UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

The Honorable Paul R. L ePage Governor ofMaine # 1 State House Station Augus ta, Maine 04333-0001 Dear Governor LePage: 

# llC l 8 

## 2014

THE ADMINISTRATOR

I am writing to summarize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent action to address fine particle pollution in yo ur state. As required by the Clean Air Act, the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the nationa l ambient air quality standards for fine particle pollution and which areas must take step s to reduce emissions that contribute to vio lations ofthe standard. On December 14,2012, the EPA strengthened the annual, health

-based fine particle standard from 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (J..Lg/m 3 ) to 12.0 J..Lg/m3

. Thousands of scientific st udie s have linked exposure to these tiny particles-appro ximately 1130th the size of a human hair -wit h se rious human health problems including premature death in people with heart and lung di sease, nonfatal heart attacks, and increased hospital admissions and doctor and emergency room visi ts for respiratory a nd cardiovascular disease. I appreciate the information you and your staff have shared with the EPA throughout this process to assess fine particle pollution levels in communities across your state and the impact of emission sources that could be contributing to unhealthy air. After considering your recommendations, reviewing the most recent certified fine particle air quality data for your state and evaluating factors to assess contribution to nea rby levels of fine parti cle pollution, I have determined that no area within Maine violates the 2012 standard or contributes to a nearby violation of the standard. As a result, the EPA is designating all of Maine "unclassifiable/attainment." Because air quality monitoring for 2014 is nearly complete , if a state or tribe requests it , the EPA will evaluate the status of an area based on its annual fine particle monitoring data for 2012

- 2014. If you would like the EPA to re-evaluate any areas with in your state, please submit to the EPA, complete , quality-assured and certified air quality data for 2014 by February 27, 2015. The EPA shares respon si bility with the states and tribes for managing particle po llution levels
. Efforts by states and tribes to attain the 1997 and 2006 fine particle pollution standards are already working to reduce unhealthy levels of fine particle pollution. In addition, current and upcoming federal standards and safeguards , including pollution reduction rules for power plants , vehicles and fuels will assure steady reductions of fine particle pollution and will protect public health in communities across the country.

Internet Address (URL) • hllp://www

. epa . gov Recycled/Recyclable • Pri nted with Vegetable 011 Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer. Process Chlorine Free Recyc l ed PaperTogether , we have made cons id erable progress to reduce fine particle pollution. Nationwide, monitored l evels of fine particle pollution fell 34 percent since 2000 when we first began nationwide monitoring for part icl es of this s i ze. I am confident this progress will accelerate as together we continue to work towards ou r shared goal of clean air . For additional information about these designations , please visit our website at: www.epa.gov / pmdesignations . I f you have questions or concerns, p l ease contact me or your staff may contact Mark Rupp , Deputy Associate Adm in istrator for Intergovernmental Relations , at rupp.mark@epa . gov or at (202) 564 - 7178.