UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION 10 

1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 

Seattle, WA 98101-3140

OFFICE OF 

AIR, WASTE AND TOXICS 

 

Re: Invitation to Consult about EPA’s Actions on Regional Haze Plans for Idaho, Oregon and 

Washington 

 

Dear Tribal Chair: 

Consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) government-togovernment relationship with tribal governments, we are offering an opportunity for consultation 

regarding several pending EPA proposed actions on regional haze State Implementation Plans 

(plans). These plans address visibility in our Nation’s national parks and wilderness areas (or 

Class I areas), and they, along with EPA action on these plans, may be of interest to your Tribe. 

 Regional haze plans must assure reasonable progress towards the national goal of 

achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas by 2064. The regional haze plans must 

include long-term strategies for making reasonable progress toward meeting this goal. Among 

other things, the regional haze plans must identify those air pollution sources that impair 

visibility, including older sources that may not have adequate air pollution control technology, 

and determine whether it is reasonable to require additional controls. 

 The regional haze plans are based on five 10-year planning cycles and the first plans were 

due in December, 2007. States are just now completing and submitting their first plans to EPA 

for approval. EPA is under a tight timeframe to act on these regional haze plans due to existing 

and anticipated lawsuits. 

The States of Idaho, Oregon and Washington solicited and received meaningful input 

from tribal air quality programs through Tribal membership and participation in the Western 

Regional Air Partnership, technical and policy forums and committees. We are also aware that 

some tribes provided important input as the states developed and adopted their plans. 

 On January 5 and January 11, 2011 EPA published Federal Register notices of proposed 

action on portions of Idaho’s regional haze plan submittal. We anticipate similar proposed 

action within the next month on Oregon’s regional haze plan submittal. Additional proposed 

actions for other parts of Idaho and Oregon’s regional haze plans and proposed action on the 

Washington plan is anticipated to be later in 2011, although we do not have a firm time frame. 

We will make a final decision on each action after the comment period for that action closes.

 We take this opportunity to invite you to consult with EPA on the Idaho, Oregon and 

Washington regional haze plans. In addition to the consultation opportunities offered in this 

letter, we invite you to submit comments during the public comment periods that will be 

associated with these Federal Register notices. 
 In December 2010 we held a conference call with Tribal environmental and air quality 

staff to discuss the regional haze plans. Additional information about the States’ regional haze 

plans, including the submittals, can be found on the following websites: 

Idaho: 

 http://www.deq.idaho.gov/air/prog_issues/pollutants/haze_regional.cfm 

Oregon: 

 http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/haze/index.htm 

Washington: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/globalwarm_RegHaze/regional_haze.html 

 We welcome any additional input you might have for us as we move forward with our 

actions on these plans. Should you have any questions or want to initiate consultation with EPA, 

please contact Steve Body by February 18, 2010. Also please let him know who at the tribe he 

should work with to plan the consultation. Steve can be contacted at 206-553-0782, 

body.steve@epa.gov. 

 Sincerely, 

 Richard Albright, Director 

 Office of Air, Waste and Toxics 

cc: Tribal Environmental Directors via e-mail 

 Tribal Air Staff via e-mail