UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION IX 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105-3901

OFFICE OFTHE REGIONALADMINISTRATOR 

## DEC 0 9 2011

The Honorable Eddie Baza Calvo TerritoryofGuam Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex Adelup, Guam 96910 Dear Governor Calvo: Thepurpose ofthis letter is to notifyyou ofthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's preliminary decision to designate the Territory ofGuam as unclassifiable/attainment for the revised 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and to inform you ofour approach for completing the designations for the revised ozoneNAAQS. OnMarch 12,2008, the EPA revised its NAAQS for ground-level ozone to provide increased protection ofpublic health and the environment. The EPA lowered the primary 8-hourozone standard from 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to 0.075 ppm to protect against health effects associated with ozone exposure, including a range ofserious respiratory illnesses and increased premature death from heart or lung disease. The EPA revised the secondary 8-hour ozone standard, making it identical to the primary standard, to protect against welfare effects, including impacts on sensitive vegetation and forested ecosystems. History shows us that betterhealth and cleaner air go hand-in-hand with economic growth. Working closelywith the states and tribes, the EPA is implementingthe standards using a common sense approach that improves air quality and minimizes the burden on state and local governments. As part ofthis routine process, EPA is working with the states to identify areas in the countrythat meetthe standards and those that need to take steps to reduce ozonepollution. Within one year after a new or revised airquality standard is established, the Clean Air Actrequires the Governor ofeach state to submit to the EPA a listofall areas in the state, with recommendations for whether each area meets the standard. As a first step in implementing the 2008 ozone standards, the EPA asked states to submittheir designation recommendations, including appropriate area boundaries, byMarch 12,2009. In September 2009, the EPA announced it was reconsidering the 2008 ozone standards. TheEPA later took steps to delay the designation process for the 2008 ozone standards pending outcome ofthe reconsideration. However, in September 2011, the Office ofManagement and Budgetreturned to EPAthe draft final rule addressing the reconsideration ofthe 2008 standards. On September22, 2011, the EPA restarted the implementation effort by issuing a memorandum to clarify for state and local agencies the status ofthe 2008 ozone standards and to outline plans for moving forward to implementthem. The EPA indicated that it would proceed with initial area designations for the 2008 standards, and planned to use the recommendations states made in 2009 as updated by the most current, certified air quality data from 2008­

Printedon RecycledPaper2010. While the EPA did not request that states submitupdated designation recommendations, the EPA provided the opportunity for states to do so. As required bythe Clean Air Act, the EPA will designate an area as nonattainment ifit is violating the 2008 ozone standards or contributing to a violation ofthe standards in a nearby area. Consistent with designations for previous ozone standards, the EPA intends to designate an area as unclassifiable/attainment ifthere are certified, quality-assured air qualitymonitoring data showingthe area is meeting the ozone standards orthere are no monitoring data for the area, and the EPA has not made a determination thatthe area is contributing to a violation in a nearby area. The Territory ofGuam did not provide EPA with arecommendation for ozone designations. Nevertheless, we would like to inform you thatthe EPA intends to designate the Territory ofGuam as unclassifiable/attainment. The EPA will also make its preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentation available to the general public for review and comment. We will be announcing a 30-daypublic commentperiod shortly in the 

### FederalRegister. After considering additional information we receive, the EPA plans to promulgate final ozone designations in the spring of2012. The EPA is committed to working with the states and tribes to share the responsibility ofreducing ozone airpollution. Current and upcoming federal standards and safeguards, includingpollution reduction rules for powerplants, vehicles and fuels, will assure steadyprogress to reduce ozoneforming pollution and will protectpublic health in communities across the country. We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we work together to implementthe 2008 ozone standards. Should you have any questions, please do nothesitate to contact me or AmyZimpfer, Associate Director, AirDivision, ofmystaffat 415-947-4146 orzimpfer.arny@epa.gov.

Jared Blumenfeld

cc: Ivan Quinata, Administrator, Guam Environmental Protection Agency PeterCruz, APCP Manager, Guam Environmental ProtectionAgency Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Stephen D. Page, Director, Office ofAir QualityPlanning and Standards