UNITE D STATES ENVIRONMENTAL P R OTE C TION AGENCY

WASHINGT ON, D.C. 20 460

D e c e m ber 17, 2004

THE ADMINISTRA TOR

The Honorable Ernie Fletcher Governor, State of Kentucky State Capito l 700 Capitol Avenue

Frankfort KY 40601

Dear Governor Fletcher:

Thirty-four years ago this m onth, the first Clean Air Act sign aled the beginning of our country’s resolve to dram atically im prove air qu ality. Today, we celebrate our accom p lishm ents
which have enabled us to breathe the cleanest air we have ever m easured. As 2004 com e s to a close, I am pleased to rep o rt th at th is has b een a rem a rkable year fo r protecting and improving the country’s air quality.

The Bush Adm i nistration has m a de implem enta tion of a national clean air strategy a top prior ity by implem e nting m o re prote c tive air qu a lity s t anda rd s f o r ozone and f i ne particle s and designing n a tiona l tools to help m eet those sta nda rds. Legis l a tion and reg u lation will be the centerpiece of the Presid ent’s clean air and clean energy strategy as we move forward. Together, we are on the path to m a ke this generation one of the m o st productive periods of air quality

im prove m e nt in our nation’s history.

An i m portant part of our nation’s commit m ent to clean, healthy air is red u cing the le vels of fine-particle or PM2.5 polluti on. Fine-particle pollution represen ts one of the m o st significant barriers to clean air facing our nation today. These tiny particles, about 1/30 th the diameter of a

hum a n hair, lodge deep in our lungs, and have been associated with heart a ttacks, chronic bronchitis, asthm a attacks and m i ssed days of school and work.

Key to the reduction of particle pollution is im plem entation of the fine particle standards

and identification of the areas of the country needing additional work to m eet the standards. W e take the first of those important steps today, iden tifying the areas in your state that do not m eet the fine particle s t andard s. Those parts of your state des i gnated as “nonattainm ent” will require more actions to achieve a common goal of cleaner, healthier air (a list of nonattainm e nt areas is attached). F o r areas in y our state th at attain the s t andard you will need to continue yo ur progress to sustain clean air.

Inte rnet Add r es s (U R L )  http ://www .epa.gov R e cy cled/R e cy clabl e  P r inte d w i th V egetable Oil Ba sed Inks on 100% Po stcon s umer, Pro c e ss Chlorine Free Re cy cled Paper2

To assist you, we have both proposed and institu ted rules as part of our national clean air strategy th at will bring the vast m a jority of the country in to a ttainm e nt with the s t andards over the next decade. Our clean air/clean energy st rategy, including Clear Sk ies legislation and the

Clean Air R u les, will cut power plant em issions of sulfur dioxides, nitr ogen oxides and m e rcury by nearly 70 percen t when f u lly im plem ented, and will r e duc e em issions f r om off -road diese l fuels, vehicles and engines by over 90 percent — those black puffs of exhaust sm oke are going to be a thing of the past. Toge ther, these Clean Air Rules will build on the trem endous progress

m a de in previous decad es, and do it in reco rd tim e.

The last sev e ral d ecades have seen a grow ing co mmit m ent to clean air coupled with a progression of science and tec hnology that has infor m ed our decision-making and driven our actions. I think of our clean air history as a relay where a baton is passed f r om generation to generation and from Adm i nist ration to Adm i nistration. This Adm i nistration has m a de a

comm it m e nt to accelerate our clean air prog ress so that all A m ericans liv e healthier, longer, more productive and prosperous lives.

Sincerely,

/s/

Michael O. Leavitt

cc (with attachm e nt):

Ms. LaJuana W ilcher Secretary Kentucky Natural Resources and

Environm ental Protection Cabinet

Mr. Jam e s I. Palm er, Jr. Regional Adm i nistrator, Region IV

Inte rnet Add r es s (U R L )  http ://www .epa.gov R e cy cled/R e cy clabl e  P r inte d w i th V egetable Oil Ba sed Inks on 100% Po stcon s umer, Pro c e ss Chlorine Free Re cy cled PaperInternet Address (URL)  http://www.epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable  Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper Attachment

Nonattainment Areas

State Area Name Final Counties

Kentucky Cincinnati–Hamilton, OH-KY-IN Boone

Campbell

Kenton

Huntington–Ashland, WV- KYOH Boyd

Lawrence (P)

Lexington, KY Fayette

Mercer (P)

Louisville, KY-IN Bullitt

Jefferson
(P) Partial County