EPA Proposes Tighter Sulfur Limits for Montana Sugar Plant
Published Date: 1/23/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA wants to update Montana’s air plan to tighten sulfur dioxide pollution rules for the Western Sugar plant in Billings. This means cleaner air and clearer limits for the company to follow. If you have thoughts, speak up by February 23, 2026—this change helps protect health without extra costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Cleaner air for Billings residents
The EPA is proposing to approve revisions to Montana’s air plan that address sulfur dioxide (SO2) limits for the Western Sugar facility in Billings to protect health without extra costs. The agency found the Billings/Laurel area meets the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS (maximum design value 22 ppb vs 75 ppb) and the annual NAAQS (1 ppb vs 10 ppb for 2022–2024), and Western Sugar emits roughly 2% of Yellowstone County’s SO2 annually.
Boiler monitoring requirement removed
Montana’s revision would remove the requirement for continuous emission and stack flow rate monitors on Western Sugar’s boiler house stack and instead keep an annual source test to show compliance. The State’s 2011–2023 monitoring data show recorded values were below 70% of the 3-hour limit, below 60% of the 24-hour limit, and below 25% of the annual limit.
Pulp dryers must burn natural gas; limits removed
The revision removes the SO2 emission limits and monitoring/reporting requirements for the east and west pulp dryer stacks because Exhibit A now requires those dryers to use only natural gas. Since fuel oil capability was removed by 2000, the combined annual emissions from the two pulp dryer stacks have been about 0.027 tons SO2 versus the combined annual limit of 74.34 tons SO2.
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