UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98101-3140

OFFICE OF AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS January 14,2011

Re: Invitation to Consult about EPA's Actions on Regional Haze Plans for Idaho, Oregon and Washington DearTribal Leader: Consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) government-togovernment relationship with tribal governments, we are offering an opportunity for consultation regarding several pending EPA proposed actions onregional haze State Implementation Plans (plans). Theseplans address visibility in ourNation's national parks and wilderness areas (or Class I areas), and they, along with EPA action on these plans, maybe ofinterest to your Tribe. Regional haze plans must assure reasonable progress towards the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas by 2064. The regional haze plans must include long-term strategies for makingreasonable progress toward meeting this goal. Among otherthings, the regional haze plans must identify those air pollution sources that impair visibility, including older sources that maynot have adequate airpollution control technology, and determine whether it is reasonable to require additional controls. The regional hazeplans are based on five 1 O-year planning cycles and the first plans were due in December, 2007. States arejustnow completing and submitting their first plans to EPA for approval. EPA is under a tight timeframe to act on these regional haze plans due to existing and anticipated lawsuits. The States ofIdaho, Oregon and Washington solicited and received meaningful input from tribal air qualityprograms through Tribal membership and participation in the Western Regional AirPartnership, technical and policy forums and committees. We are also aware that some tribes provided important input as the states developed and adopted theirplans. On January 5 and January 11, 2011 EPA published Federal Register notices ofproposed action onportions ofIdaho's regional hazeplan submittal. We anticipate similarproposed action within the next month on Oregon's regional haze plan submittal. Additional proposed actions for otherparts ofIdaho and Oregon's regional hazeplans and proposed action on the Washington plan is anticipated to be later in 2011, although we do not have a firm time frame. We will make a final decision on each action after the commentperiod for that action closes. We take this opportunity to invite you to consult with EPA on the Idaho, Oregon and Washington regional hazeplans. In addition to the cons'ultation opportunities offered in this letter, we invite you to submit comments during the public commentperiods that will be associated with these Federal Register notices. 

# o PrfnffHIonR«:ycledPspetIn December 2010 we held a conference call with Tribal environmental and air quality staffto discuss the regional haze plans. Additional infonnation about the States' regional haze plans, including the submittals, canbe found on the following websites: Idaho: http://www.deq.idaho.gov /air/progjssues/pollutants/haze _regional.cfm Oregon: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/haze/index.htm Washington: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/globalwann

_RegHaze/regional_ haze.html Wewelcome any additional input you might have for us as we move forward with our actions on these plans. Should you have any questions orwant to initiate consultation with EPA, please contact Steve BodybyFebruary 18, 2010. Also please let him know who at the tribe he should work with to planthe consultation. Steve canbe contacted at 206-553-0782, body.steve@epa.gov

. Sincerely, 

# \2­ Richard Albright, Director Office ofAir, Waste and Toxics

cc: Tribal Environmental Directors via e-mail Tribal Air Staffvia e-mail