Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Mississippi Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Review

EPA is taking final action to approve revisions to the Mississippi State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on August 10, 2005, which include changes made to Mississippi regulations entitled, "Permit Regulations for the Construction and/or Operation of Air Emissions Equipment" and "Regulations for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality." The revisions include changes to the State's permitting rules in order to address amendments to the federal New Source Review (NSR) regulations, which were promulgated by EPA on December 31, 2002 and reconsidered with minor changes on November 7, 2003 (collectively, these two final actions are called the "2002 NSR reform rules"). The August 2005 submittal being approved today also includes changes made to the State's NSR program for minor stationary sources. Specifically, a new rule in Mississippi now allows construction to commence on certain minor sources prior to the applicant receiving a final permit to construct.