大気排出物 – 許可とコンプライアンス

We advise on all manner of traditional and emerging air issues impacting virtually every business enterprise in America today. Whether involved in crafting new regulations, obtaining permits, or defending operations against alleged violations, Foley’s attorneys take the long view, working closely with you to achieve your business goals with the most practical, timely, and cost-effective strategies available.

Bringing together a broad range of individuals with specific knowledge, the Foley air lawyers are adept at communicating with all stakeholders – from the C-suite to the shop floor and from governmental agencies to environmental advocates – while driving projects toward success. Foley’s national air practice serves investors, owners, and operators in a wide range of sectors faced with constantly evolving air regulations and economic challenges.

Leading companies in most major heavy and light industrial sectors look to the Foley air team for strategic thinking and skillful implementation in the complex arenas of project development and permitting, regulatory development, enforcement, defense, and compliance counseling at the federal, state, and local administrative and judicial levels. We have the air experience you need whether you are in pharmaceuticals, electric power generation (including fossil fuels and advanced energy storage), oil and gas production, pipeline transportation, engine manufacturing, organic and inorganic chemicals and plastics, pulp and paper, metal foundries, fabrication and coating, sand mining, solid and hazardous waste disposal, building products, airlines, Data Center and Digital Infrastructure and industrial reuse.

新規及び既存発生源の許可

An “air permit” is more than just a legal document that authorizes the emission of contaminants into the atmosphere. For new or modified capital projects and business expansions, an air permit often dictates the construction schedule, production start-up date, plant layout, operating procedures, costs, and even plant location. Once the plant is operating, the emission limitations and the operating, monitoring, and reporting requirements of the permit become just as important for business success as the customer’s quality specs. We make it a habit to learn our clients’ business operations and offer strategic and practical advice for obtaining well-understood permits that enhance, rather than hinder, facility production. We regularly represent clients in new and existing source permit actions involving typical and not-so-typical federal, state, and local issues, including:

• 初期適用性判断の実施。これには、連邦または州の許可要件が適用されるかどうか、またどの要件が適用されるかを判断すること、そして同様に重要なこととして、どの要件が適用されないかを判断することが含まれる。
• Developing the analysis and implementing procedures and limits to avoid the applicability of New Sources Review (NSR) and Title V major source requirements. We provide specialized counsel on synthetic minor permitting for Data Center emergency generator fleets to minimize operational restrictions and project timelines. Where major source status cannot be avoided, developing Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and NSR preconstruction permit application strategies, negotiating reasonable permit conditions, and litigating unfavorable permitting decisions
• タイトルVおよび州の操業許可条件ならびに温室効果ガス許可要件の交渉
• Facilitating the removal of Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) requirements from active permits following the end of EPA’s “once in, always in” policy under Section 112 of the federal Clean Air Act
• Responding to neighbors’ concerns and, if necessary, defending third-party actions, such as nuisance claims, or appeals of air permits brought by non-government organizations

執行防御

連邦・州・地方自治体および市民訴訟による調査・執行措置の全過程を、当局の検査や情報要求から解決に至るまでご案内します。是正措置や補足的環境プロジェクトの実施、従業員研修、モニタリング、報告に至るまで、一貫した支援を提供します。フォリーの経験分野は以下の通りです：

• NSR（新規発生規制）及び有害大気汚染物質（MACT）の許可及び運営要件違反を主張する執行措置に対し、発電、パルプ・製紙、産業用包装、医療提供者、化学・製薬メーカーを代理する
• 複数のエンジン、排出ガス関連部品、および自動車メーカーを代理し、大気浄化法第205条に基づく移動発生源排出ガス規制および関連する州の規制への違反疑惑に対処
• 化学・石油ガス企業を代理し、漏洩検知・修復（LDAR）要件に関連する連邦同意判決において対応
• 排出事象およびインシデント調査を主導または支援し、根本原因分析、内部報告、是正措置の実施、および機関との交渉を実施する
• 民事環境法執行案件におけるクライアントの代理業務、ならびに政府調査チームと連携した刑事環境法執行案件

規制開発

当社は、州および連邦のクリーンエア法に基づく規則制定手続きにおいて、貴社を代表いたします。これには、産業排出量・技術・コストデータの収集・分析、規則の提案・交渉・公布・再検討・訴訟に至るまでの当局の取り組みが含まれます。

