UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98101-3140**REGIO~IAL** ADMINISTRATon 

## 'JON 142010 JayJ. Manning, Director Washington Department ofEcology P.O. Box 47600 OlympiaWashington, 98504-7600

DearMr. Manning:

Thankyou for yourrecommendations on airquality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead throughout Washington. Reducing levels of lead pollution is an important part ofEPA's commitmentto a clean, healthy environment. Lead exposure can cause a range ofadverse health effects, most notably in children. Exposures to low levels oflead early in life have been linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory and behavior. This letter is to notify you ofthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) response to Washington's designation recommendations, and to inform you ofour approach for completing the designations for the revised lead NAAQS.

On October 15,2008, EPA substantially strengthened NAAQS for lead. The new standards, set at 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter (!lg/m\ are10 times tighter than the previous standards. In conjunction with strengthening the lead NAAQS, EPA also established new criteriafor siting ambient lead monitors. The pre-existing ambient lead monitoring network was inadequate for determining whether many areas are meeting the revised lead NAAQS. Monitors meeting the new network sitingrequirements were to begin operation January 1, 2010.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to complete the initial designation process within two years ofpromulgating a new orrevised NAAQS. Ifthe Administrator has insufficient information to make these designations, EPA has the authority to extend the designation process by up to one year. In light ofthe new monitoring network which will generate additional information in the upcoming year, EPA intends to complete the lead designations in two rounds. In the first round, to be completed by October, 15, 2010, EPA is designating as "nonattainment" any area that is violating the 2008 lead NAAQS based on data from the pre-201O monitoring network. Forall other areas, EPA is extending the deadline for designations by upto one year so that data from the newly deployed monitors can be considered in making appropriate designation decisions. EPA will completethe second round oflead designations no later than October 15, 2011.

We have reviewed Washington's October 16,2009,recommendation letteron air quality designations and all the associated technical information for the 2008 lead NAAQS, including, if available, the most recent airquality data from 2007-2009. However, EPA is not intending to complete the initial area designations for your state at this time. Instead, EPA intends to designate all areas in your stateby no later than October 15, 2011, in the second round oflead designations. Ifyou would like to submit updated recommendations for your areas for our consideration in the second round ofdesignations, we request that you do so byDecember 15,



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.2010. Forthe second round ofdesignations, we will notify all states and tribes ofour preliminary responses to theirrecommendations by no laterthan June 17,2011.

We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we work together to implement the 2008 lead NAAQS. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me, orhave your staffcontact Steve Body in the Office ofAir, Waste and Toxics, at 206-553-0782. Sincerely,



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# -­ Dennis J. McLerran Regional Administrator

Enclosure

cc: Stu Clark, ECY Manager, Air Quality Program Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Steven D. Page, Director, Office ofAir QualityPlanning and Standards



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