February
12,
2004
J.
I.
Palmer,
Jr.
Regional
Administrator
USEPA,
Region
IV
Atlanta
Federal
Center,
12th
Floor
61
Forsyth
Street,
SW
Atlanta,
GA
30303
RE:
Clean
Air
Act
Tennessee
Counties
Recommended
as
Nonattainment
for
PM
2.5
Dear
Mr.
Palmer:

As
the
Commissioner
of
the
Tennessee
Department
of
Environment
and
Conservation,
I
am
designated
to
file
the
recommended
annual
and
24­
hour
attainment
designations
for
Tennessee
as
required
by
the
Clean
Air
Act.
Based
upon
EPA's
Designation
Boundary
Guidance
of
April
1,
2003,
the
following
counties
are
recommended
as
nonattainment
for
the
annual
PM
2.5
national
ambient
air
quality
standard:

2000
 
2002
Data
Final
Knoxville
MSA
Chattanooga
MSA
Knox
Co.
Hamilton
Co.

Kingsport
Bristol
MSA
Roane
Co.
Sullivan
Co.
McMinn
Co.

2001
 
2003
Data
Preliminary
Knoxville
MSA
Chattanooga
MSA
Knox
Co.
Hamilton
Co.

Kingsport
Bristol
MSA
Roane
Co.
Sullivan
Co.
McMinn
Co.
J.
I.
Palmer,
Jr.
February
12,
2004
Page
2
Tennessee
will
also
recommend
that
no
counties
be
identified
as
failing
to
meet
the
24­
hour
PM
2.5
standard,
therefore,
none
are
listed.

EPA
is
currently
in
the
process
of
preparing
a
rule
to
be
used
in
implementing
the
new
PM
2.5
standards.
Because
this
guidance
has
not
been
finalized
by
EPA,
Tennessee
reserves
the
right
to
make
an
amended
recommendation
after
reviewing
the
final
EPA
implementation
rule.

The
remaining
counties
of
Tennessee
that
are
not
specified
above
are
recommended
as
attainment
or
unclassifiable,
and
will
be
subject
to
additional
control
measures
that
will
help
all
of
Tennessee
demonstrate
attainment
of
the
annual
PM
2.5
standard.

I
believe
these
recommendations
will
enable
Tennessee
to
attain
the
PM
2.5
standards
within
the
deadlines
established
by
the
Clean
Air
Act
and
its
implementation
regulations.

Your
favorable
review
of
these
recommendations
will
be
appreciated.
Additional
information
used
to
formulate
the
recommendations
will
be
forwarded
to
you
under
separate
cover
by
our
Air
Pollution
Control
Division
Director,
Barry
Stephens.

Sincerely,

Betsy
L.
Child
Copy
to:
Kay
Prince,
EPA
Region
IV
Tennessee
Air
Pollution
Control
Board
Tennessee
Local
Air
Programs
