ct: ~ 

op1#--.:::u)-w DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENT 

and NATURAL RESOURCES 

PMB 2020 


JOE FOSS BUILDING 


523 EAST CAPITOL 


PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA 57501·3182 


www.state.sd.us/denr 

January 24,2011 

James B. Martin 

Regional Administrator 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 

1595 Wynkoop Street 

Denver, CO 80202-1129 

Dear Mr. Martin: 

On November 9, 20 I 0, EPA notified the Governor of South Dakota that EPA revised the 

nitrogen dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard and initial area designations are due by 

January 25,2011. EPA revised the primary nitrogen dioxide standard by adding a I-hour 

average concentration. 

On January 18,20 11, Governor Daugaard submitted a letter to you designating the Secretary of 

the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as his designee for submitting 

designations and other matters which involves South Dakota's Air Quality Program. In that 

capacity, I recommend EPA designate all counties in South Dakota as attaining the I-hour 

nitrogen dioxide standard (see Attachment I). Attachment 2 provides the supporting data for 

designating all of South Dakota's counties in attainment and Attachment 3 is a copy of the Air 

Quality System AMP450 report showing the yearly 98th percentile concentrations for each site 

and includes the one year of data collected near the Big Stone Power Plant. 

Thank you for the opportunity to propose designations for the revised primary nitrogen dioxide 

standard. If you have questions, please contact Brian Gustafson at 605-773-3151. 

~. Steven M. Pi mer, P.E. 

Secretary 

Attachments 

cc: Callie Videtich, EPA Region 8 

Nathan Sanderson, Policy Advisor, Governor Daugaard's Office RECEIVED 

U.S. EPA Region 8 

RA's Office 

JAN 28 2011 
Attachment 1 

DO °d Sta d d A ° f 

Designation 

SouthDak0taProposedlh- our N°tI rogen 10XI e n ar rea DeSlgna Ions 

Classification 

Designated Area Type Type 

Aurora County Attainment 

Beadle County Attainment 

Bennett County Attainment 

Bon Homme County Attainment 

Brookings County Attainment 

Brown County Attainment 

Brule County Attainment 

Buffalo County Attainment 

Butte County Attainment 

Campbell County Attainment 

Charles County Attainment 

Clark County Attainment 

Clay CounJy_ Attainment 

Codin2ton County Attainment 

Corson County Attainment 

Custer County Attainment 

Davison County Attainment 

Day County Attainment 

Deuel County Attainment 

Dewey County Attainment 

Dou21as County Attainment 

Edmunds County Attainment 

Fall River County Attainment 

Faulk County Attainment 

Grant County Attainment 

Gregory County Attainment 

Haakon County Attainment 

Hamlin County Attainment 

Hand County Attainment 

Hanson County Attainment 

Harding County Attainment 

Hughes County Attainment 

Hutchinson County Attainment 

Hyde County Attainment 

Jackson County Attainment 

Jerauld County Attainment 

Jones County Attainment 

Kingsbury County Attainment 

Lake County Attainment 

Lawrence County Attainment 

Lincoln County Attainment 

Lyman County Attainment 

Marshall County Attainment 

McCook County Attainment 
Designation Classification 

Designated Area 'f!pe Type 

McPherson County Attainment 

Meade County Attainment 

Mellette County Attainment 

Miner County Attainment 

Minnehaha County Attainment 

Moody CounJy Attainment 

Pennin~ton County Attainment 

Perkins County Attainment 

Potter County Attainment 

Roberts County Attainment 

Sanborn County Attainment

Shannon County Attainment 

Spink County Attainment

Stanley County Attainment 

SuI!), County Attainment

Todd County Attainment 

Tripp County Attainment 

Turner County Attainment 

Union County Attainment

Walworth County Attainment

Yankton County Attainment

Ziebach County Attainment
Attachment 2 

Nitrogen Dioxide Monitoring Network in South Dakota 

The first sampling effort to collect hourly nitrogen dioxide data was near the Big Stone Power Plant. 

A continuous 12-month period of air monitoring was completed near the facility in the years of 2001 

and 2002 as part of a Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit application. Nitrogen dioxide 

levels were low with a 98th percentile I-hour average concentration level of 15 parts per billion. 

DENR operates a network of air monitoring sites which began collecting hourly nitrogen dioxide data 

in 2003. The first site was setup at the Hilltop Site in Sioux Falls. The monitor was later moved to the 

SD School Site and continues today. In 2005, two more locations were added at the Badlands and 

Wind Cave National Parks. In 2009, two more locations were added in Union County. 

The current sampling network includes sites in several counties around the state with goals of high 

concentration, population, source impact, background and regional transport. See Figure 1 for a map 

of the state showing the counties with nitrogen dioxide air monitoring data. 

