THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

The Honorable Colley Billie C hairman of Miccosukee Tribe

of Indians of Florida P.O
. Box 440021 Tamiani Station Miami, Florida 331 44 Dear Chairman Billie: WA SH INGTON, D.C

. 20460


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I wou ld like to summarize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recen t action to address fineparticle pollution on your reservation. As required by the Clean Ai r Act, the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the national ambient-air-qua li ty sta ndards for fine-particl e po llution and which areas must take steps to reduce emissions that contribute to violations of the standard. The EPA on December 14, 2012, strengthened the annual, hea lth-based fine-particle standard from 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (!lg/m3) to 12.0 j..lg /m3

. Thousands of scientific studies have linked exposure to these tiny particles

- approx imately l/3 0th th e size of a human hair

- with serious health problems including prematu re death in people with heart and lung disease , nonfatal heart attacks and increas ed hospital admissions and doctor and emergenc y-room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease. I appreciate the information you and your staff have shared with the E PA throughout this proces s to assess fine-particle-pollution levels in communities across your reservation and the impact of emission sources that could be contributing to unhealthy air. After considering your recommendations, reviewing the most recent certified fine-particle air-quality data for your reservation and evaluating factors to assess contribution to nearby levels of fine-particle pollution, I have determined that no area within the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida reservation violates the 20 12 standard or contributes to a nearby violation ofthe standard. As a resu lt, the EPA is designating all of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida reservation "unclassifiable/attainment." Because air-quality monitoring for 2014 is nearly complete, the EPA, at a tribe's req uest, will eva luate the status of an area based on its annual [me-particle-monitoring data for 2012-14. If you would like the EPA to re-evaluate any areas within your reservation, please submit complete, quality-assured and certified air-qua li ty data for 2014 to the EPA by February 27 , 2015. I recognize that the EPA shares responsibility with the states and tribes for managing particle-pollution levels. Effort s by states and tribes to attain the 1997 and 2006 fine-particle-pollution standards are already working to reduce unhealthy level s of fine-particle pollution. In addition, current and upcoming federal standards and safeguards, including pollution-reduction rules for power plants, vehicles and fuels will ensure steady reductions of fine-p article pollution and will protect public health in communities across the nation.

This paper is printed with vegetable-oil-based inks and is tOO-percent postconsumer recycled material , chlorine-free-processed and recyclable

.Together we have made considerable progress in reducing [me-particle pollution. Nationwide monitored levels of fine - particle pollution have fallen 34 percent since 2000 when we first began such monitoring for particles of this size. I am confident this progress will continue as we work toward our shared goal of clean air .

For additional information about these designations, please visit www.epa.gov/pmdesignations.