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Article 1.3. Air Pollution Permit Streamlining Act of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 26. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.3.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Air
Pollution Permit Streamlining Act of 1992.
The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a) California's air pollution control programs have been among the most successful efforts in the country to reduce air pollution and to protect public health and the environment.
(b) It is in the interest of the people of the state, particularly during times of economic difficulty, to enact laws which improve the processes by which businesses comply with environmental and air quality laws, without sacrificing the protection of public health and the environment.
(c) The purpose of this article is to require districts to review their permit programs and to institute new, efficient procedures which will assist businesses in complying with regional, state, and federal air quality laws in an expedited fashion, without reducing protection of public health and the environment.
(a) California's air pollution control programs have been among the most successful efforts in the country to reduce air pollution and to protect public health and the environment.
(b) It is in the interest of the people of the state, particularly during times of economic difficulty, to enact laws which improve the processes by which businesses comply with environmental and air quality laws, without sacrificing the protection of public health and the environment.
(c) The purpose of this article is to require districts to review their permit programs and to institute new, efficient procedures which will assist businesses in complying with regional, state, and federal air quality laws in an expedited fashion, without reducing protection of public health and the environment.
(a) Every district shall establish, by regulation, a program
to provide for the expedited review of permits issued pursuant to
Article 1 (commencing with Section 42300) in order to reduce
unnecessary delay in the issuance of those permits and to protect the
public health and the environment. The expedited permit system shall
include all of the following:
(1) A precertification program for equipment which is mass-produced and operated by numerous sources under the same or similar conditions, in order to allow permit applicants who purchase that equipment to receive permits in an expedited fashion.
(2) A consolidated permitting process for any source that requires more than one permit, which provides that the source will be permitted on a facility or project basis, provides a single point of contact for the permit applicant, and allows a source to be reviewed and permitted on a single, consolidated schedule.
(3) An expedited permit review schedule, based upon the types and amount of pollution emitted from sources. In order to comply with this subdivision, a district shall classify sources within its jurisdiction as minor, moderate, and major sources of air pollution, and shall establish a permit action schedule that sets forth specific deadlines, based on each classification, for an air pollution control officer to notify a permit applicant in writing of the approval or disapproval of a permit application.
(4) A training and certification program for private sector personnel, in order to establish a pool of professionals who can certify businesses as being in compliance with district rules and regulations.
(5) The development of standardized permit application forms that are written in clear and understandable language and provide applicants with adequate information to complete and return the forms.
(6) To the extent that a district determines that it will not adversely affect the public health and safety or the environment, the consolidation of the authority to construct and permit to operate into a single permit process in order to reduce processing times and paperwork for stationary sources.
(7) An appeals process whereby, if the air pollution control officer fails to notify a permit applicant of the approval or disapproval of a permit application within the schedule established pursuant to paragraph (3), the permit applicant may, after notifying the district, request the district board, at its next regularly scheduled meeting, to set a date certain on which the permit will be acted upon. This paragraph does not prohibit a permit applicant from seeking relief under Section 42302.
(b) For those districts which have a population of less than 1,000,000 persons, the state board shall provide assistance in developing regulations implementing this section.
(c) This section does not apply to county air pollution control districts in counties that have a population of less than 250,000 persons.
(1) A precertification program for equipment which is mass-produced and operated by numerous sources under the same or similar conditions, in order to allow permit applicants who purchase that equipment to receive permits in an expedited fashion.
(2) A consolidated permitting process for any source that requires more than one permit, which provides that the source will be permitted on a facility or project basis, provides a single point of contact for the permit applicant, and allows a source to be reviewed and permitted on a single, consolidated schedule.
(3) An expedited permit review schedule, based upon the types and amount of pollution emitted from sources. In order to comply with this subdivision, a district shall classify sources within its jurisdiction as minor, moderate, and major sources of air pollution, and shall establish a permit action schedule that sets forth specific deadlines, based on each classification, for an air pollution control officer to notify a permit applicant in writing of the approval or disapproval of a permit application.
(4) A training and certification program for private sector personnel, in order to establish a pool of professionals who can certify businesses as being in compliance with district rules and regulations.
(5) The development of standardized permit application forms that are written in clear and understandable language and provide applicants with adequate information to complete and return the forms.
(6) To the extent that a district determines that it will not adversely affect the public health and safety or the environment, the consolidation of the authority to construct and permit to operate into a single permit process in order to reduce processing times and paperwork for stationary sources.
