Under this section, a State may seek approval of a State program to be implemented and enforced in lieu of specified existing or future Federal emission standards or requirements promulgated under section 112. A State may not seek approval under this section for a program that implements and enforces part 68 requirements.

(a) Up-front approval process.

(1) After receiving a complete request for approval of a State program submitted under paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section and making a preliminary determination on whether to approve it, the Administrator will seek public comment for 21 days through a Federal Register notice. At its discretion, the State may include in this submittal a request for approval of specific alternative requirements under paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(2) [Reserved]

(3) The Administrator will require that comments be submitted concurrently to the State.

(4) If, after review of all public comments and State responses to comments submitted to the Administrator, the Administrator finds that the criteria of paragraph (b) of this section and the criteria of §63.91 are met, the Administrator will approve or partially approve the State program. The approved State program will be published in the Federal Register and incorporated, directly or by reference, in the appropriate subpart of part 63.

(5) If the Administrator finds that any of the criteria of paragraph (b) of this section or §63.91 have not been met, the Administrator will partially approve or disapprove the State program.

(6) The Administrator will either approve, partially approve, or disapprove the State request:

(i) Within 90 days after receipt of a complete request for approval of a State program submitted under paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section; or

(ii) Within 180 days after receipt of a complete request for approval of a State program submitted under paragraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2) and paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(b) Criteria for up-front approval. Any request for program approval under this section shall meet all of the criteria of this paragraph and §63.91 before approval.

(1) For every request for program approval under this section, the State shall provide the Administrator, to the extent possible, with an identification of the initial specific source categories listed pursuant to section 112(c) and an identification of all existing and future section 112 emission standards or other requirements for which the State is seeking authority to implement and enforce alternative requirements under this section.

(2) If, after approval of the initial list of specific source categories identified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the State adds source categories for approval under this option, the State shall submit an addendum to the approval submission, and identify the addition to the list.

(3) In addition, the State may provide the Administrator with one or more of the following program elements for approval under this paragraph:

(i) Alternative requirements in State rules, regulations, or general permits (or other enforceable mechanisms) that apply generically to one or more categories of sources and for which the State seeks approval to implement and enforce in lieu of specific existing Federal section 112 emission standards or requirements. The Administrator may approve or disapprove the alternative requirements in these rules, regulations, or permits when approving or disapproving the State's up-front submittal under this paragraph. After approval of the alternative generic rules, regulations or general permits, and after new Federal emission standards or requirements are promulgated, the State may extend the applicability of approved generic alternative requirements to additional source categories by repeating the approval process specified in paragraph (a) of this section. To be approvable, any request for approval of generic alternative requirements during the up-front approval process shall meet the criteria in paragraph (d) of this section.

(ii) A description of the mechanisms that are enforceable as a matter of State law that the State will use to implement and enforce alternative requirements for area sources. The mechanisms that may be approved under this paragraph include title V permits, title V general permits, Federal new source review permits, board and administrative orders, permits issued pursuant to permit templates, state permits, and State rules that apply to categories of sources. The State shall demonstrate to the Administrator that the State has adequate resources and authorities to implement and enforce alternative section 112 requirements using the State mechanisms.

(c) Approval process for alternative requirements.

(1) After promulgation of a Federal emission standard or requirement for which the State has program approval under this section to implement and enforce alternative requirements, the State shall provide the Administrator with alternative requirements that are sufficient, in the Administrator's judgement, to allow the Administrator to determine equivalency under paragraph (d) of this section. The alternative requirements shall reflect all of the requirements of the otherwise applicable Federal section 112 rule, emission standard, or requirement, including any alternative requirements that the State is seeking to implement and enforce. Alternative requirements submitted for approval under this paragraph shall be contained in rules, regulations, general permits, or other mechanisms that apply to and are enforceable under State law for categories of sources. State policies are not approvable under this section unless they are incorporated into specific, enforceable, alternative requirements in rules, permits, or other mechanisms that apply to categories of sources.

(2) [Reserved]

(3) After receiving a complete request for approval under this section and making a preliminary determination on its equivalence, the Administrator will seek public comment for a minimum of 21 days through a Federal Register notice. The Administrator will require that comments be submitted concurrently to the State.

(4) If, after review of public comments and any State responses to comments submitted to the Administrator, the Administrator finds that the criteria of paragraph (d) of this section and the criteria of §63.91 are met, the Administrator will approve the State's alternative requirements. The approved alternative requirements will be published in the Federal Register and incorporated, directly or by reference, in the appropriate subpart of part 63.

(5) If the Administrator finds that any of the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section or §63.91 have not been met, the Administrator will partially approve or disapprove the State's alternative requirements. For any partial approvals or disapprovals, the Administrator will provide the State with the basis for the partial approval or disapproval and what action the State can take to make the alternative requirements approvable.

(6) Within 180 days of receiving a complete request for approval under this paragraph, the Administrator will either approve, partially approve, or disapprove the State request.

(7) Nothing in this section precludes the State from submitting alternative requirements for approval under this paragraph at the same time the State submits its program to the Administrator for up-front approval under paragraph (a) of this section, provided that the Federal rules, emission standards, or requirements for which the State submits alternative requirements are promulgated at the time of the State's submittal. If the Administrator finds that the criteria of §63.91 and the criteria of paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section are met, the Administrator will approve both the State program and the alternative requirements within 180 days of receiving a complete request for approval. Alternatively, following up-front approval, the State may submit alternative requirements for approval under this paragraph at any time after promulgation of the Federal emission standards or requirements.

(d) Approval criteria for alternative requirements. Any request for approval under this paragraph shall meet the following criteria. Taken together, the criteria in this paragraph describe the minimum contents of a State's equivalency demonstration for a promulgated Federal section 112 rule, emission standard, or requirement. To be approvable, the State submittal must contain sufficient detail to allow the Administrator to make a determination of equivalency between the State's alternative requirements and the Federal requirements. Each submittal of alternative requirements for a category of sources shall:

(1) Include copies of all State rules, regulations, permits, or other enforceable mechanisms that contain the alternative requirements for which the State is seeking approval. These documents shall also contain requirements that reflect all of the requirements of the otherwise applicable Federal section 112 rules, emission standards or requirements for which the State is not submitting alternatives. The State shall identify for the Administrator the specific requirements with which sources in a source category are required to comply, including the specific alternative requirements.

(2) Identify specifically how the alternative requirements are the same as or differ from the requirements in the otherwise applicable Federal rule, emission standards, or requirements (including any applicable requirements in subpart A or other subparts or appendices). The State shall provide this identification in a side-by-side comparison of the State's requirements and the requirements of the Federal rule, emission standards, or requirements.

(3) The State shall provide the Administrator with detailed documentation that demonstrates the State's belief that the alternative requirements meet the criteria specified in §63.93(b) of this subpart, i.e., that the alternative requirements are at least as stringent as the otherwise applicable Federal requirements.

[65 FR 55844, Sept. 14, 2000]