UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 6 1445 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 1200 DALLAS TX 75202-2733

JLlN 1 4 2011

The Honorable SusanaMartinez Governor ofNew Mexico State Capitol, Room 400 SantaFe, New Mexico 87501

Dear GovernorMartinez:

Thankyou for your state's recommendations on air quality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead throughout New Mexico, This letteris to notify you of the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's (EPA) preliminary decision to designate all ofNew Mexico as unclassifiable/attainment and to inform you ofour approach for completing the designations for the revised lead standards. Reducing levels oflead pollution is an importantpart ofthe EPA's commitment to a clean, healthy environment. Lead exposure can cause arange of adverse health effects, most notably in children. Exposures to low levels oflead early in life have been linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory and behavior.

On October 15, 2008, the EPA substantially strengthened the health-based or "primary" National Ambient Air Quality Standardby**lowerin~** it from 1.5 micrograms percubic meter (llg/m3) - a level set in 1978

- to a level of0.15 Ilg/m

. This stronger standardprovides increasedprotection against adverse health effects associated with exposure to lead in at-risk groups, including children. To provide increasedprotection against lead-related environmental and otherwelfare effects, the EPA revised the secondaryNational Ambient Air Quality Standardto be identical in all respects to the revised primary standard. The EPA also determined that the pre-existing ambient lead monitoring network was inadequate for determining whethermany areas are meeting the revised lead standards and established new criteria for siting ambient lead monitors and new data collectionrequirements. Monitors meeting the new network siting requirements
were to begin operation January 1, 2010.

Within two years ofpromulgatingnew or revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Clean Air Actrequires the EPA to complete the initial process ofidentifying or designating areas that meet or do not meet an air quality standard. Ifthe Administratorhas insufficient information to make these designations, the EPA has the authorityto extend the designation process byup to
one year. In light ofthe new monitoring network, the EPA is completing the lead designations in two rounds. In the first round, published onNovember 16,2010, the EPA designated as "nonattainment" 16 areas as violating the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards based on data from the pre-201O monitoring network. For all other areas, the EPA extended the deadline for designations byup to one year so that data from the newly deployed monitors can be considered in making appropriate designation decisions. States were given an opportunityto update their recommendation letters for those remaining areas for our consideration in the second round ofdesignations byDecember 15,2010. The EPA intends to complete the secondround of lead designations byno laterthan October 14,2011.

Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov/region6 Recycled/Recyclable. Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper, Process Chlorine FreeConsistentwith the Clean Air Act, and after carefully considering the recommendations in Governor Richardson's April 23, 2009, letterconcerning Bernalillo County, New Mexico, the September24,2009, letter concerning the rest ofthe state, and all the associated technical information for the 2008 LeadNational Ambient Air Quality Standards, including the most recent air quality data from 2008-2010, the EPA is proposing to designate New Mexico and Bernalillo County, New Mexico, as unclassifiable/attainment. The EPA uses this designation for initial designations to identify areas that have data indicating attainment, or where there is no evidence ofaviolation.

The EPA's preliminarydesignation decisions and supporting documentation willbe made available to the general public for review. We will be accepting comments through August 15, 2011. We will review any information we receive from the State ofNew Mexico, Bernalillo County, New Mexico and the general public bythis date, and we plan to promulgate the second round offinal designations by October 14,2011.

We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we worktogether to implement the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me, orhave your staffcontactMr. GuyDonaldson ofmy staffat (214) 665-7242.

cc: Mr. F. DavidMartin, Secretary New Mexico EnvironmentDepartment

Ms. Mary Lou Leonard, Environmental Health Department Director CityofAlbuquerque