Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§7651g Permits and Compliance Plans
Title 42 › CHAPTER 85 — AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › SUBCHAPTER IV–A — ACID DEPOSITION CONTROL › § 7651g
Summary
Agencies must give permits and enforce rules so units covered by this part follow the emissions program. Each permit (good for 5 years) must stop annual sulfur dioxide emissions above the number of allowances the owner holds, stop breaking any emission rate limits, stop using an allowance before the year it applies to, and stop any other violation of the permit. When the EPA records a transfer of allowances, any related permit application, approved plan, or permit is changed automatically. The first permit application must include a plan that shows how the source will meet the rules. If one owner says a unit will meet the limits or will hold enough allowances to cover its yearly emissions, that statement usually counts as the plan unless the owner will use an approved alternative compliance method. In that case the application and plan must give a full schedule and explanation of how the alternative will work. The EPA may also ask for proof that air quality standards will be met or for a single plan covering several sources owned by the same party. Owners or their representatives had to send permit applications and plans for the first group of affected sources no later than 27 months after November 15, 1990. The EPA had to issue implementing regulations within 18 months after November 15, 1990, and must approve or reject plans within 6 months of a complete filing. For the second group, owners had to file plans by January 1, 1996; States with approved programs must issue permits by December 31, 1997; if a State did not have an approved program by July 1, 1996, the EPA must issue permits by January 1, 1998. New units must apply 24 months before the later of January 1, 2000, or their start date. Units subject to certain nitrogen-oxide limits must apply by January 1, 1998. Not filing on time or operating without following a required application, plan, or permit is unlawful, though an electric unit cannot be forced to stop running just because its permit or plan is not yet approved. If a unit has multiple owners, the owners’ designated representative must file a certificate saying how allowances and sale proceeds will be shared or that a contract sets a different split; passive lessors are usually not counted as owners for this.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §7651g
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Permit program
The provisions of this subchapter shall be implemented, subject to section 7651b of this title, by permits issued to units subject to this subchapter (and enforced) in accordance with the provisions of subchapter V, as modified by this subchapter. Any such permit issued by the Administrator, or by a State with an approved permit program, shall prohibit—
(1)annual emissions of sulfur dioxide in excess of the number of allowances to emit sulfur dioxide the owner or operator, or the designated representative of the owners or operators, of the unit hold for the unit,
(2)exceedances of applicable emissions rates,
(3)the use of any allowance prior to the year for which it was allocated, and
(4)contravention of any other provision of the permit.
Permits issued to implement this subchapter shall be issued for a period of 5 years, notwithstanding subchapter V. No permit shall be issued that is inconsistent with the requirements of this subchapter, and subchapter V as applicable.
(b)Compliance plan
Each initial permit application shall be accompanied by a compliance plan for the source to comply with its requirements under this subchapter. Where an affected source consists of more than one affected unit, such plan shall cover all such units, and for purposes of section 7661a(c) of this title, such source shall be considered a “facility”. Nothing in this section regarding compliance plans or in subchapter V shall be construed as affecting allowances. Except as provided under subsection (c)(1)(B), submission of a statement by the owner or operator, or the designated representative of the owners and operators, of a unit subject to the emissions limitation requirements of section 7651c, 7651d, and 7651f of this title, that the unit will meet the applicable emissions limitation requirements of such sections in a timely manner or that, in the case of the emissions limitation requirements of section 7651c and 7651d of this title, the owners and operators will hold allowances to emit not less than the total annual emissions of the unit, shall be deemed to meet the proposed and approved compliance planning requirements of this section and subchapter V, except that, for any unit that will meet the requirements of this subchapter by means of an alternative method of compliance authorized under section 7651c(b), (c), (d), or (f) of this title section 7651f(d) or (e) of this title, section 7651h of this title and section 7651i of this title, the proposed and approved compliance plan, permit application and permit shall include, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Administrator, for each alternative method of compliance a comprehensive description of the schedule and means by which the unit will rely on one or more alternative methods of compliance in the manner and time authorized under this subchapter. Recordation by the Administrator of transfers of allowances shall amend automatically all applicable proposed or approved permit applications, compliance plans and permits. The Administrator may also require—
(1)for a source, a demonstration of attainment of national ambient air quality standards, and
(2)from the owner or operator of two or more affected sources, an integrated compliance plan providing an overall plan for achieving compliance at the affected sources.
