# s'*X\'" 

# LYJ UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 2 290 BROADWAY NEWYORK, NY 10007-1866



### DEC

# s $ 200& The Honorable 

### Anibal Acevedo-Vil6 Governor 

### of Puerto 

### Rico 

### BMB 1TO2O2 

### Calle San Gustos San Juan, Puerto 

### Rico 00901-1711
Dear Governor 

### Acevedo-Vil6:
On 

### March 12,2008, the 

### Environmental Protection 

### Agency (EPA) revised the national ambient air 

### quality standards 

### G\IAAQS)for ozone to 

### provide increased 

### protection of public health and

### welfare 

### from ozone 

### pollution. The new 

### primary ozone standard was lowered 

### from 0.08 parts per 

### million (ppm)to 0.075 ppm based on numerous 

### epidemiological studies conducted 

### during the past

### decade. The studies found health effects associated 

### with ozone exposure at and 

### below the 

### level of the 0.08 

### ppm standard, 

### which was 

### promulgated

### in 1997. They include a range 

### of serious 

### respiratory effects and increased premature 

### mortality. EPA also strengthened the secondary 8-hour ozone standard, 

### making 

### it identicaltothe revised 

### primary standard, to protect against 

### welfare effects such as impacts onvegetation and forested ecosystems.


### Within one year 

### of promulgation of a

### new or revised 

### NAAQS, section 

### 107(dXlXA) 

## of the Clean

### Air Act requires the governor 

### of each state 

### to submit 

### to EPA a

### listof all areas 

### in the state, recommending designations 

### for each as 

### "attainment," "nonattainment," or "unclassifiable" 

### with respect 

### to the 

### new or revised 

### standard. We askthat you 

### provide your designation recommendations 

### with respect 

### to the 

### revised ozoneNAAQS, 

### including appropriate area boundaries, 

### to EPA by 

### March 12,2009. Establishing area designations is a 

### key step 

### in the process 

### of providing the health protections that the Clean

### Air Act mandates.Areasthat are designated as

### not attaining the 

### air quality stanclards 

### will be required 

### to adopt plans

### to reduce ambient concentrations 

### of ozone.
The enclosed memorandum provides guidance

### to state and 

### local air 

### pollution control agencies and

### tribes onthe process 

### for designating areas under the 2008 revised ozone standald. We plan 

### to announce 

### our intended designations asearly as possible after 

### receipt ,cf

### your recommendations, 

### but no later

### than 120 days 

### prior to promulgating 

### final designations. 

### Following the announcement 

### of intended designations, states and tribes 

### will have the

### opportunity to commenr on any 

### modifications EPA proposes to

### their recommendations. 

### In accordance 

### rvith section 

### 107(dxlXB) of the Clean

### Air Act, we intend 

### to issue 

### final designations 

### by March 12. 2010 (although that deadline may be extended up

### to one 

### additional year 

### if EPA determines that 

### insufficient 

### information is available 

### to establish designations 

### bythat

### date). Our designations

### will be based on the most recent three years 

### of certified, quality assured 

### monitoring data available. Ozone nonattainment areas

### will be classified atthe

### time of designation. The approach 

### EPA

### will

use

### to classify nonattainment areas underthe2008 revised ozone 

### NAAQS 

### will be established through a separate 

### notice and comment rulemaking.

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## \

We 

### look forward toworking 

### with you and 

### your staff 

### to develop areadesignations under the 2008 revised ozone standards 

### in a

### timely manner. 

### If you have any questions, please do 

### not hesitate

### to contact 

### me.Your air

### quality staff 

### may contact Raymond 

### Wemer, Chief of the

### Air Programs Branch, at212-637 -4249. Sincerely,



# r,tfl n 

# il,{l,rt/, Alan J. Steinberg Regional 

### Administrator
Enclosure



### cc: Mr. Javier J. Rua, President Puerto Rieo 

### Environmental Quality Board