(a) The relevant agency official may retire, revoke, or withhold the allocation of allowances, or ban a company from receiving future allowance allocations, using the process outlined in paragraph (b) of this section. Applying an administrative consequence to retire, revoke, or withhold allocation of allowances does not, in any way, limit the ability of the United States to exercise any other authority to bring an enforcement action under any applicable law or regulation.

(b) The relevant agency official will provide a company notice if the Agency intends to retire, revoke, or withhold allocation of allowances, or ban the company from receiving future allowance allocations. The notice will specify the conduct leading to the administrative consequence and what the consequence will be. The relevant agency official will provide such notice no less than 30 days before the impending consequence.

(1) After the relevant agency official provides notice of an impending administrative consequence, the company for which such consequence is pending may not expend, transfer, or confer any allowances.

(2) Any company receiving such a notification may provide information or data to EPA on why the administrative consequence should not be taken within 14 days of the date of the EPA’s notice.

(3) If EPA does not receive a response within 14 days of the date of the Agency notice of impending administrative consequence, the administrative consequences will be effective on the date specified in the notice.

[86 FR 55221, Oct. 5, 2021]