Washington Administrative Code
Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508)
Chapter 173-400 - General regulations for air pollution sources
PERMITTING OF MAJOR STATIONARY SOURCES AND MAJOR MODIFICATIONS TO MAJOR STATIONARY SOURCES
Section 173-400-730 - Prevention of significant deterioration application processing procedures

Universal Citation: WA Admin Code 173-400-730

Current through Register Vol. 25-06, March 15, 2025

(1)

(a) The applicant shall submit an application that provides complete information necessary for ecology to determine compliance with all PSD program requirements.

(b) The applicant shall submit complete copies of its PSD application or an application to increase a PAL, distributed in the following manner:
(i) Three copies to ecology: Air Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

(ii) One copy to each of the following federal land managers:
(A) U.S. Department of the Interior - National Park Service; and

(B) U.S. Department of Agriculture - U.S. Forest Service.

(iii) One copy to the permitting authority with authority over the source under chapter 173-401 WAC.

(iv) One copy to EPA.

(c) Application submittal and processing for the initial request, renewal or expiration of a PAL under 40 C.F.R. 52.21(aa) shall be done as provided in 40 C.F.R. 52.21(aa)(3) through (5) (in effect on the date in WAC 173-400-025). Exception: Public participation must comply with WAC 173-400-740.

(2) Application processing.

(a) Completeness determination.
(i) Within thirty days after receiving a PSD permit application, ecology shall either notify the applicant in writing that the application is complete or notify the applicant in writing of all additional information necessary to complete the application. Ecology may request additional information clarifying aspects of the application after it has been determined to be complete.

(ii) The effective date of the application is the date on which ecology notifies the applicant that the application is complete pursuant to (a)(i) of this subsection.

(iii) If an applicant fails or refuses to correct deficiencies in the application, the permit may be denied and appropriate enforcement action taken.

(iv) The permitting authority shall send a copy of the completeness determination to the responsible federal land manager.

(b) Preparation and issuance of the preliminary determination.
(i) When the application has been determined to be complete, ecology shall begin developing the preliminary determination to approve or deny the application.

(ii) As expeditiously as possible after receipt of a complete application, ecology shall provide the applicant with a preliminary determination along with a technical support document and a public notice.

(c) Issuance of the final determination.
(i) Ecology shall make no final decision until the public comment period has ended and all comments received during the public comment period have been considered.

(ii) Within one year of the date of receipt of the complete application and as expeditiously as possible after the close of the public comment period, or hearing if one is held, ecology shall prepare and issue the final determination.

(d) Once the PSD program set forth in WAC 173-400-700 through 173-400-750 is incorporated into the Washington SIP, the effective date of a determination will be either the date of issuance of the final determination, or a later date if specified in the final determination.

Until the PSD program set forth in WAC 173-400-700 through 173-400-750 is incorporated into the Washington SIP, the effective date of a final determination is one of the following dates:

(i) If no comments on the preliminary determination were received, the date of issuance; or

(ii) If comments were received, thirty days after receipt of the final determination; or

(iii) A later date as specified within the PSD permit approval.

(3) PSD technical support document. Ecology shall develop a technical support document for each preliminary PSD determination. The preliminary technical support document will be updated prior to issuance of the final determination to reflect changes to the final determination based on comments received. The technical support document shall include the following information:

(a) A brief description of the major stationary source, major modification, or activity subject to review;

(b) The physical location, ownership, products and processes involved in the major stationary source or major modification subject to review;

(c) The type and quantity of pollutants proposed to be emitted into the air;

(d) A brief summary of the BACT options considered and the reasons why the selected BACT level of control was selected;

(e) A brief summary of the basis for the permit approval conditions;

(f) A statement on whether the emissions will or will not cause a state and national ambient air quality standard to be exceeded;

(g) The degree of increment consumption expected to result from the source or modification;

(h) An analysis of the impacts on air quality related values in federal Class I areas and other Class I areas affected by the project; and

(i) An analysis of the impacts of the proposed emissions on visibility in any federal Class I area following the requirements in WAC 173-400-117.

(4) Appeals. A PSD permit, any conditions contained in a PSD permit, or the denial of PSD permit may be appealed to the pollution control hearings board as provided in chapter 43.21B RCW. A PSD permit issued under the terms of a delegation agreement can be appealed to the EPA's environmental appeals board as provided in 40 C.F.R. 124.13 and 40 C.F.R. 124.19.

(5) Construction time limitations.

(a) Approval to construct or modify a major stationary source becomes invalid if construction is not commenced within eighteen months of the effective date of the approval, if construction is discontinued for a period of eighteen months or more, or if construction is not completed within a reasonable time. The time period between construction of the approved phases of a phased construction project cannot be extended. Each phase must commence construction within eighteen months of the projected and approved commencement date.

(b) Ecology may extend the eighteen-month effective period of a PSD permit upon a satisfactory showing that an extension is justified. A request to extend the effective time to begin or complete actual construction under a PSD permit may be submitted. The request may result from the cessation of on-site construction before completion or failure to begin actual construction of the project(s) covered by the PSD permit.
(i) Request requirements.
(A) A written request for the extension, submitted by the PSD permit holder, as soon as possible prior to the expiration of the current PSD permit.

(B) An evaluation of BACT and an updated ambient impact, including an increment analysis, for all pollutants subject to the approval conditions in the PSD permit.

(ii) Duration of extensions.
(A) No single extension of time shall be longer than eighteen months.

(B) The cumulative time prior to beginning actual construction under the original PSD permit and all approved time extensions shall not exceed fifty-four months.

(iii) Issuance of an extension.
(A) Ecology may approve and issue an extension of the current PSD permit.

(B) The extension of approval shall reflect any revised BACT limitations based on the evaluation of BACT presented in the request for extension and other information available to ecology.

(C) The issuance of an extension is subject to the public involvement requirements in WAC 173-400-740.

(iv) For the extension of a PSD permit, ecology must prepare a technical support document consistent with WAC 173-400-730(3) only to the extent that those criteria apply to a request to extend the construction time limitation.

Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.94 RCW. 12-24-027 (Order 11-10), § 173-400-730, filed 11/28/12, effective 12/29/12; 11-06-060 (Order 09-01), § 173-400-730, filed 3/1/11, effective 4/1/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.152. 05-03-033 (Order 03-07), § 173-400-730, filed 1/10/05, effective 2/10/05.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Washington may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.