§ 124.4 Consolidation of permit processing.

(a)(1) Whenever a facility or activity requires a permit under more than one statute covered by these regulations, processing of two or more applications for those permits may be consolidated. The first step in consolidation is to prepare each draft permit at the same time. (2) Whenever draft permits are prepared at the same time, the statements of basis (required under § 124.7 for EPA-issued permits only) or fact sheets (§ 124.8), administrative records (required under § 124.9 for EPA-issued permits only), public comment periods (§ 124.10), and any public hearings (§ 124.12) on those permits should also be consolidated. The final permits may be issued together. They need not be issued together if in the judgment of the Regional Administrator or State Director(s), joint processing would result in unreasonable delay in the issuance of one or more permits. (b) Whenever an existing facility or activity requires additional permits under one or more of the statutes covered by these regulations, the permitting authority may coordinate the expiration date(s) of the new permit(s) with the expiration date(s) of the existing permit(s) so that all permits expire simultaneously. Processing of the subsequent applications for renewal permits may then be consolidated. (c) Processing of permit applications under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section may be consolidated as follows: (1) The Director may consolidate permit processing at his or her discretion whenever a facility or activity requires all permits either from EPA or from an approved State. (2) The Regional Administrator and the State Director(s) may agree to consolidate draft permits whenever a facility or activity requires permits from both EPA and an approved State. (3) Permit applicants may recommend whether or not the processing of their applications should be consolidated. (d) [Reserved] (e) Except with the written consent of the permit applicant, the Regional Administrator shall not consolidate processing a PSD permit with any other permit under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section when to do so would delay issuance of the PSD permit more than one year from the effective date of the application under § 124.3(f).