Section 203.302  Maintenance of Reasonable Further Progress and Emission Offsets

a)         The owner or operator of a new major source or major modification shall provide emission offsets equal to or greater than the allowable emissions from the source or the net increase in emissions from the modification sufficient to allow the Agency to determine that the source or modification will not interfere with reasonable further progress as set forth in Section 173 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).

1)         For new major sources or major modifications in ozone nonattainment areas the ratio of total emission reductions provided by emission offsets for volatile organic material or nitrogen oxides to total increased emissions of such contaminants shall be at least as follows:

A)        1.1 to 1 in areas classified as marginal;

B)        1.15 to 1 in areas classified as moderate;

C)        1.2 to 1 in areas classified as serious;

D)        1.3 to 1 in areas classified as severe; and

E)        1.5 to 1 in areas classified as extreme.

2)         The offset requirement provided in subsection (1) above shall not be applicable in extreme areas to a modification of an existing source:

A)        if such modification consists of installation of equipment required to comply with the implementation plan or the Clean Air Act; or

B)        if the owner or operator of the source elects to offset the increase by a greater reduction in emissions of such pollutant from other discrete operations, units, or activities within the source at an internal offset ratio of at least 1.3 to 1.

b)         The Agency shall allow the use of all or some portion of the available growth margin to satisfy subsection (a) above if the owner or operator can present evidence that the possible sources of emission offsets were investigated, none were available at that time and the new or modified major stationary source is located in a zone (within the nonattainment area) identified by United States Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as a zone to which economic development should be targeted.

(Source:  Amended at 17 Ill. Reg. 6973, effective April 30, 1993)