YellowstoneCountyCommissionandTreasureStateResourceIndustryAssociationPetitionforReconsiderationofEPA’sSO2DesignationforaPortionofYellowstoneCounty(YellowstoneSO2Designation)YellowstoneCountypresentsauniquecasethatshouldnothavebeendesignatednonattainment.EPAshould:1. reconsiderandrepealtheYellowstoneSO2DesignationbasedonnewdatathatfurtherdemonstratethatnoportionofYellowstoneCountyshouldhavebeendesignatednonattainmentforthe2010SO2NAAQS;and2. staytheYellowstoneSO2DesignationpendingcompletionofEPA’sadministrativeproceedings.YellowstoneCountyshouldnothavebeendesignatednonattainmentbasedonCAA statutoryrequirements.–CAA §§ 107(d)(1)(A)and(B)(iii)and107(d)(3)(A)requiretheAdministratortobasedesignationsonthefollowingfactors:1. Thestate’sinitialdesignation,whichwas“unclassifiable”forYellowstoneCounty–TheStateofMontana(State)submittedaninitialdesignationdeterminationof“unclassifiable”forYellowstoneCountyonMay27,2011basedonitsconclusionthat2010emissionsalonedidnotjustifyanonattainmentdesignation.–TheStatereaffirmeditsdeterminationthatYellowstoneCountyshouldbedesignated“unclassifiable”anddisputedEPA’sproposedmodificationoftheState’sinitialdesignationonApril3,2013.–StaterepresentativesincludingtheGovernor,U.S.Congressmen,CountyCommissioners,andtheMayorofBillingsallsupportedtheunclassifiabledesignationwithlettersofsupportanddiscussionswithEPA.–TheStateonlyprovidedafive‐factoranalysisforasmallernonattainmentareainYellowstoneCountyasafallbackincaseEPAagainrejectedtheState’s“unclassifiable”designation.–EPA’sfinalYellowstoneSO2DesignationwentagainsttheState’ssustainedassertionthatallofYellowstoneCountyshouldbedesignated“unclassifiable.”2. Airqualitydata,allofwhichdemonstrateattainment(excludingunreliableandunrepresentativeambientdata).3. Planningandcontrolconsiderations,whichdemonstratethatpermanentandenforceableemissioncontrolshavebeenputinplaceoverthelastseveralyears;SO2emissionsandconcentrationshavedecreasedandwillcontinuetodecreaseintheforeseeablefutureinYellowstoneCounty.4. Anyotherairquality‐relatedconsiderationstheAdministratordeemsappropriate,suchasthefactthatYellowstoneCountyhasdemonstratedattainmentbyasignificantmarginsincetheeffectivedateoftherule.NewlyavailableairqualitydataforYellowstoneCountyclearlydemonstratethat:–YellowstoneCountyhasbeenattainingtheNAAQSsincetheeffectivedateofthe2010SO2NAAQS.Chart1:NewDatathrough2013showYellowstoneCountyairqualityiswellbelowSO2NAAQS levelof75ppbNewlyavailableairqualitydataforYellowstoneCountyclearlydemonstratethat:–Ambientdatafrom2010isnon‐representativeandunreliableandshouldnotformthebasisforanonattainmentdesignation.Chart2:SO2emissionshavedecreaseddramaticallyinYellowstoneCountyoverthepastseveraldecades.Chart3:Since2008,whensignificantcontrolequipmentbegantobeinstalled,averageannualambientSO2readingshavemetthe75ppbstandardeveryyearexceptfor2010.Chart4:2010doesn’taccuratelyportraytheairqualityofYellowstoneCountyunderthenewSO2NAAQS.SO2MonitorsandMajorSourcesinYellowstoneCountyPhillips 66 Billings RefineryPPL Montana – JE CoretteWestern Sugar CooperativeMT Sulphur & ChemicalYelpExxonMobil Billings RefineryCHS Inc. RefineryLockwoodParkMonitorPineHillsMonitorChart5:AllmonitorsinYellowstoneCountyshowedSO2designvaluesbelowthe2010SO2NAAQS from2009‐2013,withthesoleexceptionofCoburnRoad,basedonquestionable2010data.Chart5showsdesignvaluesforCoburnRoadandsurroundingmonitorsfor2010‐2012.7870506763620102030405060708090CoburnRd JohnsonLane Brickyard Lockwood(2008‐2010)Laurel PinesHills(2008‐3Q10)

