to do so. The EPA must not have decided the area’s air quality plan is not being properly carried out. The permit agency must also show that other sites, sizes, processes, or pollution controls were checked and that the benefits of this project clearly outweigh its environmental and social costs. A growth allowance written into older state plans (as they read before November 15, 1990) cannot be used in any area that got a notice saying the plan was substantially inadequate under the earlier law. Offsets to cover increased pollution must come from the same nonattainment area unless the State allows using reductions from another nonattainment area that has the same or worse classification and that area’s emissions help cause the violation. Those reductions must be enforceable and in effect by the time the source starts, and must equal or exceed the new emissions. Emission reductions already required by this law cannot be counted, but voluntary reductions that meet the rules may be. States must send control-technology details from these permits to EPA so others can see them. For existing major sources that test rocket engines or motors (and were allowed to test on November 15, 1990), States may let them use alternative or innovative offsets if the source tried all reasonable offset options, got a written federal finding that the testing is needed for national security, and agrees to other offset measures or pays a fee up to 1.5 times the area’s average cost of control measures over the previous 3 years; the fees must be used to get the most emissions reductions possible.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §7503
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The permit program required by section 7502(b)(6) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title shall provide that permits to construct and operate may be issued if—
(1)in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator for the determination of baseline emissions in a manner consistent with the assumptions underlying the applicable implementation plan approved under section 7410 of this title and this part, the permitting agency determines that—
(A)by the time the source is to commence operation, sufficient offsetting emissions reductions have been obtained, such that total allowable emissions from existing sources in the region, from new or modified sources which are not major emitting facilities, and from the proposed source will be sufficiently less than total emissions from existing sources (as determined in accordance with the regulations under this paragraph) prior to the application for such permit to construct or modify so as to represent (when considered together with the plan provisions required under section 7502 of this title) reasonable further progress (as defined in section 7501 of this title); or
(B)in the case of a new or modified major stationary source which is located in a zone (within the nonattainment area) identified by the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as a zone to which economic development should be targeted, that emissions of such pollutant resulting from the proposed new or modified major stationary source will not cause or contribute to emissions levels which exceed the allowance permitted for such pollutant for such area from new or modified major stationary sources under section 7502(c) of this title;
(2)the proposed source is required to comply with the lowest achievable emission rate;
(3)the owner or operator of the proposed new or modified source has demonstrated that all major stationary sources owned or operated by such person (or by any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such person) in such State are subject to emission limitations and are in compliance, or on a schedule for compliance, with all applicable emission limitations and standards under this chapter; and 22 So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.
(4)the Administrator has not determined that the applicable implementation plan is not being adequately implemented for the nonattainment area in which the proposed source is to be constructed or modified in accordance with the requirements of this part; and
(5)an analysis of alternative sites, sizes, production processes, and environmental control techniques for such proposed source demonstrates that benefits of the proposed source significantly outweigh the environmental and social costs imposed as a result of its location, construction, or modification.
(b)Any growth allowance included in an applicable implementation plan to meet the requirements of section 7502(b)(5) of this title (as in effect immediately before November 15, 1990) shall not be valid for use in any area that received or receives a notice under section 7410(a)(2)(H)(ii) of this title (as in effect immediately before November 15, 1990) or under section 7410(k)(1) of this title that its applicable implementation plan containing such allowance is substantially inadequate.
(c)(1)The owner or operator of a new or modified major stationary source may comply with any offset requirement in effect under this part for increased emissions of any air pollutant only by obtaining emission reductions of such air pollutant from the same source or other sources in the same nonattainment area, except that the State may allow the owner or operator of a source to obtain such emission reductions in another nonattainment area if (A) the other area has an equal or higher nonattainment classification than the area in which the source is located and (B) emissions from such other area contribute to a violation of the national ambient air quality standard in the nonattainment area in which the source is located. Such emission reductions shall be, by the time a new or modified source commences operation, in effect and enforceable and shall assure that the total tonnage of increased emissions of the air pollutant from the new or modified source shall be offset by an equal or greater reduction, as applicable, in the actual emissions of such air pollutant from the same or other sources in the area.
(2)Emission reductions otherwise required by this chapter shall not be creditable as emissions reductions for purposes of any such offset requirement. Incidental emission reductions which are not otherwise required by this chapter shall be creditable as emission reductions for such purposes if such emission reductions meet the requirements of paragraph (1).
(d)The State shall provide that control technology information from permits issued under this section will be promptly submitted to the Administrator for purposes of making such information available through the RACT/BACT/LAER clearinghouse to other States and to the general public.
