UNITEDSTATESENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCYREGIONSTheHonorableMikeBeebeGovernorofArkansasStateCapitol,Suite250LittleRock,Arkansas72201DearGovernorBeebe:1445ROSSAVENUE,SUITE1200DALLAS,TEXAS75202-2733August19,2014OfficeoftheRegionalAdministratorThankyouforyourrecommendationsdatedDecember5,2013,onairqualitydesignationsforthe2012revisedprimaryannualfineparticle(PM2.s)NationalAmbientAirQualityStandard(NAAQS)throughoutArkansas.IappreciatetheinformationArkansassharedwiththeU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyaswemoveforwardtoimprovePM2.sairquality.ThisletteristonotifyyouoftheEPA'spreliminaryresponserecommendationsfromthestateofArkansasandtoinformyouofourapproachforcompletingtheinitialarea designationsforthe2012revisedprimaryannualPM2.sstandard.OnDecember14,2012,theEPApromulgateda revisedprimaryannualPM2.sNAAQS(78FR3086,January15,2013).Inthataction,theEPArevisedtheprimaryannualPM2.sstandard,strengtheningitfrom15.0microgramspercubicmeter(J..Lg/m3)to12.0J..Lg/m3;retainedtheexisting24-hourPMz.sstandardat35J..Lg/m3;retainedtheexisting24-hourPM10(coarseparticle)standardat150j.tg/m3;andretainedthecurrentsuite of secondaryPMstandards.TheEPArevisedtheprimaryannualPMz.sstandardbasedonanintegratedassessmentofanextensivebodyofnewscientificevidence,whichsubstantiallystrengthensourbodyofknowledgeregardingPMz.s-relatedhealtheffects.TherevisedprimaryannualPM2.sstandardwillprovideincreasedprotectionforchildren,olderadults,personswithpre-existingheartandlungdisease,andotherat-riskpopulationsagainstanarrayofPM2.s-relatedadversehealtheffects,includingprematuremortality,increasedhospitaladmissionsandemergencydepartmentvisits,anddevelopmentandexacerbation ofchronicrespiratorydisease.Historyshowsusthatbetterhealthandcleanerairgohand-in-handwitheconomicgrowth.Workingcloselywiththestatesandtribes,theEPAisimplementingthestandardsusingacommonsenseapproachthatimprovesairqualityandminimizestheburdenonstate,local,andtribalgovernments.Aspartofthisroutineprocess, theEPAis workingwiththestatesandtribestoidentifyareasinthecountrythatmeetthestandardsandthosethatneedtotakestepstoreducePM2.sairpollution.Withinoneyearofpromulgatinga neworrevisedairqualitystandard,theCleanAirActrequires theGovernorofeachstatetosubmittotheEPAalistofallareasinthestate,withrecommendationsforwhethereachareameetsthestandard.Asafirststep inimplementingthe2012annualPM2.sstandard,Governorsweretosubmittheirdesignationrecommendations,includingappropriateareaboundaries,byDecember13,2013.AsrequiredbytheCleanAirAct,theEPAthendesignatesanareaas"nonattainment"isviolatingthe2012annualPM2.sNAAQSorifitiscontributingtoa violationoftheNAAQSinanearbyarea.ConsistentwithdesignationsforpreviousPMz.sstandards,theEPAintendstouseadesignationThispaperisprintedwithvegetable-oil-basedinksandis100-percentpostconsumerrecycledmaterial,chlorine-free-processedandrecyclablecategory

of

" unc lass
ifi able

/ atta inme

nt

" for
ar eas
th at are moni

t ori

n g atta inmen

t an d f or areas

th

a t do not ha

v e monitors

b u t f or which

th

e E PA

h as re ason

to belie

v e are lik

e ly

a ttainme

nt an

d are not con trib uting to nearby

v iolati ons

. Addi tion ally

, th
e EPA

in

t end

s to design

a te as "unclassifiab

l e" those areas

w h ere the EPA cann

o
t det erm ine

b as ed

o n
a v aila
bl

e

i nf
o rma

t io n w he th

e r the area

is me

e ting

o r no

t me et ing the NAAQS

or whe

r e

t he

E P A has not

d e t e rmin

ed

t hat the

ar
e a con
tri

b u te

s to

a nearby

v iol

a tion.

