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

The Honorable Nikki R. Ha ley Governor of Sou th Caro lin a 1205 Pendle ton Street Co lu mb i a, Sou th Carolina 2921 1 Dear Governor Hal ey: 

# Die J 

# a201 4
THE ADMINISTRATOR

I am writing to summarize the U.S. Environmental Pro tectio n Age n cy's recent action to address fine particle poll utio n in your state. As required by the Clean Air Ac t , the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the national ambient air quality standards for fine particle po ll ution and which areas must take steps to redu ce emiss i ons t hat contri b ute to vio l ati on s ofthe standa rd. On December 14 , 2012, the EPA s trengthened the annual, health-based fine part icle standard from 15
. 0 micrograms per cubic meter ()lg/m 3 ) to 1 2
. 0 11gl m 3

. Thousands of scientific studies have linked exposure to these tiny particles

- app roximately 1 / 30th the size of a human hair

- with serious human heal th problems including premature death in people with heart and lung disease, nonfatal hea ri attacks , and increased hospi t al admissions and doctor and emergency room visits for resp ir atory and cardiovascula r diseas e . I appreciate the information you and your staff have shared with th e EPA throughout this process to assess fine particle polluti on levels in communitie s across your state and the impact of em i ssion sources that cou ld be contributing to unhealthy air. After considering your recommendations, reviewing the most recent cert ifi ed fine particle air quali ty data for your state and evaluati ng factors to assess contribu t ion to nearby levels of fi ne particl e poll u tion, I am pleased to inform you that at th i s time , n o area within South Carolina violates the 2012 stand ard or co n tribu tes to a nearby violation ofthe standard. As a resu lt, consistent with your area recommendations and with your comments provided during the 120

- day process, the EPA is designating most of your state "unclassifiab l e/attainment." As we have been d i scuss i ng wi th your staff, the EPA identified data quality issues earlier this year that i nvalid ated fine particle p olluti on monitoring data for parts of Georgia. As a r es ult , EPA does not have sufficient air quality monitoring data for 2011-2013 to determine whether Aiken County, Sou th Caro li na assoc i ated with the Augusta, Georgia are a contributes to a nearby vio l ation at the Georgia monitoring si tes if a vi olation at th ose si te s were to be identified. The EPA expects that for this mu lti-state area, additional mon i to rin g data co ll ected after 20 1 3 wi ll provide the requisite amo u nt of valid data for des ignations and the EPA is defe rring final designations for the ar ea . Accordi ng ly, the EP A i s deferring its final decision for Aiken County, South Caro lina.

I nterne t Address (URL) • http : //www
. epa . gov Recycled/Recyclable • Prinled w i th Vegetab l e Oil Based Inks on 100% Poslconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled PaperBecause 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 an n ual tine particle monitoring data for 2012-2014. If you would like the EPA to · re-evaluate any areas within your state, please subm i t to the EPA, complete , quality-assured and certified air quality data for 2014 by February 27,2015. The EPA shares responsibility with the s tate s and tribes for managing particle poUution levels. E fforts

by states and tribes to attain the 1997 and 2006 fine particle pollution stan d ards are already working to reduce unhealthy levels of fine particle pollution. In addition, current and upcomin g federal standards and safeg uards, including pollution reduction rules fo r power plants, vehicles and fuels will assure steady reductions of fine particle pollution and will protect public health in communities across th e country. Together, we have made considerable progress to r educe fine particle pollution. Nationwide, monitored levels of fine particle pollution have fallen 34 percent since 2000 when we first began nationwide monitoring for p articles of this size. I am confident this progress will continue as we work together towards our shared goal of clean air. For add ition a l information about these designations, please visit our website at: www.epa.uov/pm d esi g n at ions.

If you h ave questions or concerns, please contact me or your staff may contact Mark Rupp , Deputy Associate Administrator for Intergovernmental Relations , at rupp.mark rt .ikpa.gov or at (202) 564-7178. Sincerely ,