Figure 1 - South Dakota Counties with Nitrogen Dioxide Data 

Legend 

3 Years 01 Data 0 2 Years of Data _ 1 Year of Data 0 No Sampling 
Nitrogen Dioxide Emission Sources in South Dakota 

Nitrogen dioxide I-hour concentrations are low statewide. The highest design value concentration 

site is at SD School Site in Sioux Falls at 41 % of the standard. The Badlands and Wind Cave Sites 

have the lowest design value concentrations at 4% of the standard. The concentrations are low for 

two reasons. First, the state's population is low and therefore traffic counts are also low. Second, a 

majority of the industries in South Dakota do not emit high amounts of nitrogen dioxide emissions. 

South Dakota's population is one of the lowest state populations in the nation with a 2010 census of 

814,180. The largest city in South Dakota is Sioux Falls with a population of less than 150,000. The 

largest of the three Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in the state includes the city of Sioux Falls 

and the counties of Minnehaha, Lincoln and Turner. The combined estimated 2009 population for the 

Sioux Falls MSA is 232,503. Table 1 provides a list of the top 10 most populated counties in the state 

and the largest city within the county. 

1',able 1 - 1',en H"IgJhest PopuLa"lion Counlies In"SouthDakota 

Number County Population Largest City 

1 Minnehaha 179,180 Sioux Falls 

2 Pennington 98,533 Rapid City 

3 Lincoln 39,713 Sioux Falls 

4 Brown 35,154 Aberdeen 

5 Brookings 29,668 Brookings 

6 Codington 26,317 Watertown 

7 Meade 23,989 Sturgis 

8 Lawrence 23 ,524 Spearfish 

9 Yankton 28,835 Yankton 

10 Davison 18,931 Mitchell 

Being a state with low population levels, South Dakota also has low traffic counts. The roads with the 

highest traffic counts in the state are in Sioux Falls. Interstate 29 passes through the western third of 

the city. The part of the interstate road south of the interchange of Interstate 29 and 1 i h Street in 

Sioux Falls has an average daily traffic count of 50,320 and is the highest in the state. 

Nitrogen dioxide emissions from major sources throughout South Dakota are also low. Table 2 

provides a list of the top 25 major sources emitting nitrogen oxide in calendar year 2008. 

Table 2 - To]! 25 Nitro~en Oxide Emitters in South Dakota ltons per year) 

# City Facility Quantity 

1 Big Stone City Otter Tail Power Com2any - Big Stone I 13,852 

2 Rapid City GCC Dacotah 1,253 

3 Rapid City Black Hills Corporation - Ben French 794 

4 Rapid City Pete Lien and Sons, Inc. 282 

5 Sioux Falls John Morrell & Company 143 

6 Brookings South Dakota State University 126 

7 Belle Fourche Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company 123 
# City Facility Quantity I 8 Watertown Glacial Lakes Energy 117 

9 Ipswich Northern Border Ppeline Company 94 

10 Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Water Reclamation Facility 92 

11 Mitchell Prairie Ethanol 87 

12 Chancellor Great Plains Ethanol 86 

13 Belle Fourche American Colloid Company 84 

14 Brandt Northern Border Ppeline Company 82 

15 Aurora VeraSun Energy 73 

16 Crocker Northern Border Pipeline Company 69 

17 Wentworth Dakota Ethanol 62 

18 Aberdeen Heartland Grain Fuels Limited Partnershp 55 

19 Big Stone Ci~ Northern Lights Ethanol 54 

20 Spearfish Spearfish Forest Products, Inc. 53 

21 Marion NuGen Marion Energy 53 

22 Redfield Redfield Energy 52 

23 Sioux Falls Northern States Power Company 49 

24 Hudson Sioux River Ethanol 46 

25 Groton Basin Electric Power Cooperative 45

Total Tons of Nitrogen Dioxide 17,826 

Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations in South Dakota 

Table 3 shows the three year calculated design value concentration for each site. The design value 

concentration for the SD School and Badlands Sites used data from 2008 to 2010. Because of a low 

percentage of valid data recovery at Wind Cave in 2010 the data from 2007 to 2009 was used for 

Wind Cave Site. Both Union County sites have only two years of data. 

Table 3 - Site Design Values/or South Dakota 

Site 98th Percentile - Concentration 3-Year Average Attainment 

SD School 2008 ­ 38 parts per billion 

2009 ­ 38 parts per billion 

2010 ­ 48 parts per billion 

41 parts per billion Yes 

Badlands 2008 ­ 4 parts per billion 

2009 ­ 4 parts per billion 

2010 ­ 5 parts per billion 

4 parts per billion Yes 

Wind Cave 2007 ­ 7 parts per billion 

2008 ­ 3 parts per billion 

2009 ­ 3 _parts per billion 

4 parts per billion Yes 

Union County #1 2009 ­ 17 parts per billion 

2010 ­ 22 parts per billion 

20 parts per billion I 

Union County #2 2009 ­ 16 parts per billion 

2010 ­ 20 parts per billion 

18 parts per billion I 

I 

- Less than 3 years of data 
The nitrogen dioxide I-hour concentrations collected in the state during the years of 2007 through 

2010 show no I-hour concentrations exceeding the new primary standard as calculated following the 

form of the standard. The highest three year average was recorded at the Sioux Falls SD School Site 

with an average concentration level of 41 parts per billion. Figure 2 provides a comparison of the 

design values for each site compared to the I-hour nitrogen dioxide standard. Although the Union 

County #1 and #2 Sites do not have three years of data yet, the two year average of the 98th percentile 

is provided for comparison purposes. 

