UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 6 1445 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 1200 DALLASTX75202-2733



### JUN 1 

### 4 2011

The Honorable Rick Perry Governor ofTexas Post Office Box 12428 Austin, Texas 78711
Dear GovernorPerry: Thankyou for yourrecommendations on air quality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead throughout Texas. On June 14,2010, we designated a portion ofCollin County, Texas, as nonattainment. This letteris to notify you ofthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) preliminary decision to designate the remainderof the State ofTexas as unclassifiable/attainment and to inform you ofour approach for completing the designations for the revised lead standards. Reducing levels ofleadpollution is an important part ofthe EPA's commitmentto a clean, healthy environment. Lead exposure can cause arange ofadverse health effects, most notably in children. Exposures to low levels oflead earlyin life have been linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory and behavior. On October 15, 2008, the EPA substantially strengthened the health-based or "primary" National Ambient Air Quality Standardby lowerin¥it from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (fig/m3)

- a level set in 1978

- to a level of0.15 fig/m

. This stronger standardprovides increasedprotection against adverse healtheffects associated with exposure to lead in at-risk groups, including children. To provide increasedprotection against lead-related environmental and otherwelfare effects, the EPA revised the secondaryNational AmbientAir Quality Standard to be identical in all respects to the revised primary standard. The EPA also determined that the pre-existing ambient lead monitoring network was inadequate for determining whether many areas are meeting the revised lead standards and established new criteria for siting ambient lead monitors and new data collectionrequirements. Monitors meeting the new network siting requirements were to begin operation January 1,2010. Within two years ofpromulgatingnew orrevised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Clean AirActrequires the EPA to complete the initial process ofidentifying ordesignating areas that meet or do not meet an air quality standard. Ifthe Administratorhas insufficient information to make these designations, the EPA has the authority to extend the designation process byup to one year. In light ofthe new monitoring network, the EPA is completing the lead designations in two rounds. In the first round, published on November 16, 2010, the EPA designated as "nonattainment" 16 areas as violating the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards based on data from the pre-201 0 monitoring network. For all other areas, the EPA extended the deadline for designations byup to one year so that data from the newly deployed monitors canbe considered in making appropriate designation decisions. States were given an opportunity to update theirrecommendation letters for those remaining areas for our consideration in the second

Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov/region6 Recycled/Recyclable. Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper, Process Chlorine Freeround ofdesignations by December 15, 2010. The EPA intends to complete the second round of lead designations by no laterthan October 14, 20II. Consistent with the Clean Air Act, and after carefullyconsidering Texas's October 14,2009, recommendation letter and all the associated technical information for the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards, including the most recent air quality data from 2008-2010, the EPA is proposing to designate Texas as unclassifiable/attainment, with the exception ofaportion ofCollin County, Texas. The EPA uses the unclassifiable attainment designation for initial designations to identify areas thathave data indicating attainment, or where there is no evidence ofa violation. The EPA's preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentation will be made available to the general public forreview. We will be accepting comments through August 15, 2011. We will review any information we receive from the State ofTexas and the general public by this date, and we plan to promulgate the second round offinal designations by October 14, 2011. We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we worktogetherto implement the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me, orhave your staffcontactMr. Guy Donaldson ofmy staffat (214) 665-7242. \

ATIl\SKlanz Regional Administr or

cc: BryanW. Shaw, Ph.D., Chairman Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MarkVickery, P.G., Executive Director Texas Commission on Environmental Quality