Clean Air Act Full Approval of Title V Operating Permits Programs; Clark County Department of Air Quality Management, Washoe County District Health Department, and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Nevada

EPA is taking final action to fully approve the operating permits program of the Clark County Department of Air Quality Management ("Clark County"), the Washoe County District Health Department ("Washoe County"), and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection ("NDEP"). These three programs were submitted in response to the directive in the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments that permitting authorities develop, and submit to EPA, programs for issuing operating permits to all major stationary sources and to certain other sources within the permitting authorities' jurisdiction. EPA granted interim approval to Clark County's operating permits program on July 13, 1995, to Washoe County's program on January 5, 1995, and to NDEP's program on December 12, 1995. All three permitting agencies revised their programs to satisfy the conditions of interim approval, and EPA proposed full approval in the Federal Register on October 10, 2001. EPA received comments on our proposed approval of Clark County's program from Mr. Robert Hall of the Nevada Environmental Coalition, and on our proposed approval of NDEP's program from NDEP. After carefully reviewing and considering the issues raised by the commenters, EPA is taking final action to give full approval to the Clark County and NDEP operating permits programs. EPA received no comments on our proposed approval of the Washoe County program and we are also granting full approval to that program in today's action.