Section 55.5 - Corresponding onshore area designation(a)Proposed exploratory sources. The NOA shall be the COA for exploratory sources located within 25 miles of States' seaward boundaries. Paragraphs (b), (c), and (f) of this section are not applicable to these sources.(b)Requests for designation.(1) The chief executive officer of the air pollution control agency of an area that believes it has more stringent air pollution control requirements than the NOA for a proposed OCS source, may submit a request to be designated as the COA to the Administrator and at the same time shall send copies of the request to the chief executive officer of the NOA and to the proposed source. The request must be received by the Administrator within 60 days of the receipt of the NOI. If no requests are received by the Administrator within 60 days of the receipt of the NOI, the NOA will become the designated COA without further action.(2) No later than 90 days after the receipt of the NOI, a demonstration must be received by the Administrator showing that:(i) The area has more stringent requirements with respect to the control and abatement of air pollution than the NOA;(ii) The emissions from the source are or would be transported to the requesting area; and(iii) The transported emissions would affect the requesting area's efforts to attain or maintain a Federal or State ambient air quality standard or to comply with the requirements of part C of title I of the Act, taking into account the effect of air pollution control requirements that would be imposed if the NOA were designated as the COA.(c)Determination by the Administrator.(1) If no demonstrations are received by the Administrator within 90 days of the receipt of the NOI, the NOA will become the designated COA without further action.(2) If one or more demonstrations are received, the Administrator will issue a preliminary designation of the COA within 150 days of the receipt of the NOI, which shall be followed by a 30 day public comment period, in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section.(3) The Administrator will designate the COA for a specific source within 240 days of the receipt of the NOI.(4) When the Administrator designates a more stringent area as the COA with respect to a specific OCS source, the delegated agency in the COA will exercise all delegated authority. If there is no delegated agency in the COA, then EPA will issue the permit and implement and enforce the requirements of this part. The Administrator may retain authority for implementing and enforcing the requirements of this part if the NOA and the COA are in different States.(5) The Administrator shall designate the COA for each source only once in the source's lifetime.(d)Offset requirements. Offsets shall be obtained based on the applicable requirements of the COA, as set forth in §§ 55.13 and 55.14 of this part.(e)Authority to designate the COA. The authority to designate the COA for any OCS source shall not be delegated to a State or local agency, but shall be retained by the Administrator.(f)Administrative procedures and public participation. The Administrator will use the following public notice and comment procedures for processing a request for COA designation under this section: (1) Within 150 days from receipt of an NOI, if one or more demonstrations are received, the Administrator shall make a preliminary determination of the COA and shall: (i) Make available, in at least one location in the NOA and in the area requesting COA designation, which may be a public Web site identified by the Administrator, a copy of all materials submitted by the requester, a copy of the Administrator's preliminary determination, and a copy or summary of other materials, if any, considered by the Administrator in making the preliminary determination; and(ii) Notify the public, by prominent advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the NOA and the area requesting COA designation or on a public Web site identified by the Administrator, of a 30-day opportunity for written public comment on the available information and the Administrator's preliminary COA designation.(2) A copy of the notice required pursuant to paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section shall be sent to the requester, the affected source, each person from whom a written request of such notice has been received, and the following officials and agencies having jurisdiction over the COA and NOA: State and local air pollution control agencies, the chief executive of the city and county, the Federal Land Manager of potentially affected Class I areas, and any Indian governing body whose lands may be affected by emissions from the OCS source.(3) Public comments received in writing within 30 days after the date the public notice is made available will be considered by the Administrator in making the final decision on the request. All comments will be made available for public inspection.(4) The Administrator will make a final COA designation within 60 days after the close of the public comment period. The Administrator will notify, in writing, the requester and each person who has requested notice of the final action and will set forth the reasons for the determination. Such notification will be made available for public inspection.57 FR 40806, Sept. 4, 1992, as amended at 61 FR 25151, May 20, 1996; 81 FR 71630 , Oct. 18, 2016