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 ofEnvironmental Conservation 555 Cordova Street Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2617 DearMs. 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 staffare 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 ofthe main sources. Equipment has been purchased, and site installation and operation is to begin at the start ofthe 2010 ozone season. 2. ADEC has requested that the Anchorage Garden site PM2.5 monitorbe 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% ofthe NAAQS, a PM2.5 SLAMS monitor is not required in Anchorage based on 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D. We therefore approve the redesignation ofthis monitor to SPM. 3. The Fairbanks North StarBorough currently operates two CO monitoring sites in Fairbanks, at the Old Post office and at Hunter School. The Boroughrequests 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 ofthe Hunter School CO monitor. 4. The Kenai Peninsula Site is part ofthe CIRIAMS network designed to assess regional particulate levels andbetter protect public health. A new CIRIAMS site will be located in Soldotna, behind the Kenai Peninsula Borough Building. Site installation will begin this summer. Similarto other CIRIAMS sites, it will house continuous PM 1 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 oflead, and requires a source-oriented Pb monitorbased onEPA's new Lead Monitoring Rule. The State will determine which ofthe nearby communities, Kivalina or Noatak, is best suited for the monitoring site. Sampling will begin at the selected site by January 1,2010.

OPrlntedonRecYCledpSP!'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 of35ug/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. Ifyou 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 Air Program Unit

cc: Chris Hall, OEA Keith Rose, OAWT

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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 ofEnvironmental Conservation 555 Cordova Street Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 DearMs. 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 SummaryTable" in Appendix C ofthe 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. Ifyou have any questions about our approval ofthe Alaska monitoring network, please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949. Sincerely,**~ ~**  r-.f) r. () () () () 

### '-k ! '1 " j**~\"-'D** 

## v\...6(.A.>(. C' I Mahbubul Islam, Manager State and Tribal Program Unit

cc: Chris Hall, OEA Keith Rose, OAWT



# o Prlnt.ltJnRecycledPIIPMUNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle. WA 98101 

### Replyto 

### NOV 

## 162007 Attn Of: OAWT-107 

### Mr. Gerry Guay Air and Water QualityDivision Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation 555 Cordova Street Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 Re: 2007 Alaska Ambient AirMonitoring Network Assessment DearMr. Guay: Wehave evaluated the 2007 Alaska Ambient Air MonitoringNetworkAssessment and ADEC'sproposed air monitoring network for 2008. This network assessment proposes the following changes to the Alaska ambient airmonitoring network: I. Discontinuation ofthe Armory CO monitor in Fairbanks because this monitor has consistentlyrecorded 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 by40 CRF Part 58, Appendix D; 2) have a design value near or above thenew PM2.5 24-hour standard of35 uglm3; or 3) they are essential monitoringparameters at NCore sites: I. PM2.5 FRMs (orApproved 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 

### inthe State's network canbe operated at ADEC's discretion with anyremaining federal or State funds. We've discussed your concern on how to most effectively achieveredesignation of the Eagle River and Juneau PMI0 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, webelieve there is flexibility in how the State demonstrates

### 2 compliance with the PMI0 NAAQS inthe maintenanceplan. For example, you could proposeto 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 overthe period ofthe maintenance plan. To verify that the PMI0 levelsremainbelow the NAAQS, annual PMI0 monitoring couldbedone periodically, such as every 5 years. Please feel free to contactus to discuss these maintenanceplanning approaches. The SIP planning staffcontact for this is Gina Bonifacino who canbereached at (206) 553-2970 or via e-mail at bonifacino.gina@epa.gov. Ifyouhave any questions about ourapproval ofthe Alaskamonitoring network, please contact Keith Rose at (206) 553-1949.Sincerely,

# ~~Lt~ Mahbubul Islam, Manager State and Tribal Program Unit

cc: Gina Bonifacino, OA WT DonnaDeneen, OA WT Chris Hall, OEA Keith Rose, OAWTUNITED 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 DearMr. Ouay: In myapproval ofthe Alaska ambient air monitoringnetwork for 2006, I identified the Anchorage PM2.5 primary and co-located FRMs, and the PM2.5 speciation monitor inFairbanks 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 shouldbe added as a "core"PM2.5 site because ofthe potential for this siteto exceed the new PM2.5 24-hour standard of35 uglm3 based ondata collected at this location overthe past three years. 2. The co-located PM2.5 FRM in Anchorage should bedropped as a "core" monitor and replaced with the co-located FRM located in Fairbanks which is recording the highest PM2.5 values. Based onthe information provided in your letter, I approve these changes to the Alaska PM2.5 monitoring network. Ifyou have anyquestions onthis 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 QualityDivision Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conservation 555 Cordova Street Anchorage, AK 99501-2617 Re: Approval ofAlaska 2006 Ambient AirMonitoringNetwork DearMr. Guay, Wehave evaluatedthe Alaska 2005 Ambient AirMonitoringNetwork Assessment and ADEC'sproposed monitoringnetwork for 2006. As youknow, in December2005 EPAproposed a lower 24-hourPM2.5 monitoring standard of 35 uglm3, and a new24-hourPMcoarse standard of70uglm3 to replace the current PMIO standard. The implementation ofthese new standards will have a significant effect onthe future number and locations ofPM monitors in the State'smonitoring network. This shouldbe a major consideration

### in your 2006 annual monitoring network assessment. In orderto ensure continued PM2.5 monitoring at sites required bypopulation (40 CRF Part 58), and at sites reporting values nearor above theproposed PM2.5 standard, Region 10 developed a list of monitoringpriorities 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 (orFEMs, ifapproved) at the Anchorage (primary and colocated) and Fairbanks sites. 2. A PM2.5 speciation monitor located at the Fairbanks site Operationofany 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 inthe 2005 Alaska Ambient AirMonitoring NetworkAssessment.



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Ifyouhave anyquestions about our approval ofthe Alaskamonitoring 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