(c)First phase permits
The Administrator shall issue permits to affected sources under section 7651c and 7651f of this title.
(1)Permit application and compliance plan
(A)Not later than 27 months after November 15, 1990, the designated representative of the owners or operators, or the owner and operator, of each affected source under section 7651c and 7651f of this title shall submit a permit application and compliance plan for that source in accordance with regulations issued by the Administrator under paragraph (3). The permit application and the compliance plan shall be binding on the owner or operator or the designated representative of owners and operators for purposes of this subchapter and section 7651a(a) of this title, and shall be enforceable in lieu of a permit until a permit is issued by the Administrator for the source.
(B)In the case of a compliance plan for an affected source under section 7651c and 7651f of this title for which the owner or operator proposes to meet the requirements of that section by reducing utilization of the unit as compared with its baseline or by shutting down the unit, the owner or operator shall include in the proposed compliance plan a specification of the unit or units that will provide electrical generation to compensate for the reduced output at the affected source, or a demonstration that such reduced utilization will be accomplished through energy conservation or improved unit efficiency. The unit to be used for such compensating generation, which is not otherwise an affected unit under section 7651c and 7651f of this title, shall be deemed an affected unit under section 7651c of this title, subject to all of the requirements for such units under this subchapter, except that allowances shall be allocated to such compensating unit in the amount of an annual limitation equal to the product of the unit’s baseline multiplied by the lesser of the unit’s actual 1985 emissions rate or its allowable 1985 emissions rate, divided by 2,000.
(2)EPA action on compliance plans
The Administrator shall review each proposed compliance plan to determine whether it satisfies the requirements of this subchapter, and shall approve or disapprove such plan within 6 months after receipt of a complete submission. If a plan is disapproved, it may be resubmitted for approval with such changes as the Administrator shall require consistent with the requirements of this subchapter and within such period as the Administrator prescribes as part of such disapproval.
(3)Regulations; issuance of permits
Not later than 18 months after November 15, 1990, the Administrator shall promulgate regulations, in accordance with subchapter V, to implement a Federal permit program to issue permits for affected sources under this subchapter. Following promulgation, the Administrator shall issue a permit to implement the requirements of section 7651c of this title and the allowances provided under section 7651b of this title to the owner or operator of each affected source under section 7651c of this title. Such a permit shall supersede any permit application and compliance plan submitted under paragraph (1).
(4)Fees
During the years 1995 through 1999 inclusive, no fee shall be required to be paid under section 7661a(b)(3) of this title or under section 7410(a)(2)(L) of this title with respect to emissions from any unit which is an affected unit under section 7651c of this title.
(d)Second phase permits
(1)To provide for permits for (A) new electric utility steam generating units required under section 7651b(e) of this title to have allowances, (B) affected units or sources under section 7651d of this title, and (C) existing units subject to nitrogen oxide emission reductions under section 7651f of this title, each State in which one or more such units or sources are located shall submit in accordance with subchapter V, a permit program for approval as provided by that subchapter. Upon approval of such program, for the units or sources subject to such approved program the Administrator shall suspend the issuance of permits as provided in subchapter V.
(2)The owner or operator or the designated representative of each affected source under section 7651d of this title shall submit a permit application and compliance plan for that source to the permitting authority, not later than January 1, 1996.
(3)Not later than December 31, 1997, each State with an approved permit program shall issue permits to the owner or operator, or the designated representative of the owners and operators, of affected sources under section 7651d of this title that satisfy the requirements of subchapter V and this subchapter and that submitted to such State a permit application and compliance plan pursuant to paragraph (2). In the case of a State without an approved permit program by July 1, 1996, the Administrator shall, not later than January 1, 1998, issue a permit to the owner or operator or the designated representative of each such affected source. In the case of affected sources for which applications and plans are timely received under paragraph (2), the permit application and the compliance plan, including amendments thereto, shall be binding on the owner or operator or the designated representative of the owners or operators and shall be enforceable as a permit for purposes of this subchapter and subchapter V until a permit is issued by the permitting authority for the affected source. The provisions of section 558(c) of title 5 (relating to renewals) shall apply to permits issued by a permitting authority under this subchapter and subchapter V.
