UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 4

The Honorable Bill Haslam Governor, State ofTennessee State Capitol, First Floor 600 Charlotte Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0001
Dear Governor Haslam: ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER 61 FORSYTH STREET ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-8960 

### FEB - 6 2013

Thank you for your staffsrecommendations dated May 26, 2011, with updates on June 3, 2011, January 23, 2012, and January 28, 2013, on air quality designations for the State ofTennessee for the 2010 revision to the primaryNational Ambient Air Quality Standard for sulfur dioxide (S02 ). Reducing levels ofS02pollution is an important part oftheU.S. Environmental Protection Agency's commitment to a clean, healthy environment. Exposure to**S~** can cause a range ofadverse health effects, including narrowing ofthe airways which can cause difficultybreathing and increased asthma symptoms. This letter is to notify you ofthe EPA's preliminary intentions regarding your recommended designations. On June 3, 2010, the EPA strengthened the health-based or''primary" standard for S02by establishing a standard for 1-hour average S02 concentrations at a level of75parts perbillion. The Clean AirAct requires the EPA to complete the initial designations process within two years ofpromulgating a new or revised standard. Ifthe Administratorhas insufficient information to make these designations, the EPA has the authorityto extend the designation process byup to one year. On July 27, 2012, the EPA announced that it had insufficient information to complete the designations for the 1-hour so2standard within two years and extended the designations deadline to June 3, 2013. Atthis time, the EPA is proceeding with designating as nonattainment most areas in locations where existing monitoring data from 2009-2011 indicate violations ofthe 1-hour S02 standard. The EPA intends to address the designations for all other areas in separate future actions. With input from a diverse group ofstakeholders, the EPA has developed a comprehensive implementation strategy for these future actions that focuses resources on identifying and addressing unhealthy levels ofS02
. The strategy is available at: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/sulfurdioxide/implement.html. The EPA will continue to work closely with you and ourother partners at the state, tribal and local levels to ensure health-protective, commonsense implementation ofthe 1-hour S02standard. Consistent with the Clean AirAct, after carefully considering Tennessee's recommendations and all of the associated technical information for the 2010 S02 standard, including the most recent air quality data from 2009-2011, the EPA intends to designate as nonattainment the following areas, including the following counties orportions ofcounties:

Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable • Printed w"h Vegetable 00 Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 30% Postconsumer)NonattahunentAiea Sullivan County, TN County Sullivan County (p) (p) indicates portion ofcounty The EPA will continue to work with state officials regarding the appropriate boundaries for the areas in Tennessee. IfTennessee has additional information that you would like the EPA to consider, please submit it to us byAprilS, 2013. We also will be publishing a notice in the Federal Register announcing a 30-dayperiod for the public to provide input on EPA'spreliminarydesignation decisions regarding the areas that we would designate as nonattainmentbased onmonitoring data. We intend to promulgate these designations for areas with monitored violations ofthe 2010 S02standard byJune 2013. We are not yet prepared to propose designations action or seekpublic comment on other areas. We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we work togetherto implement the 2010 primary S02 standard. For additional information regarding initial designations on the S02 standard, please visit our website at www.epa.gov/so2designations. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 404-562-8357 orBeverly Banisterofmy staffat 404-562-9326. Sincerely,

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Enclosure

cc: Robert Martineau Commissioner, Tennessee Department of

Environment and Conservation {TDEC) Barry R. Stephens, P.E. Regional Administrator

Director, TDEC Division ofAir Pollution Control Robert H. Colby Director, Hamilton-Chattanooga CountyAirPollution Control Bureau Lynne Liddington Director, Knox CountyAir Quality Management Robert Rogers Manager, Memphis-Shelby County Health Department

Pollution Control SectionJohn Finke Acting Director, Nashville Metropolitan Public Health Department

Pollution Control Division Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Stephen D. Page, Director, Office ofAir Quality Planning and Standards