SO 2 PPBBillingsAreaSO2Monitors3‐yrAverageDesignValue2010‐2012Chart6:AllmonitorsinYellowstoneCountyshowSO2designvaluesbelowthe2010SO2NAAQS sincetheeffectivedateoftherule.Chart6showsdesignvaluesforCoburnRoadandsurroundingmonitorsfor2011‐2013.**Dataforlastquarterof2013havenotundergonefinalQAreview.However,anyfuturechangetodatasetwouldinvolveremovalofsuspectvalues(ifany),andnotadditionofnewvalues.–EPA’suseofemissionsfrom2008and2010ascomparisonstoportray2009and2011emissionsasuncharacteristicallylowismisleading.(Charts2and3showconsistentlyloweremissionsinallbutthesetwoyears.)NewlyavailableairqualitydataforYellowstoneCountyclearlydemonstratethat:–EPA’sYellowstoneSO2Designationdidnotreflectallavailableairqualitydata,planningandcontrolconsiderations,andotherrelevantairqualityconsiderationsbutinsteadgaveunwarrantedweighttoonequestionableoutlieryearofmonitoringdata,resultinginanerroneousnonattainmentdesignation.NewlyavailableairqualitydataforYellowstoneCountyclearlydemonstratethat:Becausethe2009‐2011designvalueforYellowstoneCountyiswithinthemarginoferror,EPAmustcloselyexamineallambientdatafortheareaandrejectthequestionable2010datatomakesuchaclosecall.–Evenminordeviationsandqualitylapsesintheambientdatamakeitunusableandimpactthedesignationoutcome.–ThenewdatafurtherexposeEPA’sincompletereasoningthatanyproblemswith2010ambientdataarecompensatedforbytheuseofathree‐yearaveragetodeterminethedesignvalue;howevertheproblematic2010dataoverpowertheaveragingandleadtotheerroneousoutcomeofthedesignation.–ThenewambientdatagatheredaftertheeffectivedatedonotsufferfromthesamequalityconcernsandprovideareliablebasisforaNAAQS designationthatisconsistentwithalloftheotherconsiderationsrequiredundertheCleanAirAct.EPAshouldrepealtheYellowstoneSO2DesignationandmorereasonablyweightheState’sinitialdesignation,allavailableairqualitydata,planningandcontrolconsiderations,andotherrelevantairqualityconsiderationstomakethecorrectdesignation.•Because4ofthepast5yearsshowambientSO2averagesconsistentlybelow75ppb(2009,2011,2012,2013– seeChart4),andbecausetheYellowstoneSO2Designationissuchaclosecall,EPAshouldnotallowtheoneoutlieryearof2010thatisbasedonquestionabledatatodeterminethedesignation.•TheagencyshouldalsorecognizeandweighmorefavorablythedownwardemissionstrendpresentedinCharts2and3.–EPAgavedisproportionateweightto2008and2010asrepresentativeemissionslevelsinitsresponsestocommentsandtechnicalsupportdocumentseventhoughemissionsinbothyearswereelevatedbyrequiredcontroltesting.–Thenewdatamakeitevenmoreapparentthat2008and2010wereexceptionsfromtheconsistentdownwardtrendinSO2emissionsratherthan2009and2011being“belowpastemissionslevels.”(MTTSD,p.10)•Finally,weasktheagencytogiveproperweighttopermanentandenforceablein‐placecontrolsthathaverecentlybeenimplementedratherthandiscountingthereductionsbroughtaboutbythecontrolsin2009and2011,whichhavebeenfurtherconfirmedin2012and2013.–Thenewloweremissionssince2009haveproventobesustainableandrepresentative.–Thereductionsinambientmonitorreadingsandemissionsin2009,2011,2012,and2013confirmtheeffectivenessofthesepermanentcontrols.TheYellowstoneSO2Designationisunsupported,unnecessarytoprotectpublichealth,andwillthuscauseunjustifiedeconomicharmtoYellowstoneCounty.