(4)The permit issued in accordance with this subsection for an affected source shall provide that the affected units at the affected source may not emit an annual tonnage of sulfur dioxide in excess of the number of allowances to emit sulfur dioxide the owner or operator or designated representative hold for the unit.
(e)New units
The owner or operator of each source that includes a new electric utility steam generating unit shall submit a permit application and compliance plan to the permitting authority not later than 24 months before the later of (1) January 1, 2000, or (2) the date on which the unit commences operation. The permitting authority shall issue a permit to the owner or operator, or the designated representative thereof, of the unit that satisfies the requirements of subchapter V and this subchapter.
(f)Units subject to certain other limits
The owner or operator, or designated representative thereof, of any unit subject to an emission rate requirement under section 7651f of this title shall submit a permit application and compliance plan for such unit to the permitting authority, not later than January 1, 1998. The permitting authority shall issue a permit to the owner or operator that satisfies the requirements of subchapter V and this subchapter, including any appropriate monitoring and reporting requirements.
(g)Amendment of application and compliance plan
At any time after the submission of an application and compliance plan under this section, the applicant may submit a revised application and compliance plan, in accordance with the requirements of this section. In considering any permit application and compliance plan under this subchapter, the permitting authority shall ensure coordination with the applicable electric ratemaking authority, in the case of regulated utilities, and with unregulated public utilities.
(h)Prohibition
(1)It shall be unlawful for an owner or operator, or designated representative, required to submit a permit application or compliance plan under this subchapter to fail to submit such application or plan in accordance with the deadlines specified in this section or to otherwise fail to comply with regulations implementing this section.
(2)It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any source subject to this subchapter except in compliance with the terms and requirements of a permit application and compliance plan (including amendments thereto) or permit issued by the Administrator or a State with an approved permit program. For purposes of this subsection, compliance, as provided in section 7661c(f) of this title, with a permit issued under subchapter V which complies with this subchapter for sources subject to this subchapter shall be deemed compliance with this subsection as well as section 7661a(a) of this title.
(3)In order to ensure reliability of electric power, nothing in this subchapter or subchapter V shall be construed as requiring termination of operations of an electric utility steam generating unit for failure to have an approved permit or compliance plan, except that any such unit may be subject to the applicable enforcement provisions of section 7413 of this title.
(i)Multiple owners
No permit shall be issued under this section to an affected unit until the designated representative of the owners or operators has filed a certificate of representation with regard to matters under this subchapter, including the holding and distribution of allowances and the proceeds of transactions involving allowances. Where there are multiple holders of a legal or equitable title to, or a leasehold interest in, such a unit, or where a utility or industrial customer purchases power from an affected unit (or units) under life-of-the-unit, firm power contractual arrangements, the certificate shall state (1) that allowances and the proceeds of transactions involving allowances will be deemed to be held or distributed in proportion to each holder’s legal, equitable, leasehold, or contractual reservation or entitlement, or (2) if such multiple holders have expressly provided for a different distribution of allowances by contract, that allowances and the proceeds of transactions involving allowances will be deemed to be held or distributed in accordance with the contract. A passive lessor, or a person who has an equitable interest through such lessor, whose rental payments are not based, either directly or indirectly, upon the revenues or income from the affected unit shall not be deemed to be a holder of a legal, equitable, leasehold, or contractual interest for the purpose of holding or distributing allowances as provided in this subsection, during either the term of such leasehold or thereafter, unless expressly provided for in the leasehold agreement. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, where all legal or equitable title to or interest in an affected unit is held by a single person, the certification shall state that all allowances received by the unit are deemed to be held for that person.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 7651g
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110