Friday, March 29, 2024

EPA approves revisions to New Source Review Program for Albuquerque, N.M. area

The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico, State Implementation Plan (SIP) recently attained Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval on revisions that set pre-construction permitting thresholds for air pollution from stationary sources.

The revisions to New Mexico’s plan fall under New Source Review (NSR) regulations, which affect the construction or modification of factories, industrial boilers and power plants. The EPA determines baseline regulations for NSR programs, but states can create custom plans that maintain the agency’s basic requirements, which must be approved in the State Implementation Plan.

NSR programs, which require organizations to apply for permits before constructing facilities that will create significant air pollution, are used to maintain air quality standards according to the Clean Air Act. The programs work to ensure that industries operate as cleanly as possible and that industrial expansion includes the latest advances in pollution control.

The EPA proposed revisions to the SIP that allow federal regulations to apply to nonattainment areas on August 27, but it did not receive any public comments. The agency will assist states as they create their air plans, offering guidance especially as they develop and submit revisions.