Governing Law and Regulations
Regulatory Agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation
See ADDRESSES & CONTACTS for addresses and telephone numbers.
New Source Review Overview
The 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) expanded a federal air quality permitting program called New Source Review (NSR) to clean up and maintain air quality across the country. Each state must include air quality permitting requirements that meet the standards of the federal NSR program in their state implementation plans (SIPs) to attain or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). See TITLE I: AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL in the national section AIR (REGULATORY OVERVIEW) for more information on the latest CAAA, NAAQS, SIPs, and nonattainment and attainment designations.
New Source Review is a preconstruction permitting program for new major sources of pollution and major modifications to existing sources. NSR is divided into two programs:
- Nonattainment NSR, which applies to the emissions of pollutants in designated nonattainment areas for those pollutants
- Prevention of significant deterioration (PSD), which applies to the emissions of pollutants in designated attainment areas for those pollutants
WHAT KIND OF PERMIT IS NEEDED?
Often, both programs are applicable and a source must comply with ...