44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT; ENACTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACT; CREATING AN ADVISORY COUNCIL; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES; INCREASING THE TIME FOR APPROVAL OF AIR QUALITY PERMITS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--Sections 1 through 4 of this act may be cited as the "Environmental Justice Act".

Section 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Environmental Justice Act:

A. "committee" means the environmental justice advisory committee;

B. "deputy" means the deputy secretary for environmental justice; and

C. "secretary" means the secretary of environment.

Section 3. [NEW MATERIAL] ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DEPUTY SECRETARY--POWERS AND DUTIES.--The secretary of environment shall appoint a "deputy secretary for environmental justice". The deputy shall:

A. meet regularly with the committee;

B. review demographics of permitted and proposed facilities;

C. oversee outreach and education programs for communities throughout the state on the permitting process of the Air Quality Control Act and other acts that require state permits, which programs shall be implemented with every permit application in order to facilitate public involvement;

D. serve as liaison to federal environmental justice representatives and bodies and to communities in New Mexico;

E. develop a database of priority facilities that require action and present the priority list to the committee and the secretary;

F. develop an assistance program for small businesses that will guide and facilitate the small business representatives through the department's permitting process; and

G. perform other duties as assigned by the secretary.

Section 4. [NEW MATERIAL] ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE--MEMBERSHIP--PURPOSE.--

A. The "environmental justice advisory committee" is created. The committee shall be composed of representatives of community-based organizations throughout the state appointed by the secretary. Members of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The committee shall annually elect a chairman and vice chairman. The committee shall meet at least semiannually at the call of the deputy. Members may receive per diem and travel expenses as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act, but shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

B. The committee shall meet with the deputy and the secretary to advise the department on matters pertaining to the Environmental Justice Act and to perform such other advisory duties as requested by the deputy or the secretary.

Section 5. Section 74-2-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1972, Chapter 51, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

"74-2-7. PERMITS--PERMIT APPEALS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT BOARD OR THE LOCAL BOARD--PERMIT FEES.--

A. By regulation, the environmental improvement board or the local board shall require:

(1) any person intending to construct or modify any source, except as otherwise specifically provided by regulation, to obtain a construction permit from the department or the local agency prior to such construction or modification; and

(2) any person intending to operate any source for which an operating permit is required by the 1990 amendments to the federal act, except as otherwise specifically provided by regulation, to obtain an operating permit from the department or the local agency.

B. Regulations adopted by the environmental improvement board or the local board shall include at least the following provisions:

(1) requirements for the submission of relevant information, including but not limited to information the department or the local agency deems necessary to ensure that regulations and standards under the Air Quality Control Act or the federal act will not be violated;

(2) specification of the deadlines for processing permit applications; provided, the deadline for a final decision by the department or the local agency on a construction permit application may not exceed [(a) one hundred eighty] two hundred seventy days after the application is determined to be complete [if the application is not affected by requirements for prevention of significant deterioration; or

(b) two hundred forty days after the application is determined to be complete, if the application is affected by requirements for prevention of significant deterioration];

(3) specification of the public notice, comment period and public hearing, if any, required prior to the issuance of a permit; provided the permit regulations adopted:

(a) by the environmental improvement board shall include provisions governing notice to nearby states; and

(b) by any local board shall include provisions requiring that notice be given to the department of all permit applications by any source that emits, or has a potential emission rate of, one hundred tons per year or more of any regulated air contaminant, including any source of fugitive emissions of each regulated air contaminant, at least sixty days prior to the date on which construction or major modification is to commence;

(4) a schedule of construction permit fees sufficient to cover:

(a) the reasonable costs of reviewing and acting upon any application for such permit; and

(b) the reasonable costs of implementing and enforcing the terms and conditions of the permit, excluding any court costs or other costs associated with an enforcement action;

(5) a schedule of emission fees consistent with the provisions of Section 502(b)(3) of the 1990 amendments to the federal act;

(6) specification of the maximum length of time for which a permit shall be valid; provided that for an operating permit, such period may not exceed five years; and

(7) for an operating permit only:

(a) provisions consistent with Sections 502(b) and 505(b) of the federal act providing: 1) notice to and review and comment by the United States environmental protection agency; and 2) that if the department or local agency receives notice of objection from the United States environmental protection agency before the operating permit is issued, the department or the local agency shall not issue the permit unless it is revised and issued under Section 505(c) of the federal act;

(b) provisions governing renewal of the operating permit; and

(c) specification of the conditions under which the operating permit may be terminated, modified or revoked and reissued prior to the expiration of the term of the operating permit.

