119-hr161

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 161 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 161

 To amend sections 111, 169, and 171 of the Clean Air Act to clarify 
 when a physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, a 
 stationary source constitutes a modification or construction, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

 Mr. Griffith introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend sections 111, 169, and 171 of the Clean Air Act to clarify 
 when a physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, a 
 stationary source constitutes a modification or construction, and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``New Source Review Permitting 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF A MODIFICATION: EMISSION RATE 
 INCREASES, POLLUTION CONTROL, EFFICIENCY, SAFETY, AND 
 RELIABILITY PROJECTS.

 Paragraph

    (4) of 

section 111

    (a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7411

    (a) ) is amended--

    (1) by inserting ``
        (A) '' before ``The term'';

    (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
 following: ``. For purposes of the preceding sentence, a change 
 increases the amount of any air pollutant emitted by such 
 source only if the maximum hourly emission rate of an air 
 pollutant that is achievable by such source after the change is 
 higher than the maximum hourly emission rate of such air 
 pollutant that was achievable by such source during any hour in 
 the 10-year period immediately preceding the change''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph
        (A) , the term 
 `modification' does not include a change at a stationary source 
 that is designed--
 ``
            (i) to reduce the amount of any air pollutant 
 emitted by the source per unit of production; or
 ``
            (ii) to restore, maintain, or improve the 
 reliability of operations at, or the safety of, the 
 source,
 except, with respect to either clause
            (i) or
            (ii) , when the 
 change would be a modification as defined in subparagraph
        (A) and the Administrator determines that the increase in the 
 maximum achievable hourly emission rate of a pollutant from 
 such change would cause an adverse effect on human health or 
 the environment.''.

SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCTION FOR PREVENTION OF 
 SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION.

 Subparagraph
            (C) of 

section 169

    (2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7479

    (2) ) is amended to read as follows:
 ``
            (C) The term `construction', when used in connection with 
 a major emitting facility, includes a modification (as defined 
 in 

section 111

    (a) ) at such facility, except that for purposes 
 of this subparagraph a modification does not include a change 
 at a major emitting facility that does not result in a 
 significant emissions increase, or a significant net emissions 
 increase, in annual actual emissions at such facility.''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF MODIFICATIONS AND MODIFIED FOR 
 NONATTAINMENT AREAS.

 Paragraph

    (4) of 

section 171 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7501) 
is amended to read as follows:
 ``

    (4) The terms `modifications' and `modified' mean a 
 modification as defined in 

section 111

    (a)

    (4) , except that such 
 terms do not include a change at a major emitting facility that 
 does not result in a significant emissions increase, or a 
 significant net emissions increase, in annual actual emissions 
 at such facility.''.

SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

 Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be 
construed to treat any change as a modification for purposes of any 
provision of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) if such change 
would not have been so treated as of the day before the date of 
enactment of this Act.
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