THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

The Honorable Jeffrey Lee Chairperson of Cold Springs Rancheria P.O. Box 209 Tollhouse , California 93667 Dear Chairperson Lee: WA S H I N G TON , D . C . 20460

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I would like to summarize the U.S . Environmental Protection Agen cy's recent action to address fineparticle pollution on your re servation. As required by the Clean Air Act, the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the national ambient-air-quality standards for fine-particle pollution and which areas must take steps to reduce emiss ion s that contribute to vio l ations of the standard . The EPA on December 14, 2012, strengthened the annual, health-based fine-particle standard from 1 5 .0 micrograms per cubic meter (J.lg/m 3 ) to 12 .0 !Jglm 3

. Thousands of scientific studies have linked exposure to these tiny part icl es- approximately 1/30th the size of a human hair
- with ser ious health problems including premature death in people w ith heart and lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks and increased hospital admissions and doctor and emergency -room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease. I appreciate the information you and your staff have shared with the EPA thro ughout this process to assess fine-particle-pollution levels in communities across your reservation and the imp act of emission sources that could be contribut ing to unhealthy air. After reviewing the most recent certified fineparticle air-quality data for the s tate of California and evaluating factors to assess cont ribution to nearby levels of fine particle pollution, I have determined that some areas in California do not meet the 2012 annual fine particle standard or they contribute to a nearby violation ofthe standard . The EPA i s designating those areas "nonattainment." Some of these areas also include areas oflndian country, including the reservation of the Cold Springs Rancheria. Nonattainment areas will be required to take action to reduce fine-particle pollution and meet the standard no later than 2021. As required by the Clean Air Act , those actions may include stricter contro ls on industrial facilities and additional planning requirements for transportation
-related sources. While tribes are not required to take actions, the EPA will work with tribes to develop plans as necessary or appropriate to ensure tribal areas meet the s tandard no later than 2021. Because air-quality monitoring for 2014 is nearly complete, th e EPA, at a tribe's request, will evaluate the status of an area based on its annual fine-particle-monitori n g data for 2012-14. If you would like the EPA to re-evaluate any areas within your reservation, please submi t complete, quality-assured and certified air-quality data for 2014 to the EPA by February 27, 2015. I recognize that the EPA shares responsibility with the states and tribes for managing particle-poll ution level s . Efforts by states and tribes to attain the 1 997 and 2006 fine-particle
- pollution standards are already working to reduce unhealthy levels of fine-patiicle pollution. In addition , current and upcoming

This paper is printed w i th vegetab l e - o i l - based i nks and is 1 00-perce n t postconsumer recycled mate rial , chlor i ne -free-processed and recyclab l e .federal standards and safeguards, including pollution-reduction rules for power plants, vehicles and fuels will ensure steady reductions of fine-particle pollution and will protect public health in communities across the nation. Toget h e r we h ave made considerab l e progress in reducing fine- p artic l e pollution. Nationwide mon i tored levels of fine-particle pollution have fallen 34 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 goal of clean air.

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