C. The department or the local agency may deny any application for:

(1) a construction permit if it appears that the construction or modification will not meet applicable requirements of the Air Quality Control Act, the federal act or any regulation adopted pursuant to either; or

(2) an operating permit if:

(a) the source for which the permit is sought will emit a hazardous air pollutant or any air contaminant in excess of a federal standard of performance or a regulation of the environmental improvement board or the local board;

(b) it appears that the source for which the permit is sought will cause or contribute to air contaminant levels in excess of any national or state standard or, within the boundaries of a local authority, applicable local ambient air quality standards; or

(c) any other provision of the Air Quality Control Act or the federal act will be violated.

D. The department or the local agency may specify conditions to any permit granted under this section, including:

(1) for a construction permit, a requirement that such source install and operate control technology, determined on a case-by-case basis, sufficient to meet the requirements of the Air Quality Control Act, the federal act and regulations promulgated pursuant to either; and

(2) for an operating permit:

(a) imposition of individual emission limits, determined on a case-by-case basis, but only as restrictive as necessary to meet the requirements of the Air Quality Control Act and the federal act or the emission rate specified in the operating permit application, whichever is more stringent;

(b) compliance with applicable federal standards of performance;

(c) imposition of reasonable restrictions and limitations not relating to emission limits or emission rates; or

(d) any combination of the conditions listed above.

E. This section does not authorize the department or the local agency to require the use of machinery, devices or equipment from a particular manufacturer if the federal standards of performance, state regulations and permit conditions may be met by machinery, devices or equipment otherwise available.

F. The issuance of a permit does not relieve any person from the responsibility of complying with the provisions of the Air Quality Control Act and any applicable regulations of the environmental improvement board or the local board. Any conditions placed upon a permit by the department or the local agency shall be enforceable to the same extent as a regulation of its board.

G. Any person who participated in a permitting action before the department or the local agency shall be notified by the department or the local agency of the action taken and the reasons for the action. Notification of the applicant shall be by certified mail.

H. Any person who participated in a permitting action before the department or the local agency and who is adversely affected by such permitting action may file a petition for hearing before the environmental improvement board or the local board. The petition shall be made in writing to the environmental improvement board or the local board within thirty days from the date notice is given of the department's or the local agency's action. Unless a timely request for hearing is made, the decision of the department or the local agency shall be final.

I. If a timely petition for hearing is made, the environmental improvement board or the local board shall hold a hearing within ninety days after receipt of the petition. The environmental improvement board or the local board shall notify the petitioner and the applicant or permittee, if other than the petitioner, by certified mail of the date, time and place of the hearing. If the subject of the petition is a permitting action deemed by the environmental improvement board or the local board to substantially affect the public interest, the environmental improvement board or the local board shall ensure that the public receives notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. The public in such circumstances shall also be given a reasonable opportunity to submit data, views or arguments orally or in writing and to examine witnesses testifying at the hearing. Any person submitting data, views or arguments orally or in writing shall be subject to examination at the hearing.

J. The environmental improvement board or the local board may designate a hearing officer to take evidence in the hearing. All hearings shall be recorded.

K. The burden of proof shall be upon the petitioner. Based upon the evidence presented at the hearing, the environmental improvement board or the local board shall sustain, modify or reverse the action of the department or the local agency respectively.

L. Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to the provisions of Section 74-2-4 NMSA 1978, a final decision on a permit by the department, the environmental improvement board, the local agency, the local board or the court of appeals that a new source will or will not meet applicable local, state and federal air pollution standards and regulations shall be conclusive and is binding on every other state agency and as an issue before any other state agency shall be deemed resolved in accordance with that final decision.

M. Subject to the provisions of Section 74-2-4 NMSA 1978, if the local board has adopted a permit regulation pursuant to this section, persons constructing or modifying any new source within the boundaries of the local authority shall obtain a permit from the local agency and not from the department.

N. Fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in:

(1) the state air quality permit fund created by Section 74-2-15 NMSA 1978 if collected by the department; or

(2) a fund created pursuant to Section 74-2-16 NMSA 1978 if collected by a local agency pursuant to a permit regulation adopted by the local board pursuant to this section."

Section 6. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the department of environment for expenditure in fiscal year 2000 to carry out the provisions of the Environmental Justice Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.

Section 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 1999.