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### PUERTO RICO JUNTA DE CALl DAD AMBIENTAL December 16, 2013 MRS JUDITH A ENCK REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR USEPA
- REGION II 290 BROADWAY 25TH FLOOR NEW YORK NY 10007-1866 RE: Puerto Rico Area Initial Designation for the 2012 Revised Primary Annual 

### Fme Particulate (PM2.s) National Ambient Air Quality Standard Dear Mrs. Enck: The Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (PREQB) as representative agency of the commonwealth of Puerto Rico is submitting the initial recommendations of Puerto Rico as attainment for the 2012 revised primary annual fine particulate (pm25) national ambient air quality standard. The designations recommendation is submitted according with Section 107(d) (1) (A) of the Clean Air Act. On December 14, 2012 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthened the nation's air quality standard for the particle pollution to improve public health protection by revising the primary annual fine particle (PM2.s) standard to 12 micrograms per cubic meter (pg/m3) and retaining the 24-hour fine particle standard of 35 pg/m3

. Although PM2.5 air sampling network is designed and meets the criteria of location by area, PREQB classified all areas as unclassifiedfor not complying with the data completeness criteria (a minimum completeness of75 percent per quarter for each year period). PREQB evaluated the air monitoring data for the most recent years, and determined that all monitors in the PM2.5 monitoring network in Puerto Rico have at least one quarter below 50 percent data capture. Puerto Rico will need additional years, thereafter, to collect air quality data in order to determine compliance with the revised NAAQS. PREQB hope to complete the designation as soon as the minimum data period required approximately in the year 2015 ends. Please feel free to contact me at (787) 767-8181 ifyou have any questions regarding these recommendations, or call our staffcontact Mrs. Luda Fernandez Fontan, Chief, Data Validation and Air Dispersion Model Division, at (787) 767-8181 extension 3254.

Ediflclo de Ascncias Ambltntales Cruz A. Matos C.rrclera J:stalai88J8, Sector el Cinco, Rio Piedras, PR 00926 PO Box 11488, Santurct, PR 00910 Tel. 787-767·8181, Fax 787-767
-4861 www. jca.gooiemo.pr 

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COMMONWEALTH OF PuERTO RICO OFFICE OF THE GoVERNOR PuERTO RICO ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BOARD

PuER TO RICO AREA INITIAL DESIGNATION FOR THE 2012 REVISED PRIMARY ANNUAL FINE PARTICULATE (PM2.s) NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD

AIR QUALITY AREA

NOVEMBER, 2013

### - - ---- COMMONWEALTH OF 

### PUERTO RICO Environmental Quality Board PR Designations for the 2012 PM2.s NAAQS

TABLE OF CONI'ENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND .............................................................. 1 AIR QUALITY DATA MONITORING AND JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES........ ! FINAL RECOMMENDATION.......... ......................... ...... .................. ........... .... ....................5

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### PUERTO RICO Environmental Quality Board PR Designations for the 2012 PM2.sNAAQS

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1............................................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 2

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### COMMONWEALTH OF 

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### PR Designations for the.2012 

### PM2.s NAAQS

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 ........... ...... .. .............................. ...........................................................................................3 Table 2 ............................................................................................................................................3 Table 3 ............................................................................................................................................4

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. COMMONWEALTH OF 

### PUERTO RICO Environmental Quality Board PR Designations for the 2012 PM2.s NAAQS

Executive Summary 

### and Background The purpose of this document is to submit the Puerto Rico Area Initial Designation for the 2012 Revised Primary Ammal Fine Particulate (PM2.s) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This document presents the data handling conventions and computations that PREQB used to detemline if the NAAQS for PM2 .5was met, specifically the primary and secondary atmual and 24-hour PM2.s concentrations measured in the ambient air by a Federal Reference Method (FRM). The data used in this evaluation was collected from the years 2010 through 2012; however, for most of the stations, data capture was insufficient to obtain the necessary three (3) years of data, as most of the stations were in temporary shutdown. Therefore, PREQB requests that the Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) be reclassified to "Unclassified" since the CBSAs did not meet the data capture criterion. PREQB plans to obtain the necessary data to meet this criterion by 2015. 

### Air Quality Data Monitoring 

### and Jurisdictional Boundaries The PREQB maintains a comprehensive network of PM2 . 5 air quality monitors located throughout Puerto Rico with its primary objective being to determine compliance with the PM2.s NAAQS. The PREQB submits network reviews to the EPA Region 2 annually, demonstrating that air monitoring operations meet or surpass all applicable federal requirements. State air monitoring data is submitted to EPA's data repository called the Air Quality System (AQS). Figure 1 is a map illustrating thelocations of PREQB's FRM PM2 

### .s monitors as of the end of 2013. PREQB continues to operate these ten (10) FRM PM2 .5 sites. Figure 1 PREQB's Federal Reference Method (FRM) PM Monitors

. . 2.5**~U...A'nOfoc** canNA'Ttl ae11

................ A .. a• ................**A~**... Y•uc• 105 .8US - S.nt• l ...b•l 23 3 8Q

.... S.n**.J~o~an. C.D'o1•810uay~abo**  2 . 44!18 ,&0•**::: ~**  Coarn o 7t .e:2'.7 S.n 04l'MW.I"'/C .Oo**Ro~** 13'7 ..?02 - .Jayu ya 10 62•**~~"o ce**  24D , t70**-Adp.~ t•to**  te .4 6 SI May-.vu•2' 105 . 007 r:::J lltu•doD 3.2 ?1e**Ot..~a)l •m•**  ... .0•6

