G.S. 143-215.107

§ 143-215.107. Air quality standards and classifications.

(a) Duty to Adopt Plans, Standards, etc. - The Commission is hereby directed and empowered, as rapidly as possible within the limits of funds and facilities available to it, and subject to the procedural requirements of this Article and Article 21:

(1) To prepare and develop, after proper study, a comprehensive plan or plans for the prevention, abatement and control of air pollution in the State or in any designated area of the State.

(2) To determine by means of field sampling and other studies, including the examination of available data collected by any local, State or federal agency or any person, the degree of air contamination and air pollution in the State and the several areas of the State.

(3) To develop and adopt, after proper study, air quality standards applicable to the State as a whole or to any designated area of the State as the Commission deems proper in order to promote the policies and purposes of this Article and Article 21 most effectively.

(4) To collect information or to require reporting from classes of sources which, in the judgment of the Environmental Management Commission, may cause or contribute to air pollution. Any person operating or responsible for the operation of air contaminant sources of any class for which the Commission requires reporting shall make reports containing such information as may be required by the Commission concerning location, size, and height of contaminant outlets, processes employed, fuels used, and the nature and time periods or duration of emissions, and such other information as is relevant to air pollution and available or reasonably capable of being assembled.

(5) To develop and adopt emission control standards as in the judgment of the Commission may be necessary to prohibit, abate, or control air pollution commensurate with established air quality standards. The Department shall implement rules adopted pursuant to this subsection as follows:

a. Except as provided in sub-subdivision b. of this subdivision, rules adopted pursuant to this subdivision that control emissions of toxic air pollutants shall not apply to an air emission source that is any of the following:

1. Subject to an applicable requirement under 40 C.F.R. Part 61, as amended.

2. An affected source under 40 C.F.R. Part 63, as amended.

3. Subject to a case-by-case maximum achievable control technology (MACT) permit requirement issued by the Department pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 7412(j), as amended.

b. Upon receipt of a permit application for a new source or facility, or for the modification of an existing source or facility, that would result in an increase in the emission of toxic air pollutants, the Department shall review the application to determine if the emission of toxic air pollutants from the source or facility would present an unacceptable risk to human health. Upon making a written finding that a source or facility presents or would present an unacceptable risk to human health, the Department shall require the owner or operator of the source or facility to submit a permit application for any or all emissions of toxic air pollutants from the facility that eliminates the unacceptable risk to human health. The written finding may be based on modeling, epidemiological studies, actual monitoring data, or other information that indicates an unacceptable health risk. When the Department requires the owner or operator of a source or facility to submit a permit application pursuant to this sub-subdivision, the Department shall report to the Chairs of the Environmental Review Commission on the circumstances surrounding the permit requirement, including a copy of the written finding.

(6) To adopt motor vehicle emissions standards; to adopt, when necessary and practicable, a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program to improve ambient air quality; to require manufacturers of motor vehicles to furnish to the Equipment and Tool Institute and, upon request and at a reasonable charge, to any person who maintains or repairs a motor vehicle, all information necessary to fully make use of the on-board diagnostic equipment and the data compiled by that equipment; to certify to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles that ambient air quality will be improved by the implementation of a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program in a county. The Commission shall implement this subdivision as provided in G.S. 143-215.107A.

(7) To develop and adopt standards and plans necessary to implement programs for the prevention of significant deterioration and for the attainment of air quality standards in nonattainment areas.

(8) To develop and adopt standards and plans necessary to implement programs to control acid deposition and to regulate the use of sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowances and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions in accordance with Title IV and implementing regulations adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

(9) To regulate the content of motor fuels, as defined in G.S. 105-449.60, to require use of reformulated gasoline as the Commission determines necessary, to implement the requirements of Title II and implementing regulations adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and to develop standards and plans to implement this subdivision. Rules may authorize the use of marketable oxygen credits for gasoline as provided in federal requirements.

(10) Except as provided in subsection (h) of this section, to develop and adopt standards and plans necessary to implement requirements of the federal Clean Air Act and implementing regulations adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

(11) To develop and adopt economically feasible standards and plans necessary to implement programs to control the emission of odors from animal operations, as defined in G.S. 143-215.10B.

(12) To develop and adopt a program of incentives to promote voluntary reductions of emissions of air contaminants, including, but not limited to, emissions banking and trading and credit for voluntary early reduction of emissions.

(13) To develop and adopt rules governing the certification of persons who inspect vehicle-mounted tanks used to transport motor fuel and to require that inspection of these tanks be performed only by certified personnel.

(14) To develop and adopt rules governing the sale and service of mobile source exhaust emissions analyzers and to require that vendors of these analyzers provide adequate surety to purchasers for the performance of the vendor's contractual or other obligations related to the sale and service of analyzers.

(b) Criteria for Standards. - In developing air quality and emission control standards, motor vehicle emissions standards, motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance requirements, rules governing the content of motor fuels or requiring the use of reformulated gasoline, and other standards and plans to improve ambient air quality, the Commission shall consider varying local conditions and requirements and may prescribe uniform standards and plans throughout the State or different standards and plans for different counties or areas as may be necessary and appropriate to improve ambient air quality in the State or within a particular county or area, achieve attainment or preclude violations of state or national ambient air quality standards, meet other federal requirements, or achieve the purposes of this Article and Article 21.

(d), (e) Repealed by Session Laws 1987, c. 827, s. 205.

(f), (g) Repealed by Session Laws 1995, c. 507, s. 27.

(h) With respect to any regulation adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency limiting emissions from wood heaters and adopted after May 1, 2014, neither the Commission nor the Department shall do any of the following:

(1) Issue rules limiting emissions from wood heaters to implement the federal regulations described in this subsection.

(2) Enforce against a manufacturer, distributor, or consumer the federal regulations described in this subsection. (1973, c. 821, s. 6; c. 1262, s. 23; 1975, c. 784; 1979, c. 545, s. 1; c. 931; 1987, c. 827, ss. 154, 205; 1989, c. 132; c. 168, s. 48; 1991, c. 403, s. 3; c. 552, s. 9; c. 761, s. 40; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 889, s. 3; 1993, c. 400, s. 7; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 686, s. 6; 1995, c. 123, s. 9; c. 507, s. 27.8(s); 1997-458, s. 3.1; 1999-328, s. 3.12; 2000-134, s. 1; 2002-4, s. 3; 2002-165, s. 1.7; 2012-91, s. 1; 2015-286, s. 4.3(a).)