UNITEDSTATESENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCYREGION7TheHonorableSamBrownbackGovernor,StateofKansas300SW10111Avenue,Suite241SStateCapitolBuildingTopeka,Kansas66612DearGovernorBrownback:11201RennerBoulevardLenexa,Kansas66219FEB1 62016OFFICEOFTHEREGIONALADMINISTRATORThankyouforyourstaffsrecommendationsdatedSeptember9,2015,onairqualitydesignationsforthestateofKansasforthe2010revisiontotheprimaryNationalAmbientAirQualityStandardforsulfurdioxide.ReducinglevelsofsulfurdioxidepollutionisanimportantpartoftheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency'scommitmenttoaclean,healthyenvironment.Exposuretosulfurdioxidecancausearangeofadversehealtheffects,includingnarrowingoftheairwayswhichcancausedifficultybreathingandincreasedasthmasymptoms.ThisletteristonotifyyouoftheEPA'spreliminaryintentionsregardingyourstaffsrecommendeddesignations.OnJune3,2010,theEPAstrengthenedthehealth-basedorprimarystandardforsulfurdioxidebyestablishingastandardforone-houraveragesulfurdioxideconcentrationsatalevelof75partsperbillion.Withinoneyearafteraneworrevisedstandardisestablished,theCleanAirActrequiresthegovernorofeachstatetosubmittotheEPAalistofallareasinthestate,withrecommendationsforwhethereachareameetsthestandard.Throughaninteractiveprocess,theEPAconsiderstherecommendationsandthenpromulgatesdesignationsforallareasacrossthecountry.OnJuly25,2013,theEPAdesignated29areasin16statesasnonattainment,butdidnotatthattimedesignateotherareas.PursuanttoaMarch2,2015,court-orderedschedule,1theEPAmustcompletetheremainingsulfurdioxidedesignationsbythreespecificdeadlines:July2,2016,December31,2017,andDecember31,2020.Thiscurrentroundofdesignations,tobecompletedbyJuly2,2016,addressestwogroupsofareas:(1)areasthathavenewlymonitoredviolationsofthe2010sulfurdioxidestandardbasedonthemostrecentthreecalendaryearsofcertifiedmonitoredambientairqualitydata, and(2)areasthatcontainanystationarysourcethathadnotbeenannouncedasofMarch2,2015,forretirementandthataccordingtotheEPA'sAirMarketsDatabaseemittedin2012either(i)morethan16,000tonsofsulfurdioxideor(ii)morethan2,600tonsofsulfurdioxidewithanannualaverageemissionrateofatleast0.45poundsofsulfurdioxideperonemillionBritishThermalUnits.AftercarefullyconsideringKansas'recommendationsandotheravailabletechnicalinformation,theEPAintendstodesignateasunclassifiable/attainmentthefollowingarea,includingthefollowingcounty:1SierraClubv.McCarthy,No.3-13-cv-3953(SI)(N.D.Cal.Mar.2,2015).*PrintedonRecycledPaperIntended Unclassifiable/

Attainment Area Linn County

Intended Unclassifiable/

Attainment Area County Linn County Because,

at this time,

the EPA

does

not have conclusive infonnation

to determine

whether

the following areas

are meeting

or not meeting

the sulfur dioxide standard,

the EPA intends

to designate

these

areas

as unclassifiable:

Intended Unclassifiable

Area Wyandotte

County* Shawnee

County

Intended Unclassifiable

Counties Wyandotte

County Shawnee

County The asterisk

(*) indicates

the designation

for

this intended unclassifiable

area represents

a modification to the designation

that

you have recommended. The enclosed

technical

support document

provides

a detailed

analysis

that supports

our intended designation

decisions.

If your

state

has additional information

that

we should consider

prior

to finalizing these designations,

please

submit

it

to

us

by Aprill9,

2016.

We

also

will

be publishing

a notice

in the Federal Register announcing

a 30-day

period

for

the public

to provide

input

on our intended designation decisions.

We

will promulgate

the designations

for these

areas

by July

2, 2016.

We

will designate

all other previously undesignated

areas

in the state

on

a schedule consistent

with

the prescribed

timing

of the court

order,

i.e.,

by December

31, 2017,

or December

31, 2020. We look forward

to

a continued

dialogue

with

you

and your

staff

as we work together

to complete

the area designations

and implement

the 2010 primary

sulfur dioxide standard.

For additional information regarding designations

under

the sulfur dioxide standard,

please

visit

our website

at www.epa.gov/sulfur dioxidedesignations.

Should

you have

any questions,

please

do not hesitate

to call

me,

or have

your

staff contact

David

Peter

of my staff

at (913) 551-7397

or peter.david@epa.gov. Sincerely, Mark Hague Enclosure cc:

Susan Mosier,

Kansas Department

of Health

& Environment Rick Brunetti,

Kansas Department

of Health

& Environment Janet

G. McCabe,

USEPA Headquarters Stephen

D. Page, Research

Triangle

Park