# pennsylvaniaDEPARTMENTOFENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONSECRETARYFebruary28,2012Mr.ShawnM.GarvinRegionalAdministratorU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,RegionIII1650ArchStreet(MailCode:3RAOO)Philadelphia,PA19103-2029DearMr.Garvin:ThankyouforyourDecember9,2011,letterconcerningtheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency’s(EPA)“preliminaryresponse”totheCommonwealthofPennsylvania’sdesignationrecommendationsforthe2008ozonenationalambientairqualitystandardNAAQS),TheCommonwealth’sinitialrecommendationsweresubmittedtoEPAonMarch17,2009andsubsequentlyrevisedonNovember22,2011.Inresponsetothedesignationrecommendationsforthe2008ozoneNAAQS,youhaveproposedthefollowingnonattainmentareaboundaries,basedon2008-2010monitoringdata:•Bucks,Chester,Delaware,MontgomeryandPhiladelphiacountiesinthePennsylvaniaportionofthePhiladelphiaareapluscountiesinNewJersey,DelawareandMaryland•Allegheny,Armstrong,Beaver,Butler,Fayette,WashingtonandWestmorelandcountiesinthePittsburgh-BeaverValleyarea•Carbon,LehighandNorthamptoncountiesintheAllentown-Bethiehem-Eastonarea•LancasterCounty•BerksCountyYourDecember9,2011,letteralsostatedthatEPAintendstodesignateallotherareasofthestateasunclassifiable/attainment,YoualsoadvisedthatanyadditionalinformationthattheCommonwealthwouldlikeEPAtoconsidershouldbeprovidedbyFebruary.9,2012,Basedoncertifiedambientozonemonitoringdatafor2009-2011,theDEPrecommendedsmallernonattainmentareasforthePhiladelphia,Pittsburgh-BeaverValleyandAllentown-BethlehemEastonareas.Althoughwerecommendednonattainmentboundariesonlyforcountieswithmonitorsviolatingtheozonestandard,werecognizethatuseofthesamenonattainmentareaboundaries,basedprimarilyonthesamemetropolitanstatisticalareasasforthe1997and2008ozonestandards,shouldpreservecontinuityofplanningforboththeDEPandtheregionaltransportationplanningagencies.However,werequestthatEPAbaseitsfinaldesignationsonPennsylvania’s2009-2011ozonemonitoringdata,whichwascertifiedandsubmittedtoEPANovember2011.RachelCarsonStateOfficeBuildingP.O.Box2063IHarrisburg,PA17105-2063717.787.2814ntdonRecycledPaperwww.depweb.state.pa.usMr.ShawnM.Garvin-2-February28,2012OnDecember20,2011,EPApublishednoticeoftheavailabilityofitsDecember9,2011,preliminaryresponsestostateandtribaldesignationrecommendationsforthe2008ozonestandard.(76Fed,Reg.78,872).Inthatnotice,EPArequestedcommentsonitspreliminaryresponsestostateandtribaldesignationrecommendations.TheAmericanLungAssociation(ALA)submittedcommentsinresponsetoEPA’spreliminaryresponsesexpressingsupportforthecreationofa“super-regionalnonattainmentarea”consistentwiththerecommendationsoftheStateofDelawareandotherstates,includingConnecticutandMaryland.TheEnvironmentalIntegrityProject(EJP)alsosubmittedcommentsinsupportofalargeozonenonattainmentarea.Additionally,theSierraClubagreedwith,adoptedandincorporatedbyreferencetheargumentsoftheALAandEIPconcerningthecreationofa“largeregionalnonattainmentareaintheEasternUnitedStates.”InyourpreliminaryresponsestotheStatesofDelawareandMaryland,youconcludedthatalargemulti-statenonattainmentareais“notinkeepingwithaplainreadingoftheCAAsection107(d)relatedtothecontributionina‘nearby’area.”Youfurtherconcludedthatthe“CAAhasotherprovisionstoaddressregionaltransport,”TheDEPagreeswithEPA’sconclusion--thecreationoflargemulti-statenonattainmentareasiscontrarytotheplainreadingofSection107(d)oftheCAA,42U.S.C.



# §7407(d).Yourconclusionisalsosupportedbythecourt’srulinginCommonwealthofPennsylvaniav.EPA,429F.3d1125,inwhichthecourtgavedeferencetoEPA’sreasonableinterprtationoftheterm“nearby”in42U.S.C.



