(a) The regulations in this subpart provide for a limited, Federal, title V, permit program to establish alternative emission limitations for early reductions sources that have demonstrated qualifying reductions of hazardous air pollutants under section 112(i)(5) of the Act. A permit issued under this subpart which establishes such an enforceable alternative emission limitation shall grant all emissions units in the early reductions source a six-year extension from otherwise applicable dates of compliance for standards promulgated under section 112(d) of the Act.

(b) After approval of a State's comprehensive permit program pursuant to title V of the Act, the Administrator may continue to issue specialty permits under this subpart only under the following circumstances:

(1) The early reductions source filed a permit application under this subpart before the State obtained approval of a comprehensive title V permit program but the permit had not been finally issued at the time of State program approval; or

(2) The early reductions source will be required to file an early reductions permit application under § 71.24(b) before a comprehensive permit application is required by the State under the approved program.

(c) When a circumstance described in paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section occurs, the primary consideration in the Administrator's decision to issue a specialty permit is the degree of delay anticipated by deferring to the State for permit issuance.

(d) A Permit issued to an early reductions source under this subpart shall have a term not to exceed five years. Such a specialty permit shall be incorporated into a comprehensive title V permit subsequently issued to the facility containing the early reductions source, without reopening or revision of the specialty permit except as provided in § 71.26(e).

(e) Issuance of a specialty permit under this subpart does not relieve a source from an obligation to file a timely and complete comprehensive permit application as required under an approved comprehensive title V permit program.

(f) Delegation to other permitting authorities. (1) The Administrator may delegate to another permitting authority the responsibility to implement this permit program. Under such a delegation, the Administrator reserves the right to issue a final permit to early reductions sources that filed permit applications with the Administrator prior to the permitting authority obtaining delegation.

(2) Under any delegation, the Administrator will require that the permitting authority have enforcement authority substantially equivalent to that specified in § 70.11 of this chapter.

(3) Upon any delegation, administrative appeals of permit decisions issuing pursuant to the delegated program shall continue to be subject to the requirements of § 71.27(l).