(7) An appeals process whereby, if the air pollution control officer fails to notify a permit applicant of the approval or disapproval of a permit application within the schedule established pursuant to paragraph (3), the permit applicant may, after notifying the district, request the district board, at its next regularly scheduled meeting, to set a date certain on which the permit will be acted upon. This paragraph does not prohibit a permit applicant from seeking relief under Section 42302.
(b) For those districts which have a population of less than 1,000,000 persons, the state board shall provide assistance in developing regulations implementing this section.
(c) This section does not apply to county air pollution control districts in counties that have a population of less than 250,000 persons.
Districts with a population of more than 500,000 persons
shall additionally implement the following permit streamlining
measures:
(a) Upon a permit applicant's request, the district shall allow the permit applicant to meet with district staff prior to the submittal of a permit to construct in order to identify issues and ways to expedite the permitting process.
(b) The district shall allow the permit applicant to propose conditions that are consistent with the applicable rules or regulations for the district's consideration.
(c) Before a district implements a rule or regulation for categories of emission sources for which significant capital expenditures will be required, the district shall develop, with input from the regulated community, a permitting protocol for any permits that will be required for common types of operating equipment, processes, or related air pollution control equipment as a result of the rule or regulation. Each district shall compile those protocols and make them available to businesses that are regulated by the rule or regulation.
(a) Upon a permit applicant's request, the district shall allow the permit applicant to meet with district staff prior to the submittal of a permit to construct in order to identify issues and ways to expedite the permitting process.
(b) The district shall allow the permit applicant to propose conditions that are consistent with the applicable rules or regulations for the district's consideration.
(c) Before a district implements a rule or regulation for categories of emission sources for which significant capital expenditures will be required, the district shall develop, with input from the regulated community, a permitting protocol for any permits that will be required for common types of operating equipment, processes, or related air pollution control equipment as a result of the rule or regulation. Each district shall compile those protocols and make them available to businesses that are regulated by the rule or regulation.
(a) For purposes of subdivision (b), "small business
stationary source" means a source which meets all of the following
criteria:
(1) The source is owned or operated by a person who employs 100 or fewer individuals.
(2) The source is a small business as defined under the federal Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 631, et seq.).
(3) The source emits less than 10 tons per year of any single pollutant and less than 20 tons per year of all pollutants.
(b) In addition to the requirements of Section 42322, every district shall establish a small business assistance program for small business stationary sources located within the district's jurisdiction. A small business assistance program adopted pursuant to this section shall consist of all of the following:
(1) The development of a standardized permit application form which is written in clear and understandable language and provides small business persons with adequate information to complete and return the form.
(2) To the extent that a district determines that it will not adversely affect public health or the environment, the consolidation of the authority to construct and permit to operate into a single permit process in order to reduce processing times and paperwork for small business stationary sources.
(3) The establishment of expedited variance procedures for small businesses and the provision of technical assistance for applicants on the processing of variances.
(4) The designation of a single person or office within the district which shall serve as a point of initial access and accessibility to the district for small business persons.
(5) Upon the approval of the district board at a duly noticed public hearing, the establishment of surcharges on permit fees levied on sources regulated by the district, to be used for the establishment of a small business economic assistance program.
(c) This section does not apply to county air pollution control districts in counties that have a population of less than 250,000 persons.
(1) The source is owned or operated by a person who employs 100 or fewer individuals.
(2) The source is a small business as defined under the federal Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 631, et seq.).
(3) The source emits less than 10 tons per year of any single pollutant and less than 20 tons per year of all pollutants.
(b) In addition to the requirements of Section 42322, every district shall establish a small business assistance program for small business stationary sources located within the district's jurisdiction. A small business assistance program adopted pursuant to this section shall consist of all of the following:
(1) The development of a standardized permit application form which is written in clear and understandable language and provides small business persons with adequate information to complete and return the form.
(2) To the extent that a district determines that it will not adversely affect public health or the environment, the consolidation of the authority to construct and permit to operate into a single permit process in order to reduce processing times and paperwork for small business stationary sources.
(3) The establishment of expedited variance procedures for small businesses and the provision of technical assistance for applicants on the processing of variances.
(4) The designation of a single person or office within the district which shall serve as a point of initial access and accessibility to the district for small business persons.
(5) Upon the approval of the district board at a duly noticed public hearing, the establishment of surcharges on permit fees levied on sources regulated by the district, to be used for the establishment of a small business economic assistance program.
(c) This section does not apply to county air pollution control districts in counties that have a population of less than 250,000 persons.