Figure 2 - Data Compared to the I-hour Nitrogen Dioxide Standard 

I 

110 

100 


90 


80 


e 70 

~ iIi 60 ... 

GI 

Co 50 III 

t:: 40 ~ 

30 


20 


10 


School Badlands Wind Cave UC#1 UC#2 


Sites 


c:::::::J N02 1-hour - 1-hr Standard 

Based on the monitoring data which reflects the potential highest and lowest nitrogen dioxide 

concentrations in the state, South Dakota is attaining the I-hour nitrogen dioxide National Ambient 

Air Quality Standard in every county in the state. 

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20 18 

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Attachment 3 

Air Quality System Report AMP450 UNIl"Ul STAns 1!:NVIROKHElITAL PROTECTION )'GIINC)! 

AIR QUlU.ITY SYSTEM 

QUICK LOOK R&PORT (AHP450) 

Jan. 19, 2011 

Nitroqen dioxida (N02) (42602) South DAkota. Parts par bill10n (Q08) 

P 1ST 2110 

o CQKP HAX MAX 9"TR i'CT ARITR 

SIn 10 C PQAO CIrr COUNTY ADOR!:SS Yltl\R MB:TEl QTRS I-HR l-RR PCn. OBS COHP MElIN CltRT ltOT 

46-033-0132 0973 Hot 1n a city Custer KIND ClIVI!. 2007 074 3 10.0 9.0 7.0 7576 96 1. 05 o 

NATIONAL PARK, 

SOUTK DAKOTA 

4~-03 3-Q 132 3 0973 Not in a city Custer KIND ClIVE 2008 074 7.0 7.0 3.0 8676 99 . 15 )! o 

NATIOHAL PARK, 

SOUla DAKOTA 

~6-033-0132 3 0973 Not 1n a city CUster NINO CAVI!. 2009 074 135.0 14.0 3.0 9668 99 . 64 5 

NATIONAL P.>.RK, 

sourn DAKO,A 

46-033-0132 3 0973 Not in a city CUster WIND C).VI!. 2010 074 68.0 26.0 4.0 6257 71 ,23­ o NATIOIllU. PARK, 

SOUTa DAKO,A 

~6-071-0001 0973 Not 1n 4 city Jackson lIAOLANDS PO SOX 2007 074 9.0 6 . 0 4 ..0 8618 98 .50 o 

6 !iEAlJQUARTERS 

46-071-0001 3 0973 Not in a city Jackson BADLANDS PO SOX 2008 074 8.0 7.0 4.0 8612 99 .76 )! o 

6 RE.AOQU1o.RTERS 

46-071-0001 3 0973 Not in a city Jackson lIAOLANDS PO SOX 2009 074 6.0 6.0 4.0 8649 99 .51 o 

6 HEADQlIARTERS 

46-071-0001 3 0973 Not in a city Jackson lIAOLAHOS PO SOX 2010 074 7.0 6 . 0 5.0 8641 99 . 51 o 6 HE.AOQUJo.RTl!.RS 

46-099-0007 0973 Sioux Falls Minnehaha lloAHNSOH AVI!., 2007 074 43.0 40.0 32 . 0 8595 98 4.19 o RlLLTOP SITE 

46-099-0009 3 0973 Sioux Falls Hinneba.ha 2001 1!. 8th St 2009 074 45 . 0 41. 0 38.0 8575 98 6.62 y o 

~6-099-000" 3 0973 Sioux Falls H.i nnehah", 2001 1!. "th St 2009 074 54.0 44.0 38.0 9489 97 5.57 o 

~6-099-0008 0973 Sioux Falls H.inn~haha 2001 E 8tb St 2010 074 58.0 56.0 48.0 8675 99 6.58 o 

46-109-4003 0973 Hot in a city Roberts 482ND AVI!. 2001 074 o 17.0 15.0 15.0 1392 16 3.10' N o 

~6-10~-4003 0973 Not in a city Roberts 482ND AVl!: 2002 074 3 25.0 19.0 16.0 6951 7~ t.68 o 

46-127-0001 0973 Not in a city Onion 31986 475th Ave 2.009 074 2t.0 21. 0 17.0 9598 99 1. 45 o 

46-127-0001 3 0973 Not 1n a city Onlon 31986· 475tb Av" 2010 014 37.0 33.0 22.0 8642 99 2.97 o 

46-127-0002 0973 Hot in a city On10n 31307 473rd Ave 2009 074 3 22 . 0 .21.0 17.0 6865 78 1.80 o 

46-127-0002 0973 Not in a city Onion 31307 47Jrd Ave 20tO 074 29 . 0 26.0 20.0 8665 99 2.92 o 

Note: The .... indlcatli)s tb"t the mean does 

not s&t.1.s :Ey suD'Ir'lar'y criteria. Page 2 of 4