# Federal Register #EPA-R04-OAR-2026-0034

EPA proposal to approve Sullivan County sulfur dioxide plan and redesignate area to attainment

**Posted:** October 29, 2026
**Respond By:** December 01, 2026
**Identifier:** EPA-R04-OAR-2026-0034

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 4, proposes to approve Tennessee’s sulfur dioxide air-quality plan for Sullivan County and redesignate the area to attainment.
- **Government agencies:** Tennessee is the state submitting the plan; the U.S. EPA, Region 4, is reviewing and proposing approval.
- **Action:** The proposal covers approval of state implementation plan elements, source-specific emission limits and controls, a maintenance plan, and redesignation of Sullivan County from nonattainment to attainment for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide standard.
- **Facilities named:** Eastman Chemical and Primester are facilities addressed by the proposed controls, not vendors being solicited.
  - Eastman Chemical: controls cover boilers, incinerators, a flare, a tail-gas incinerator, and an organic-acids process.
  - Primester: controls cover its cellulose-scrap recovery process.
- **OEMs and procurement:** No OEMs, vendors, products, or procured services are identified. This is a proposed environmental regulatory action, not a procurement opportunity.
- **Requirements and outlook:** The plan includes control measures, attainment and maintenance modeling, progress measures, and contingency measures. Its maintenance demonstration is intended to keep sulfur dioxide levels within the standard through the plan’s projection period.

### Description

The Environmental Protection Agency proposes to approve Tennessee’s attainment plan for the Sullivan County Nonattainment Area under the 2010 sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standards. EPA also proposes to determine that the area has attained the standard, approve its maintenance plan, and redesignate it from nonattainment to attainment. The proposed approvals include source-specific permitted SO₂ limits for two facilities, other control measures, RACM and RACT provisions, reasonable further progress, and an attainment and maintenance modeling demonstration. Comments are due by November 30, 2026.

[View original listing](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/29/2026-22063/air-plan-approval-and-air-quality-designation-tn-attainment-plan-and-redesignation-of-the-sullivan)