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§7407(d)(l)(A)(i)to“requirelocally-basednonattainmentareas.”WealsowanttomentionoursupportofEPA’sacceptanceofourrecommendationsinthefollowingareas:•Proposeddesignationofastand-aloneBerksCountyarea•Unclassifiable/attainmentdesignationforPikeCounty•Unclassifiable/attainmentdesignationforLawrenceCountyTothisend,additionalinformationwhichexplainsoursupportofEPA’spreliminaryresponsetotheCommonwealth’sdesignationrecommendationsforthe2008ozonestandardisenclosedforyourinformationandreference.Shouldyouhavequestionsorneedadditionalinformation,pleasecontactJoyceE.Epps,DirectoroftheBureauofAirQuality,bye-mailatjeeppspa.govorbytelephoneat717-787-9702.Sincerely,L.KrancerSecretaryEnclosure:TechnicalInformationRegardingProposedDesignationsinPennsylvaniaforthe2008OzoneNationalAmbientAirQualityStandardOnDecember20,2011,theU.S,EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyprovidednoticeandrequestedcommentsonitspreliminaryresponsestostateandtribaldesignationrecommendationsforthe2008zoneNationalAmbientAirQualityStandards(76Fed.Reg.7882),TheDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtectionisprovidingtheinformationsetforthbelowinresponsetothecomments.ReadingCommentsweresubmittedtoEPArecommendingthattheagencyincludeReading(BerksCounty)inthenonattainmentareathatincludesthegreaterPhiladelphiaareabecauseReadingispartofthePhiladelphia-Camden-VinelandConsolidatedStatisticalArea(CSA).TheCommonwealthdisagreeswiththissuggestionandsupportsEPA’sproposaltodesignateBericsCountyasasinglecountynonattainmentareaforthefollowingreasons,•TheCommonwealth’srecommendationandEPA’spreliminaryresponseareconsistentwiththeOfficeofManagementandBudget(0MB)definition.The0MBdefinestheReadingmetropolitanstatisticalareaasanareathatconsistsofonlyBerksCounty.Althoughthe0MBaddedBerksCountytothePhiladelphiaCSAin2006becauseofincreasingcommutingtiestothelargerarea,BerksCountytraditionallyhasitsownplanningfunctions,includingitsowncountywidetransportationplanningorganization.TheEPAdesignatedBerksCountyasasingle-countynonattainmentareaforthe1-hourozonestandard,the19978-hourozonestandardandthe1997fineparticulatematterstandard.•AnalysisofthemostcurrentworkdestinationdataforBerksCounty’indicatesthatin2009,57.7percentoftheemploymentofBerksCountyresidentswasinBerksCounty.•TheReadingAirBasin,definedin25Pa.Code§121,1andcodifiedin40CFR52.2020,coversportionsofBerksCountyandnoothercounty.•Basedonthe2008NationalEmissionsInventoryshownbelow,VOCandNOxemissions(tonsperyear)inBerksCountyarelowcomparedtoemissionsinthe5-countyPhiladelphiaArea.ThefivePennsylvaniacounties(Bucks,Chester,Delaware,MontgomeryandPhiladelphia)arepartofamuchlargerCSA,whichinturnisonlypartoftheproposedfour-statePhiladelphia-Wilmington-AtlanticCitynonattainmentarea.Therefore,theinclusionofBerksCountyinthePhiladelphia-Wilmington-AtlanticCityareaisunlikelytohaveasignificanteffectontheareaattainingthestandard._________USBureauLongitudinal_HouseholdEmployerDynamicsat//Iehddidcensusgay/led!NOxVOCBerks18,90815,9185-countyPhiladelphiaArea118,57795,920•Controlswillcontinuetooperateinadjacentcounties.TheCommonwealthrecommendedthatmostofthecountiesadjacenttoBerksCountybeincludedinothernonattainmentareas,aswasdoneforthe1997ozoneNAAQS.Borderingnonattainmentareasforthe1997ozoneNAAQSinclude:Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisleareatothewest,Lancastertothesouthwest,thePhiladelphiaareatothesoutheast,andtheAllentownBethlehem-Eastonareatothenortheast.TotheextentthatemissionsfromadjacentcountiesmaycontributetoozoneconcentrationsinBerksCountyorthatemissionsfromBerksCountycontributetoozoneconcentrationsdownwind,thecontributionwillbelessenedbycontrolsputinplaceinthoseseparatenonattainmentareasandstatewide.PikeCountyCommentsweresubmittedtoEPArecommendingthatP11ccCountybedesignatedasnonattainmentbecauseitispartoftheCSAforNewYork-Newark-Bridgeport.TheCommonwealthdisagreeswiththecommentatorandsupportsEPA’sproposaltodesignatePikeCountyasunclassifiable/attainmentforthefollowingreasons.•ComparedtothepopulationoftherestoftheNewYork-Newark-BridgeportCSA—themostpopulousareaintheUnitedStates--PikeCounty’spopulationisverysmall,withonly57,369people2.Therearenomajorfacilitiesinthecounty.Therefore,theozoneprecursoremissionsinPikeCountyareaninsignificantcontributiontotheCSA.•About63percentoftheemploymentofPikeCountyresidentsisinPennsylvania.3PikeCountyisnotpartofthetransportationplanningareaforareasinNewYork,NewJerseyorConnecticut,butispartoftheNortheastPennsylvaniaRuralTransportationPlanningOrganizationwithfourotherruralPennsylvaniacounties.LawrenceCountyCommentsweresubmittedtoEPArecommendingthatLawrenceCountybedesignatedasnonattainmentbecauseitispartoftheCSAforPittsburghandNewCastle.TheCommonwealthdisagreesandsupportsEPA’sproposaltodesignateLawrenceCountyasunclassifiable/attainmentforthefollowingreasons.•LawrenceCountyisasinglecountymicropolitanstatisticalareaadjacenttothegreaterPittsburgh-BeaverValleyarea.Thecounty’smicropolitanstatisticalareastatusindicatesalowerlevelofsocialandeconomictiestothePittsburghmetropolitanareacountiesthancountiesincludedinthemetropolitanstatisticalarea.EPAdidnotincludeLawrence2U.S.CensusQuickFactsathttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42000.htmlSsusBureauLcjgjHQuseboldEmpgyynamicsathftp://1ehd.id.censusgov/leW2CountyinthePittsburgh-BeaverValleynonattainmentareaforthe1997ozonestandarddesignations.•TheUpperBeaverValleyAirBasin,definedin25Pa,Code§121.1,andcodifiedin40CFR52.2020,coversportionsofLawrenceCountyandnoothercounty.•TheairqualitymonitorlocatedinLawrenceCountyindicatesambientairqualitythatattainsthestandard,witha2009-2011designvalueof67partsperbillion.3