UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 


REGION 10 


1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 

Seattle, WA 98101-3140 

OFFICE OF 

AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS NOV 092009 

Ms. Barbara Trost 

Air and Water Quality Division 

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 

555 Cordova Street 

Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2617 

Dear Ms. Trost: 

We have evaluated the 2009 Alaska Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan, which 

describes the Alaska monitoring network for 2009-2010. The following proposed changes to 

the monitoring network, which are consistent with 40 CFR Part 58.14, are approved. 

1. 	 The State and the municipal air quality staff are proposing two locations for monitoring 

ozone in the Anchorage area, one within downtown Anchorage, and one in Eagle River to 

represent a maximum impact site, downwind of the main sources. Equipment has been 

purchased, and site installation and operation is to begin at the start of the 2010 ozone season. 

2. 	 ADEC has requested that the Anchorage Garden site PM2.5 monitor be reclassified from 

SLAMS to SPM status because it has measured low PM2.5 values relative to the NAAQS. 

Because the design values for all PM2.5 monitors in Anchorage are below 85% of the 

NAAQS, a PM2.5 SLAMS monitor is not required in Anchorage based on 40 CFR Part 58, 

Appendix D. We therefore approve the redesignation of this monitor to SPM. 

3. 	 The Fairbanks North Star Borough currently operates two CO monitoring sites in Fairbanks, 

at the Old Post office and at Hunter School. The Borough requests permission to discontinue 

monitoring at the Hunter School site because Fairbanks has not recorded an exceedance of 

the CO NAAQS in almost a decade, and the Hunter School CO monitor is well correlated 

with the Old Post Office CO monitor. We approve the discontinuation of the Hunter School 

CO monitor. 

4. 	 The Kenai Peninsula Site is part of the CIRIAMS network designed to assess regional 

particulate levels and better protect public health. A new CIRIAMS site will be located in 

Soldotna, behind the Kenai Peninsula Borough Building. Site installation will begin this 

summer. Similar to other CIRIAMS sites, it will house continuous PM1 0 and PM2.5 

samplers. 

5. 	 The Red Dog Mine, a zinc and lead mine in the North West Arctic Borough, emits greater 

than 1 tonlyr of lead, and requires a source-oriented Pb monitor based on EPA's new Lead 

Monitoring Rule. The State will determine which of the nearby communities, Kivalina or 

Noatak, is best suited for the monitoring site. Sampling will begin at the selected site by 

January 1,2010. 

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The following monitors are designated "core" monitors because they are either: 1) 

required by 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D; 2) have a design value near or above the new 

PM2.5 24-hour standard of 35ug/m3, or; 3) they are essential monitoring parameters at 

NCore sites: 

1. 	 PM2.5 FRMs (or Approved Regional Method): 

a) Fairbanks (primary and secondary) 

b) Juneau 

c) Butte 

2. 	 PM2.5 speciation and precursor gas monitoring at the proposed Fairbanks NCore site. 

"Core" monitors are those monitors in the network that must be operated with 

available PM2.5 monitoring funds. The "non-core" PM2.5 monitors in the State's network 

can be operated at ADEC'sdiscretion with any remaining federal funds or State funds. 

If you have any questions about our approval of the Alaska monitoring network, 

please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

Sincerely, 

Mahbubul Islam, Manager 

State and Tribal Air Program Unit 

cc: 	 Chris Hall, OEA 

Keith Rose, OAWT 

2 

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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 


REGION 10 


1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 

Seattle, WA 98101-3140 

OFFICE OF 

AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS 

APR 241009 

Ms. Barbara Trost 

Air and Water Quality Division 

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 

555 Cordova Street 

Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 

Dear Ms. Trost: 

We have evaluated the 2008 Alaska Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan, 

submitted by you on March 20,2009, which describes the proposed Alaska monitoring 

network for 2009. The proposed monitoring network is consistent with the network design 

criteria identified in 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D. Therefore, I approve the air monitoring 

network, which is identified in the "Network Site Summary Table" in Appendix C of the 

Monitoring Network Plan. 

The following monitors are designated "core" monitors because they are either: 1) 

required by 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D, 2) have a design value near or above the new 

PM2.5 24-hour standard of 35 ug/m3, or 3) they are essential monitoring parameters at 

NCore sites: 

1. 	 PM2.5 FRMs (or Approved Regional Method): 

a) Fairbanks (primary and secondary) 

b) Juneau 

c) Butte 

2. 	 PM2.5 speciation and air toxics monitoring at the proposed Fairbanks NCore site. 

"Core" monitors are those monitors in the network that must be operated with 

available PM2.5 monitoring funds. The "non-core" PM2.5 monitors in the State's network 

can be operated at ADEC's discretion with any remaining federal funds or State funds. 

If you have any questions about our approval of the Alaska monitoring network, 

please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

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Sincerely, 

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Mahbubul Islam, Manager 

State and Tribal Program Unit 

cc: Chris Hall, OEA 

Keith Rose, OAWT 

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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 


REGION 10 


1200 Sixth Avenue 

Seattle. WA 98101 

Reply to NOV 162007 

Attn Of: OAWT-107 

Mr. Gerry Guay 

Air and Water Quality Division 

Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation 

555 Cordova Street 

Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 

Re: 2007 Alaska Ambient Air Monitoring Network Assessment 

Dear Mr. Guay: 

We have evaluated the 2007 Alaska Ambient Air Monitoring Network Assessment 

and ADEC's proposed air monitoring network for 2008. This network assessment proposes 

the following changes to the Alaska ambient air monitoring network: 

I. Discontinuation ofthe Armory CO monitor in Fairbanks because this monitor has 

consistently recorded CO values below the standard. 

