UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 8 1595 WYNKOOP STREET DENVER, CO 80202-1129 Phone 800-227-8917 http://www.epa.gov/region08
8P-AR 

# JUN 14 2011

The Honorable Jack Dalrymple Governor ofNorthDakota 600 East Boulevard Avenue Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-000I

Dear GovernorDalrymple: Thank you for yourrecommendations onair quality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards for leadthroughout North Dakota. This letter is to notify you of the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's (EPA's)preliminary decision to designate all of NorthDakota as attainmentlunclassifiable, and to inform you ofourapproach for completing the designations for the revised lead standards. Reducing levels oflead pollution is an important part ofthe EPA's commitment to a clean, healthy environment. Lead exposure can cause a range of adverse health effects, most notably in children. Exposuresto low levels oflead early in 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 Standard by**lowerin~** it from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (ll-g/m3) - a level set in 1978

- to a level of0.15 Il-g/m

. This stronger standard provides increased protection against adverse health effects associated with exposure to lead in at-risk groups, including children. To provide increased protection against lead-related environmental and other welfare effects, the EPA revised the secondary National Ambient Air 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 whethermany areas are meeting the revised lead standard and established new criteria for siting ambient lead monitors and new datacollection requirements. Monitors meeting the newnetwork siting requirements were to begin operationJanuary 1,2010. Withintwo years ofpromulgating new orrevised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Clean AirAct requires the EPA to complete the initial process ofidentifying or designating areas that meet ordo not meet an airquality standard. Ifthe Administratorhas insufficient information to make these designations, the EPA has the authority to extend the designation process by up to one year. In light ofthe newmonitoring network, the EPA is completing the lead designations in two rounds. In the first round, published onNovember 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-2010 monitoring network. For all other areas, the EPA extendedthe



# ._----_._-----------­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 their recommendation letters for those remaining areas for our consideration in the second round ofdesignations by December 15, 2010. The EPA intends to complete the second round of lead designations by no laterthan October 14, 2011. Consistentwith the CleanAir Act, and after carefully consideringNorth Dakota's September 30, 2009 recommendation letter, and all the associated technical information for the 2008 Lead National AmbientAir Quality Standards, including the mostrecent air quality data from 2008­ 2010, the EPA is proposing to designate North Dakota as unclassifiable/attainment. The EPA uses this designation for initial designations to identify areas that have data indicating attainment, or where there is no evidence ofa violation. Ifyour state has additional informationthatthe EPA should consider withrespect to our proposed modification to your designation recommendation, please submit it to us by August 15, 2011. The EPA's preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentation will be made available to the general public for review. We will be accepting comments through August 15, 2011. We will review any information we receive from the state ofNorth Dakota and the general public by this date, and we planto promulgate the second round offinal designations by October 14,2011. We look forward to a continued dialogue withyou and your staffas we work together to implementthe 2008 Lead National AmbientAir Quality Standards. Should you have any questions, please do nothesitate to call me, orhave your staffcontact Carl Daly ofmy staffat (303) 312-6416.
Sincerely,

cc: L. David Glatt, Chief North Dakota State Department ofHealth Terry O'Clair, Director Division ofAir Quality North Dakota Department ofHealth GinaMcCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Steven D. Page, Director, Office ofAir Quality Planning and Standards