.....PdQ 10 ,000 AQ"a.di.WI.. b ..•tS...-. Sebe...-.n 304 . 4J.33 liPageCOMMONWEALTH OF 

### PUERTO RICO PR Designations for the 2012 

### PMz.s NAAQS Environmental Quality Board



### In accordance with and as defmed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Puerto Rico has three (3) Core-Based statistical areas (CBSAs): San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, OnceYauco-Coamo and Mayaguez-San German-Cabo Rojo. A CBSA consists of the county or counties associated with at least one urbanized area/urban cluster with a population of at least 10,000, plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration. Figure 1 Cumulative Estimates of Population Change in Puerto Rico Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas

POPULAllON Ea11MATE 2011 Metropolitan ,.,...**Yauco** [±;] San Juan/C.OUasJGuaynabo fl!!a San Germei\IC.bo ROjo lmi!l Ponce -t.layaguez c:::J Guayama -Fajardo

- Jlguadlla/1sabela/Sen Sllbutian 

### The number ofmonitors at each CBSA are as follow: San Juan- Caguas -Fajardo: five (5) monitors; Ponce- Yauco- Coamo: two (2) monitors; 105,1118 2,488,598 137,202 240,170 105,007 ft.4,045 70,000 304,833


### Mayagiiez- San German- Cabo Rojo: one (1) monitor; and Mlc:rcpolltan Ara.. -SantaIsabel IT:] Coamo -Jeyuya -.1\qiunteo [:=J Utuado



### Unclassified: two (2) monitors; one (1) at Guayama and one (1) at Salinas.

2fPage 23,389 71 ,827 16,524 111,4511 32,7715

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### 2012 PM2.s NAAQS Environmental Quality Board
Table 1 

### Puerto Rico

Combined Statistical 

### Area '. Population1 San Juan- Caguas- Fajardo 

### 2,582,746 Ponce
- Yauco
- Coamo 

### 445,344 Mayagiiez- San Gem1an- Cabo Rojo 

### 243,792 Table 2 

### Puerto Rico



### Metropolitan Statistical Areas Population Aguadilla
- Isabela
- San Sebastian 

### 306,292 Fajardo 

### 70,692 Guayama 

### 84,214 Mayagiiez 

### 106,330 Ponce 

### 243,147 San Gem1an-Cabo Rojo 

### 137,462 San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo 

### 2,478,905 Yauco 

### 107,333 The San Juan- Caguas -Fajardo CBSA consists offorty- five 

### (45) counties: Ceiba, Fajardo, Luquillo, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayan16n, Caguas, Canmy, Can6vanas, Carolina, Catafio, Cayey, Ciales, Cidra, Comerio, Corozal, Dorado, Florida, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Loiza, Manati; Maunabo, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Quebradillas, Rio Grande, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Yabucoa and Utuado. The Ponce- Yauco- Coamo CBSA consists often 

### (10) counties: Juana Diaz, Ponce, Villalba, Guanica, Guayanilla, Pefiuelas, Yauco, Coamo, Salinas and Santa Isabel. The Mayaguez- San Gem1an- Cabo Rojo CBSA consists of six (6) counties: Hormigueros, Mayagiiez, Cabo Rojo, Lajas, Sabana Grande and San German. The Unclassified CBSAs consist of thirteen (13) counties: Aguada, Aguadilla, Afiasco, Isabela, Lares, Moca, Rinc6n, San Sebastian, Arroyo, Guayama, Patillas, Jayuya and Ad juntas.

1 Office of Management and Budget and the Census Bureau (April 2012) 3jPage

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Table 3 PR Designations for the 

### 2012 PM2.sNAAQS

Stations locations 

### and Objectiveby CBSA CBSA Station · Objective Scale San Juan
- 

### Caguas - Fajardo 

### #22 Regional Transport Regional Fajardo Guaynabo 

### #24 Population Exposure Neighborhood Sanjuan 

### #30 Population Exposure Neighborhood Humacao 

### #53 Population Exposure Neighborhood Bayan1on 

### #63 Extreme Downwind Urban Ponce -Yauco
- Ponce 

### #56 Population Exposure Neighborhood Coam.o Guayanilla 

### #57 Population Exposure Neighborhood Mayaguez- San Mayaguez 

### #59 Source Oriented Neighborhood Germm-Cabo Rojo Unclassified Adjuntas 

### #13 Upwind Background urban Guayama 

### #15 Population Exposure Neighborhood Although each PM2.sair sampling network is designed and meets the criteria of location by area, PREQB classified all areas as unclassifiedfor not complying with the data completeness criteria (a minimum completeness of 

### 75 percent per quarter for each year period). All monitors in the PM2 .s monitoring network in Puerto Rico have at least one quarter below 

### 50 percent data capture for the 

### 2010-2012 monitoring period and, therefore, are not eligible for data substitution. Puerto Rico will need additional years, to collect air quality data in order to determine compliance with the revised NAAQS. The insufficient data collection and data loss was caused by several reasons, but the most important is the lack of funding to allow for maintenance and purchase of back-up equipment, spare parts, etc.. In order to comply with the final designation, PREQB will take measures to improve the PM2.smonitoring network to correct for insufficient data collection, and take steps to avoid a reoccurrence. PREQB has modified line items in the PM2.s budget that allows for the maintenance and operation of back-up equipment for 3 years and the purchase of spare parts and equipment. 41Page

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### Final Recommendation PREQB reconunends that all areas of Puerto Rico be reclassified as "Unclassified" for insufficient data completeness, since they do not meet the requirement to be designated. PREQB plans to complete the designation as soon as the minimum required data is available to meet the data capture criterion, which will be by the year 2015.



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