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. 

OPrlnted on RecYCled pSP!' 
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 

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