UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

December 17, 2004 

THE ADMINISTRATOR

The Honorable Ernie Fletcher 

Governor, State of Kentucky 

State Capitol 

700 Capitol Avenue 

Frankfort KY 40601 

Dear Governor Fletcher: 

Thirty-four years ago this month, the first Clean Air Act signaled the beginning of our 

country’s resolve to dramatically improve air quality. Today, we celebrate our accomplishments 

which have enabled us to breathe the cleanest air we have ever measured. As 2004 comes to a 

close, I am pleased to report that this has been a remarkable year for protecting and improving 

the country’s air quality. 

The Bush Administration has made implementation of a national clean air strategy a top 

priority by implementing more protective air quality standards for ozone and fine particles and 

designing national tools to help meet those standards. Legislation and regulation will be the 

centerpiece of the President’s clean air and clean energy strategy as we move forward. Together, 

we are on the path to make this generation one of the most productive periods of air quality 

improvement in our nation’s history. 

An important part of our nation’s commitment to clean, healthy air is reducing the levels 

of fine-particle or PM2.5 pollution. Fine-particle pollution represents one of the most significant 

barriers to clean air facing our nation today. These tiny particles, about 1/30th the diameter of a 

human hair, lodge deep in our lungs, and have been associated with heart attacks, chronic 

bronchitis, asthma attacks and missed days of school and work. 

Key to the reduction of particle pollution is implementation of the fine particle standards 

and identification of the areas of the country needing additional work to meet the standards. We

take the first of those important steps today, identifying the areas in your state that do not meet 

the fine particle standards. Those parts of your state designated as “nonattainment” will require 

more actions to achieve a common goal of cleaner, healthier air (a list of nonattainment areas is 

attached). For areas in your state that attain the standard you will need to continue your progress 

to sustain clean air. 

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To assist you, we have both proposed and instituted rules as part of our national clean air 

strategy that will bring the vast majority of the country into attainment with the standards over 

the next decade. Our clean air/clean energy strategy, including Clear Skies legislation and the 

Clean Air Rules, will cut power plant emissions of sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and mercury 

by nearly 70 percent when fully implemented, and will reduce emissions from off-road diesel

fuels, vehicles and engines by over 90 percent — those black puffs of exhaust smoke are going 

to be a thing of the past. Together, these Clean Air Rules will build on the tremendous progress 

made in previous decades, and do it in record time. 

The last several decades have seen a growing commitment to clean air coupled with a 

progression of science and technology that has informed our decision-making and driven our 

actions. I think of our clean air history as a relay where a baton is passed from generation to 

generation and from Administration to Administration. This Administration has made a 

commitment to accelerate our clean air progress so that all Americans live healthier, longer, 

more productive and prosperous lives. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ 

Michael O. Leavitt 

cc (with attachment): 

 Ms. LaJuana Wilcher 

 Secretary

 Kentucky Natural Resources and 

 Environmental Protection Cabinet 

 Mr. James I. Palmer, Jr. 

 Regional Administrator, Region IV 

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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