2. Redesignation ofthe Anchorage/Garden PM2.5 site from SLAMs to SPM. 

These changes are consistent with the network design criteria identified in 40 CFR 

Part 58, Appendix D. I therefore approve these changes. 

The following monitors are designated "core" monitors because they are either: 1) 

required by 40 CRF Part 58, Appendix D; 2) have a design value near or above the new 

PM2.5 24-hour standard of35 uglm3; or 3) they are essential monitoring parameters at 

NCore sites: 

I. PM2.5 FRMs (or Approved Regional Method): 


a)Fairbanks (primary and secondary) 


b)Juneau 


2. PM2.5 speciation monitor at the proposed Fairbanks NCore site. 

"Core" monitors are those monitors in the network that must be operated with 

available PM2.5 monitoring funds. The "non-core" PM2.5 monitors in the State's network 

can be operated at ADEC's discretion with any remaining federal or State funds. 

We've discussed your concern on how to most effectively achieve redesignation of 

the Eagle River and Juneau PMI 0 non-attainment areas, and it appears that the only option 

for the State is to prepare and submit maintenance plans for these two areas as required by 

the Clean Air Act. However, we believe there is flexibility in how the State demonstrates 
2 


compliance with the PMI0 NAAQS in the maintenance plan. For example, you could 

propose to use measures other than monitoring (such as projected emission inventories, 

projected growth rates, dispersion modeling, etc) to predict that future PMI0 levels would 

not violate the NAAQS over the period ofthe maintenance plan. To verify that the PMI0 

levels remain below the NAAQS, annual PMI0 monitoring could be done periodically, such 

as every 5 years. Please feel free to contact us to discuss these maintenance planning 

approaches. The SIP planning staff contact for this is Gina Bonifacino who can be reached at 

(206) 553-2970 or via e-mail at bonifacino.gina@epa.gov. 

If you have any questions about our approval ofthe Alaska monitoring network, 

please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

Sincerely, 

~~Lt~ Mahbubul Islam, Manager 

State and Tribal Program Unit 

cc: Gina Bonifacino, OA WT 

Donna Deneen, OA WT 

Chris Hall, OEA 

Keith Rose, OAWT 
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 


REGION 10 


1200 Sixth Avenue 

Seattle. WA 98101 

OCT 2 7 2006. Reply to 

Attn Of: OAWT-I07 

Mr. Oerry Ouay 

Air and Water Quality Division 

Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation 

555 Cordova Street 

Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 

Re: Alaska PM2.5 "Core" Monitoring Sites 

Dear Mr. Ouay: 

In my approval ofthe Alaska ambient air monitoring network for 2006, I identified 

the Anchorage PM2.5 primary and co-located FRMs, and the PM2.5 speciation monitor 

in Fairbanks as "core" PM2.5 monitoring sites. Your letter dated August 10,2006, 

requests that EPA make the following two changes to PM2.5 "core" monitoring 

network: 

1. 	 Juneau should be added as a "core" PM2.5 site because ofthe potential for this 

site to exceed the new PM2.5 24-hour standard of 35 uglm3 based on data 

collected at this location over the past three years. 

2. 	 The co-located PM2.5 FRM in Anchorage should be dropped as a "core" 

monitor and replaced with the co-located FRM located in Fairbanks which is 

recording the highest PM2.5 values. 

Based on the information provided in your letter, I approve these changes to the 

Alaska PM2.5 monitoring network. If you have any questions on this topic, please 

contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

Sincerely, 

Mahbubul Islam, Manager 

State and Tribal Program Unit 

cc: John Pavitt, AOO 

Dave DeBruyn, OA WT 
--------

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION 10 

1200 Sixth Avenue 

Seattle. WA 98101 

FEB 1 5 2006 

Reply to 

Attn Of: OAWT-107 

Mr. Gerry Guay 

Air and Water Quality Division 

Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation 

555 Cordova Street 

Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 

Re: Approval ofAlaska 2006 Ambient Air Monitoring Network 

Dear Mr. Guay, 

We have evaluated the Alaska 2005 Ambient Air Monitoring Network 

Assessment and ADEC's proposed monitoring network for 2006. As you know, 

in December 2005 EPA proposed a lower 24-hour PM2.5 monitoring standard of 

35 uglm3, and a new 24-hour PMcoarse standard of70 uglm3 to replace the 

current PMIO standard. The implementation ofthese new standards will have a 

significant effect on the future number and locations ofPM monitors in the 

State's monitoring network. This should be a major consideration in your 2006 

annual monitoring network assessment. In order to ensure continued PM2.5 

monitoring at sites required by population (40 CRF Part 58), and at sites reporting 

values near or above the proposed PM2.5 standard, Region 10 developed a list of 

monitoring priorities for a "core" PM2.5 monitoring network (Attachment 1). 

ADEC is authorized to operate all PM2.5 "core" monitors for 2006 including: 

1. 	 PM2.5 FRMs (or FEMs, ifapproved) at the Anchorage (primary and colocated) and Fairbanks sites. 

2. 	 A PM2.5 speciation monitor located at the Fairbanks site 

Operation of any additional PM2.5 monitors, in addition to the PM2.5 "core" 

network, are authorized as funding permits. ADEC is also authorized to operate 

all CO and PMlO monitors identified in the 2005 Alaska Ambient Air Monitoring 

Network Assessment. 

------ -------.....-------------­
2 


If you have any questions about our approval ofthe Alaska monitoring 

network, please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. 

Sincerely, 

Mahbubul Islam, Manager 

State and Tribal Program Unit 

Office ofAir, Waste and Toxics 

cc: 	 Ron King, ADEC 

John Pavitt, AOO 

William Puckett, OEA