UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION 10 

1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 

Seattle, WA98101-3140 

OFFICE OF 

AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS 

March 10,2014 

Mr. Bruce Louks 

Air Quality Manager 

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality 

141 0 N otih Hilton 

Boise, ID 83706-1255 

Dear Mr. Louks: 

EPA has evaluated the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality's (IDEQ's) 2013 

Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan (Plan), which describes Idaho's ambient air 

monitoring network for 2013-14. In the Plan, Idaho proposed the following changes to its 

monitoring network. EPA evaluated the proposed changes to the Idaho monitoring network 

in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 58.14(c), and with consideration of the appropriate monitor 

siting requirements in 40 C.F.R. Part 58, Appendix D. 

I. The Meridian N02 near-road site (16-001-0023) was added to IDEQ's network as a State 

or Local Air Monitoring Site (SLAMS) site on January I, 2013. IDEQ will continue 

monitoring carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (N02, NO and NOx) at this 

site. EPA finds that this site meets the requirement of Appendix D 4.3.2 for an N02 nearroadway monitoring site, and the monitor meets all applicable criteria in 40 C.F.R. Part 

58, Appendices A, C, D, and E. For these reasons, EPA approves the Idaho N02 

monitoring network as meeting the requirements of 40 C.F .R. § 58.13( c). 

2. IDEQ proposed to shut down the PM10 SLAMS monitors at the U.S. Forest Service 

(USFS) site in Sandpoint and to relocate this PM10 monitor to the University ofldaho (U 

of!) site in Sandpoint, where a 10-meter meteorological station is currently operating. 

Sandpoint is a PM10 maintenance area, but the maintenance plan for this area does not 

specify a specific monitor location to trigger contingency measures. Further, both 

monitoring sites are within the Sandpoint PM10 maintenance area, and IDEQ has 

collected one year of data simultaneously at both sites and found that the PM10 data are 

well correlated. Based on the above reasons, EPA believes that the U of! site adequately 

represents the conditions at the USFS site and would be an appropriate substitute for that 

site. Therefore, EPA has determined that this relocation satisfies the criteria of 40 C.F.R. 

§ 58.14(b) and approves the relocation of the PM10 monitor from the USFS site to the U 

of I site in Sandpoint. 

3. IDEQ proposed to relocate the PM2.s SLAMS monitor at the St. Maries site 

approximately 450 feet to the north northwest of its current location at the USFS office. 

IDEQ needs to move the site due to remodeling of the USFS building and associated 

restrictions in access to this site. EPA finds that this proposed relocation satisfies the 

criteria in 40 C.F.R. § 58.14(c)(6) because logistical problems beyond the state's control 
make it impossible to continue the operation of the monitor in its current location. 

Accordingly, EPA approves this relocation. 

4. IDEQ has been operating two PMz.s Federal Reference Monitors (FRMs) and one 

Tapered Element Oscillating Monitor (TEOM) at the Pinehurst site. The TEOM is 

designated as the primary reporting monitor at this site. The two FRMs are used for 

assessing precision of the TEOM. However, EPA's AQS system cannot 

accommodate two precision measurements at one site. IDEQ proposes to move one of 

the FRMs at Pinehurst to the St. Luke's National Core (NCore) site. Relocating this 

monitor to the St. Luke's NCore site meets the network quality check requirements of 

Part 58, Appendix A, Section 3.2.5. Therefore, EPA approves the relocation of this 

monitor. 

With this letter, EPA is approving the 2013 Plan because it contains the necessary infonnation 

about the network's existing and proposed sites, as specified at 40 C.F.R. § 58.10(b). 

If you have any questions about our approval of the 2013 Annual Monitoring Network Plan, 

please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

cc: Mike McGown, IOO 

Keith Rose, OA WT 

Chris Hall, OEA 

Claudia Vaupel, OA WT 

Sincerely, 

~i,~~- Air Planning Unit 

2 

Q Printed on RecyciBd Paper