フォーリーは、国家大気環境基準（NAAQS）、地域的な霞および最良利用改造技術、NSRおよびPSDプログラム、有害大気汚染物質（HAPs）に対するMACT基準、 温室効果ガス報告・許可、州間大気浄化規則（CAIR）及び州間大気汚染規則、自動車及び移動発生源排出制御システム、州及び連邦第70部運転許可プログラムの要件、セクション112(r) 偶発的放出防止／リスク管理計画及びプロセス安全管理（PSM）プログラムの更新、ならびに部族による大気浄化法プログラム実施に関連する諸問題において、最前線で活動してきました。

当社の規制開発に関する経験には以下が含まれます：

• 代理店情報請求の条件交渉
• 情報開示請求への回答書の作成、規則案に対する意見書の作成
• Monitoring and shaping emerging federal and state regulations specifically targeting data center generator usage (e.g., limitations on non-emergency operations for grid support) and emissions from Energy Transition projects.
• Advising on the intersection of air permitting with CA Climate Disclosure and other ESG requirements, including the development of verifiable Scope 1 emissions data.
• 再考請求の準備
• 連邦航空規制案に関する審査請求について、依頼者の訴訟および和解手続き
• 州および連邦の地域的な煙霧規制からの例外許可取得プロセスにおけるクライアントへの助言

コンプライアンス・カウンセリングおよび監査

フォーリーは、許可要件に関する詳細な知識とお客様の業務・目標を応用し、コンプライアンスの確保と解決すべき課題の特定を支援します。具体的には以下の方法により：

• Developing and conducting environmental and safety audits and appropriate corrective action and by managing potential liabilities through voluntary self-disclosures to state and federal agencies
• 適用される許可及び規制要件への遵守に関する助言
• タイトルV許可要件への適合証明に必要な要件について管理職員を訓練し、適合証明に必要な「合理的な調査」の一環として既存の内部記録管理プログラムを評価する

Navigating the Diesel Generator Challenge

The need for uninterruptible power is the lifeblood of a data center, making backup diesel generator fleets—often numbering in the hundreds—a mission-critical component of nearly every facility. However, these fleets represent the single largest source of on-site air emissions, placing them squarely in the crosshairs of federal, state, and local air quality regulators. The legal distinction between “emergency” and “non-emergency” use is a complex and high-stakes battleground, as even minimal non-emergency operation can push a facility’s Potential to Emit (PTE) above critical thresholds, triggering onerous and time-consuming permitting requirements.

At Foley & Lardner, we specialize in developing sophisticated air permitting strategies during the project’s design phase to legally and operationally manage this risk. Our focus is on avoiding the designation of “Major Source” under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) or Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) programs, which can add years and millions of dollars to a project’s timeline and budget. We achieve this by structuring the project to qualify for “Synthetic Minor” permits, establishing legally enforceable limits on operating hours, fuel consumption, and emission rates. This approach requires precise modeling of air emissions, particularly for criteria pollutants like Nitrogen Oxides, to demonstrate compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), especially in non-attainment areas.

Furthermore, the regulatory landscape is continuously shifting. We closely monitor evolving EPA interpretations—including those related to the permissible use of emergency generators for grid support or demand response programs—to ensure your operational flexibility remains legally protected. Whether through negotiating reasonable limits with state agencies (like TCEQ, DEQ, or MPCA), challenging unfavorable permit conditions, or defending against citizen suits, our attorneys provide the strategic counsel necessary to secure the permits that keep your project on schedule and your mission-critical operations compliant, avoiding the significant fines and project delays associated with non-compliance.

Key Air Quality Permitting Services For Data Centers

Our targeted air quality services for data centers include:

• Potential to Emit (PTE) Analysis: Calculating maximum theoretical emissions and establishing legally binding operational restrictions to maintain Synthetic Minor status and avoid Major Source permitting.
• New Source Review (NSR) Strategy: Advising on compliance with PSD and NNSR regulations, including Best Available Control Technology (BACT) and Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) analyses if Major Source status cannot be avoided.
• Air Dispersion Modeling (AERMOD): Conducting advanced air quality impact assessments to demonstrate that emissions from backup fleets will not violate NAAQS standards, especially for Nitrogen Oxides in non-attainment zones.
• Permit Negotiation and Defense: Representing clients before federal and state environmental agencies to secure permits with practical, well-defined operational limits and defending permits against appeals or litigation.
• Compliance with RICE NESHAP and NSPS: Ensuring generator engines meet applicable National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS).
• Grid Support Regulatory Interpretation: Advising on the latest EPA guidance regarding the limited use of emergency generators for non-emergency grid stability purposes to prevent loss of “emergency” status.