Air Plan Approval; GA; Removal of Nonattainment Area New Source Review
Key claim: EPA is letting Georgia drop extra air-permit rules that only apply in dirty-air areas, because the state currently meets all federal air-quality standards.
Abstract
(Rule · Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Georgia through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on June 27, 2024. The revision removes permitting requirements related to nonattainment, including nonattainment new source review (NNSR), from Georgia’s SIP as obsolete, removes certain provisions related to the use of emission reduction credits (ERCs), and makes other changes based upon the lack of any areas designated as nonattainment for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in Georgia. The EPA is approving these changes pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
Why this matters
NNSR imposes stricter permitting (lowest achievable emission rate, offsets) on new or modified major sources in areas failing a NAAQS. Removing those provisions from Georgia’s SIP reduces permitting friction for industrial expansion while the state is in full attainment, but the rules would need to be reinstated if any area is later redesignated nonattainment. The action illustrates how state permitting burdens track NAAQS designations rather than any change in federal pollutant limits.