Question

Megan owns a manufacturing business in a nonattainment area under federal air pollution law. She wishes to triple the size of the manufacturing operation using land she just purchased next to her current location. What must Megan demonstrate in order to secure a permit to operate in the nonattainment area?

Answer 1

In the nonattainment area, the pollution level of the air quality level is worst than NAAQS. These areas are given the target to reduce the emission level to the NAAQS within a certain time frame. Therefore such an area has a very stringent policy for controlling air pollution.

Therefore in order to secure a permit to triple the size of manufacturing operation following actions, programs or infrastructure need to be demonstrated to comply with the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program and Nonattainment NSR program.

a. The company should have the capacity and plan to establish the most advanced and best available control technology to limit the emission and meet the most stringent norms.

b. A report based on the modeling of the air quality after increasing the capacity to three times of existing.

c. There will not be a chance of creating a pollutant that might negatively impact the air, ground, or water pollution.

d. Emission offset: There should be a plan to reduce the emission level from existing units to offset the emission increased from the new project of increasing the capacity.

e. No objection from local public.

If Megan can fulfill the above criteria then they might get the permit for increasing the manufacturing capacity.