SECTION 116.115. General and Special Conditions

(a) General and special conditions. Permits, special permits, standard permits, and special exemptions may contain general and special conditions.

(b) General conditions. Holders of permits, special permits, standard permits, and special exemptions shall comply with the following:

(1) the general conditions contained in the permit document if issued or amended prior to August 16, 1994; or

(2) the following general conditions if the permit or amendment is issued or amended on or after August 16, 1994, regardless of whether they are specifically stated within the permit document.

(A) Report of construction progress. The permit holder shall report start of construction, construction interruptions exceeding 45 days, and completion of construction. The report shall be given to the appropriate regional office of the commission not later than 15 working days after occurrence of the event.

(B) Start-up notification.

(i) The permit holder shall notify the appropriate air program regional office of the commission prior to the commencement of operations of the facilities authorized by the permit. The notification must be made in such a manner as to allow a representative of the commission to be present at the commencement of operations.

(ii) The permit holder shall provide a separate notification for the commencement of operations for each unit of phased construction, which may involve a series of units commencing operations at different times.

(iii) Prior to operation of the facilities authorized by the permit, the permit holder shall identify to the Office of Permitting and Registration the source or sources of allowances to be utilized for compliance with Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Division 3 of this title (relating to Mass Emissions Cap and Trade Program).

(C) Sampling requirements.

(i) If sampling is required, the permit holder shall contact the commission's Office of Compliance and Enforcement prior to sampling to obtain the proper data forms and procedures.

(ii) All sampling and testing procedures must be approved by the executive director and coordinated with the regional representatives of the commission.

(iii) The permit holder is also responsible for providing sampling facilities and conducting the sampling operations or contracting with an independent sampling consultant.

(D) Equivalency of methods. The permit holder must demonstrate or otherwise justify the equivalency of emission control methods, sampling or other emission testing methods, and monitoring methods proposed as alternatives to methods indicated in the conditions of the permit. Alternative methods shall be applied for in writing and must be reviewed and approved by the executive director prior to their use in fulfilling any requirements of the permit.

(E) Recordkeeping. The permit holder shall:

(i) maintain a copy of the permit along with records containing the information and data sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the permit, including production records and operating hours;

(ii) keep all required records in a file at the facility site. If, however, the facility site normally operates unattended, records must be maintained at an office within Texas having day-to-day operational control of the facility site;

(iii) make the records available at the request of personnel from the commission or any local air pollution control agency having jurisdiction over the site. Upon request, the commission shall make any such records of compliance available to the public in a timely manner;

(iv) comply with any additional recordkeeping requirements specified in special conditions attached to the permit;

(v) retain information in the file for at least two years following the date that the information or data is obtained; and

(vi) for persons certifying and registering a federally-enforceable emission limitation in accordance with §116.611 of this title (relating to Registration To Use a Standard Permit), retain all records demonstrating compliance for at least five years.

(F) Maximum allowable emission rates. The total emissions of air contaminants from any of the sources of emissions must not exceed the values stated on the table attached to the permit entitled "Emission Sources--Maximum Allowable Emission Rates." Emissions that exceed the maximum allowable emission rates are not authorized and are a violation of the permit.

(G) Maintenance of emission control. The permitted facilities shall not be operated unless all air pollution emission capture and abatement equipment is maintained in good working order and operating properly during normal facility operations. The permit holder shall provide notification for emissions events and maintenance in accordance with §§101.201, 101.211, and 101.221 of this title (relating to Emissions Event Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements; Scheduled Maintenance, Startup, and Shutdown Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements; and Operational Requirements).

(H) Compliance with rules.

(i) Acceptance of a permit by an applicant constitutes an acknowledgment and agreement that the permit holder will comply with all rules, regulations, and orders of the commission issued in conformity with the Texas Clean Air Act and the conditions precedent to the granting of the permit.

(ii) If more than one state or federal rule or regulation or permit condition are applicable, the most stringent limit or condition shall govern and be the standard by which compliance shall be demonstrated.

(iii) Acceptance includes consent to the entrance of commission employees and agents into the permitted premises at reasonable times to investigate conditions relating to the emission or concentration of air contaminants, including compliance with the permit.

(c) Special conditions. The holders of permits, special permits, standard permits, and special exemptions shall comply with all special conditions contained in the permit document.

(1) Special conditions may be attached to a permit that are more restrictive than the requirements of Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code.

(2) Special condition for written approval.

(A) The executive director may require as a special condition that the permit holder obtain written approval before constructing a source under:

(i) a standard permit under Subchapter F of this chapter (relating to Standard Permits); or

(ii) an exemption under Chapter 106 of this title (relating to Permits by Rule).

(B) Such written approval may be required if the executive director specifically finds that an increase of a particular pollutant could either:

(i) result in a significant impact on the air environment; or

(ii) cause the facility to become subject to review under:

(I) Subchapter C of this chapter (relating to Hazardous Air Pollutants: Regulations Governing Constructed or Reconstructed Major Sources (FCAA, §112(g), 40 CFR Part 63)); or

(II) the provisions in Division 5 of this subchapter (relating to Nonattainment Review Permits) and Division 6 of this subchapter (relating to Prevention of Significant Deterioration Review).

Source Note: The provisions of this §116.115 adopted to be effective July 8, 1998, 23 TexReg 6973; amended to be effective March 29, 2001, 26 TexReg 2398; amended to be effective December 11, 2002, 27 TexReg 11574; amended to be effective September 14, 2003, 28 TexReg 7763; amended to be effective March 3, 2011, 36 TexReg 1305