UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENC Y WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

The Honorable Chris Christie Governor ofNew Jersey P.O. Box 001 Trenton, New Jersey 08625 Dear Governor Christie: 

## DEC 1 8 i..u , 4
THE ADMINISTRATOR

I am writing to summarize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ' s recent action to address fine particle pollution in your state . As required by the Clean Air Act, the EPA has determined which areas are meeting the national ambient air quality standards for fine particle po llution and which areas must take steps to reduce emissions that contribute to violations ofthe standard. On December 14, 2012 , the EPA strengthened the annual, health-based fine particle standard from 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (l-lg/m3) to 12.0 l-l g/m3

. Thousands of scientific studies have linked exposure to these tiny particles--approximately 1 /30th the size of a human hair- with serious human health problems including premature death in people with heart and lung disease , nonfatal heart attacks , and increased hospital admissions and doctor and emergency room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease. I appreciate the informatio n you and your staff have shared with the E PA throughout this process to assess fine particle pollution levels in communities across your state and the impact of emissio n sources that could be contributing to unhealthy air. After considering your recommendations , reviewing the most recent certified fine particle air quality data for your state and evaluating factors to assess contribution to nearby levels of fine particle pollution, I have determined tha t no are a within New Jersey viol ate s the 2012 standar d or contrib utes to a nearby vio lation of the s tandard. As a result , the EPA is desi gnating all ofNew Jersey "unclassifiable/attainment." Because air quality monitoring for 2014 is nearly complete , if a state or tribe requests it, the E PA wi ll evaluate the status of an area based on its annual fine particle monitoring data for 2012-20 14. If you would like the EPA to re-evaluate any areas within your state, please submit to the E PA , complete , qua li ty-assured and certified air quality data for 2014 by February 27 , 2015. The EPA shares responsibility with the states and tribes fo r managing particle pollution levels. Efforts by sta tes and tribes to attain the 1997 and 2006 fine particle pollution standards are already working to reduce unhealthy level s of fine particle po ll ution. In addition , current and upcoming federal standards and safeguards , including pollution reduction rule s for power plants, vehicles and fuels will assure steady reductions of fine particle pollution and will protect public health in communities across the country .

Internet Address (URL) • http://www

. epa . gov Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled PaperTogether , we have made considerable progress to reduce fine particle pollution. Nationwide, monitored le vels of fine particle pollution fell 34 percent since 2000 when we first began na t ion w ide monitoring for particles of this size. I am confident this progress will accelerate as together we continue to work towards our sha r ed goal of clean air. For additio nal information about these designat i ons, please visit our website at: www.epa.gov / pmdesignations .

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me or your staff may contact Mark Rupp, Deputy Associate Administrator for Int ergovernmental Relations , at rupp.ma r k @ epa.gov or at (202) 564-7178. Sincerely, &11!P