THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENC Y WAS HI NGTON, D
. C

. 20460

The Honorable Harold Fra nk Cha irman of Forest County Potawatomi Community P.O. Box 340 Crandon, Wisconsin 54520 Dear Chairman Frank: 

# '15£C 1 8 2014

I would like to summarize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent action to address fineparticle pollution on your reservation. As required by the C lean Air Act, the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the n ational ambient-air-quality standards for fine-particle pollution and which areas must take steps to reduce emissions that contribute to violations of the s tandard. The EPA on December 14,2012 , strengthened the annual , health-based fine-particle standard from 15.0 microgram s per cubic meter (11g/m 3) to 12.0 11g/m3

. Thousands of scientific studies have linked exposure to these tiny particles

- approximately l / 30th the size of a human hair- wit h serious health problems including premature death in people with heart and lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks and increased hospi tal admissions and doctor and emergency-room visits for respiratory and card iovascular dis ease . I app reciate the information you and your staff have shared with the EPA throughout this process to assess fine-particle-po llution levels in communities across your res erva tion and the impact of emission sourc es that could be contributing to unhealthy air. After cons idering your recommendations, reviewing the most recent certified fine-particle air-quality data for your reservation and eva luating factors to assess contribution to nearby levels of fine-partic le pollution, I h ave determ ined that no area within the Forest County Potawatomi Community re servation violates the 20 12 standard or contribute s to a nearby violation of the standard. As a result , the EPA is designating a ll of the Forest County Potawatomi Community re servation "unclass ifiable /attainment." Because air-quality monitoring fo r 2014 is nearly complete , the EPA, at a tribe·s request, will evaluate the statu s of an area based on its annual fine-particle-monitoring data fo r 2012-14. If you would like the EPA to re-evaluate any areas within your reservation, please submit complete , qua li ty-assured and certified air-quality data for 2014 to the EPA by February 27,2015. I recognize that the EPA shares responsibi lit y w ith the states and tribes for managing particle-pollution levels. Efforts by states and tribes to attain the 1997 and 2006 fine-particle -pollution standards are already working to reduc e unhea lthy level s of fine-particl e pollution. In add ition , current and up coming federal standards and safeguards, including pollution-reduction rules for power plants, vehicles and fuels will ensure steady reduction s of fine -particl e pollution and will protect public health in communities across the nation.

This paper is printed with vegetable-oil-based inks and is 100-percent postconsumer recycled material , chlorine-free-processed and recyclable

.Together we have made considerable progress in reducing fine-particle pollution. Nationwide m o nit ored levels of fine-particle pollution have fallen 3 4 percent since 2000 when we first began such monitoring for particles of this size. I am confident this progress will continue as we work toward our shared goa l of clean air.

For additional information about these designations , please visit www.epa.gov / pmdesignations.