UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION 10 

Herman Dillon, Sr. 

Chairman, Puyallup Tribal Council 

3009 East Portland A venue 

Tacoma, Washington 98404 

Dear Chairman Dillon: 

1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 

Seattle, WA 98101-3140 

DEC 112012 

OFFICE OF 

AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking steps to propose three actions related 

to the Tacoma fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) nonattainment area. On behalf of EPA, I would like 

to offer a opportunity for consultation and coordination on the actions. 

On October 25, 2012, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) Board adopted revisions to 

Regulation 1 -Article 13: Solid Fuel Burning Device Standards to help control PM2.s pollution 

in the Tacoma nonattainment area and surrounding areas within PSCAA 's jurisdiction. The 

PSCAA regulations apply on non-trust land and the airshed surrounding the Puyallup 

Reservation consistent with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Claims Settlement Act. In 

cooperation with PSCAA, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking EPA 

approval of the regulations as part of the Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP). We 

understand that PSCAA coordinated with your air program staff and other local stakeholders in 

the development of these final regulations. PSCAA also updated the Puyallup Tribe's air quality 

staff on the changes as part of the April, July, and September 2012 PSCAA Advisory Council 

meetings leading up to final adoption of the regulation. A full copy of the revised regulations can 

be found in Appendix B of the attached "State Implementation Plan Revision: Tacoma-Pierce 

County Nonattainment Area" which was the subject of a public comment period from 

September 10, 2012 to October 19, 2012. EPA is offering you the opportunity to consult on our 

proposed action to include the PSCAA regulations submitted into the Washington SIP. 

In addition to the revised PSCAA regulations, EPA is also offering you the opportunity to 

consult on Ecology's request for EPA approval of the 2008 baseline emissions inventory, 

included as Appendix A of the enclosed SIP revision. Clean Air Act section 172(c)(3) requires 

Ecology to submit an inventory of actual emissions in the Tacoma nonattainment area including 

industrial point sources, onroad vehicles, nonroad mobile sources such as ships and locomotives, 

and nonpoint sources such as residential wood combustion. Ecology selected 2008 as the base 

year because that was the most recent year that complete state and national emission inventory 

data was available. EPA anticipates that this proposed action should be noncontroversial since it 

is simply a catalog of past emissions. 

Lastly, on September 4, 2012, EPA published a clean data determination that the Tacoma 

nonattainment area is currently meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2 5 

based on the 2009-20 II monitoring results. If the preliminary 20 I 0-2012 monitoring results 

continue to follow the current trend of improved PM25 air quality, EPA intends to publish 

another clean data determination in early 2013 and is offering consultation on this future action. 

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The action will accomplish two objectives. First, although the 20 I 0-2012 monitoring data will 

still be considered preliminary until it meets final quality control standards in July, EPA believes 

it is important to share this information with the public in a timely manner. Second, a clean data 

determination would allow proposed approval of updated motor vehicle emissions budgets. 

These motor vehicle budgets are similar to the 2008 emissions inventory information described 

above, but will include more up-to-date 20 J!Jllata for usc in transportation planning. 

The EPA is offering you consultation and coordination in accordance with the EPA Policy 011 

Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes (www.epa.gov/triballconsultation/consultpolicy.htm). Please, have your staff notify Jeff Hunt, PM2.5 staff lead, by January 4, 2013 if you 

are interested in scheduling a consultation meeting about any of these upcoming EPA actions. 

Feel free to call me at 206-553-1271 if you have any questions. 

Enclosure 

cc: Bill Sullivan, Puyallup Tribe, Natural Resources Director (via e-mail) 

Mary Basballe, Puyallup Tribe, Air Quality Staff (via e-mail) 

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