(e)The permitting authority of a State shall allow a source to offset by alternative or innovative means emission increases from rocket engine and motor firing, and cleaning related to such firing, at an existing or modified major source that tests rocket engines or motors under the following conditions:
(1)Any modification proposed is solely for the purpose of expanding the testing of rocket engines or motors at an existing source that is permitted to test such engines on November 15, 1990.
(2)The source demonstrates to the satisfaction of the permitting authority of the State that it has used all reasonable means to obtain and utilize offsets, as determined on an annual basis, for the emissions increases beyond allowable levels, that all available offsets are being used, and that sufficient offsets are not available to the source.
(3)The source has obtained a written finding from the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration or other appropriate Federal agency, that the testing of rocket motors or engines at the facility is required for a program essential to the national security.
(4)The source will comply with an alternative measure, imposed by the permitting authority, designed to offset any emission increases beyond permitted levels not directly offset by the source. In lieu of imposing any alternative offset measures, the permitting authority may impose an emissions fee to be paid to such authority of a State which shall be an amount no greater than 1.5 times the average cost of stationary source control measures adopted in that area during the previous 3 years. The permitting authority shall utilize the fees in a manner that maximizes the emissions reductions in that area.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 7502(b) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was amended generally by Pub. L. 101–549, title I, § 102(b), Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2412, and, as so amended, does not contain a par. (6). See section 7502(c)(5) of this title.
Amendments
1990—Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(1), made technical amendment to section catchline. Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(2), (8), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and substituted “(1) shall be federally enforceable” for “(1)(A) shall be legally binding” in last sentence. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(3), inserted at beginning “in accordance with
Regulations
issued by the Administrator for the determination of baseline emissions in a manner consistent with the assumptions underlying the applicable implementation plan approved under section 7410 of this title and this part,”. Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(4), inserted “sufficient offsetting emissions reductions have been obtained, such that” after “to commence operation,” and substituted “(as determined in accordance with the
Regulations
under this paragraph)” for “allowed under the applicable implementation plan”. Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(5), inserted at beginning “in the case of a new or modified major stationary source which is located in a zone (within the nonattainment area) identified by the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as a zone to which economic development should be targeted,” and substituted “7502(c)” for “7502(b)”. Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(6), inserted at beginning “the Administrator has not determined that”, substituted “not being adequately implemented” for “being carried out”, and substituted “; and” for period at end. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(7), added par. (5). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(9), added subsec. (b). Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 101–549, § 102(c)(10), added subsecs. (c) to (e). 1977—Par. (1)(A). Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(a)(57), inserted “or modified” after “from new” and “applicable” before “implementation plan”, and substituted “source” for “facility” wherever appearing. Par. (4). Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(a)(58), added par. (4).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Failure To Attain National Primary Ambient Air Quality Standards Under Clean Air Act Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(f) [title II], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–187, 1329–199, provided that: “No restriction or prohibition on
Construction
, permitting, or funding under section 110(a)(2)(I), 173(4), 176(a), 176(b), or 316 of the Clean Air Act [section 7410(a)(2)(I), 7503(4), 7506(a), (b), 7616 of this title] shall be imposed or take effect during the period prior to
August 31, 1988, by reason of (1) the failure of any nonattainment area to attain the national primary ambient air quality standard under the Clean Air Act [this chapter] for photochemical oxidants (ozone) or carbon monoxide (or both) by
December 31, 1987, (2) the failure of any State to adopt and submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency an implementation plan that meets the requirements of part D of title I of such Act [this part] and provides for attainment of such standards by
December 31, 1987, (3) the failure of any State or designated local government to implement the applicable implementation plan, or (4) any combination of the foregoing. During such period and consistent with the preceding sentence, the issuance of a permit (including required offsets) under section 173 of such Act [this section] for the
Construction
or modification of a source in a nonattainment area shall not be denied solely or partially by reason of the reference contained in section 171(l) of such Act [section 7501(1) of this title] to the applicable date established in section 172(a) [section 7502(a) of this title]. This subsection [probably means the first 3 sentences of this note] shall not apply to any restriction or prohibition in effect under section 110(a)(2)(I), 173(4), 176(a), 176(b), or 316 of such Act prior to the enactment of this section [Dec. 22, 1987]. Prior to August 31, 1988, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall evaluate air quality data and make determinations with respect to which areas throughout the nation have attained, or failed to attain, either or both of the national primary ambient air quality standards referred to in subsection (a) [probably means the first 3 sentences of this note] and shall take appropriate steps to designate those areas failing to attain either or both of such standards as nonattainment areas within the meaning of part D of title I of the Clean Air Act.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 7503
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73