At this time,
the EP A is pro ceedin

g wi th int

e n ded

i n itial

ar ea de

s ignation

s us ing qu

a lity- ass ured

, cert ifie

d

a ir quality moni

to ri ng

d ata

fr o m

2 0

1 1 to 2013. We have considere

d the ann

u al PM2.s

des

i gnat

io n

r ecommenda

t io
n s submitted

by Arkansas

on December

5

, 20

1 3 an

d have

re
v

i ew

e d the

re le v ant technical

info rmation, includin

g 2011-2013

a ir quality data. The
se data

do no

t in di

c ate any vio

l ati on of th

e 201

2 annual

P M2

. s N AAQS

in Ark ansas

or contribution

to an
y near by are as. Acc

o rding

l y, the

E PA

in te nd

s to modify

the

r e commenda

ti on
fr o m **Ark~as**

of atta inm ent or unc lass

i fi a ble for all

c oun

t ies in th e s tat

e and designate

all areas

of the

s t a te as unclassifiable/atta

i nment.
The Technical

Su

p port Document,
which provides

add

it iona
l d

e ta il re
g arding the status

of data

fo

r Cri tten

d e n County (part

of

t h e Memphis,

T ennessee

Co

r e Based Statistical

Ar

e a (CBSA))

and

th

e rat ionale

to supp
ort

t he EPA

' s u n classifiabl
e/attai nment

pr el iminary designa

t i o n for that county

is en clo sed

a nd

i s a v ai la ble on th

e E P A's web

si te

a t http:

/ / www

. e pa.g

o v / pmd

e s ign atio

n
s / 2 0 12stand
ards

/ s tat
e. htm

. The EPA will

m ak

e its preliminary

d es

i gnation decisions

and supporting documentation

availab

l e to the general public

fo r r eview
and comment.

We will
be anno
un cing

a 30-day

pub

l ic comment period short

l y in the Federal

Re

g ister.

A fter con

s
i d ering

t he add

it

i o na

l

i nf ormati

o n we receiv

e

, the EPA plan

s to promu

l ga te final ann ual

P M

2

. s des

i g n a t ions

i n D ece mber

o f2

0 14

. The EPA

is comm

itt ed to w orki ng with the state

s and

t ribes

to share
the responsibility

of re d ucing
PM

2

. s air pollution. Current

and
up

c oming federal standards

and safeguards, including pollution reduction rules
for power

p

l ants, vehicl

es and

fu els, will

a s sure stead

y progress

t o reduce PM2

. s forming

po

ll u tion and will protect

pu bli

c hea

l th in co mmunitie

s a c r o ss

t h e country.

We look forward

to

a continu

e d dialogue

wi

t h y o u and your staff

as we work toge ther

to implement

th

e 2012 annu

a

l PM

2

. s standard

. If you have any

q ue st

i on
s,
p

l e ase contact

me
at

( 214) 665-2

1 0 0

, or have your staff contact Mr. Guy Donalds

on, Chief

o f the Air Planning Sectio

n

, a t ( 214) 665-7242. Sincerely

, Enclosure cc: Please

see page

3cc: Ms. Teresa Marks Director, Arkansas Department

of Env

i ronm ental Qua

l ity Ms. Jan

et G. McCabe Act ing Assistant Administrator

for Air and Radi

a t ion, U.S. Envir onm ental Pro tect ion Agency Mr. Stephen

D. Page Director, Office

of Air Quality Planning

a nd Standards,

U.S. Environmenta

l Protection Agency