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


## JUN 1 4 

## 2011 The Honorable Luis Fortuno Burset Governor ofPuerto Rico BMB 110202 Calle San Gustos San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901-1711
Dear Governor Fortuno Burset: Thank you for your October 14,2009recommendations on air quality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead throughout the Commonwealth ofPuerto Rico. This letter is to notify you ofthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)preliminary decision to designate the Arecibo area ofPuerto Rico as nonattainment and the other areas ofPuerto Rico as unclassifiable/attainment, and to inform you ofour approach for completingthe 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 a range ofadverse 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 Standard by lowering it from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter**(~glm3)** - a level set in 1978

- to a level of0.15**~g/m3.** This stronger standard provides increased protection against adverse health effects associated with exposure to lead in at-risk groups, including children. To provide increased protection against lead-related environmental and other welfare effects, the EPA revised the secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standard to 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 whether many areas are meeting the revised lead standards and established newcriteriafor siting ambient lead monitors and new data collection requirements. Monitors meeting the new network siting requirements were to begin operation January 1, 2010. Within two years ofpromulgating new or revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to completethe initial process ofidentifying or designating areas that meet or do not meet an air quality standard. Ifthe Administrator has insufficient information to make these designations, the EPA has the authority to extend the designation process by up to one year. In light of the new monitoring network, the EPA is completingthe lead designations in two rounds. In the first round, published on November 16, 2010, the EPA designated as "nonattainment" 16 areas as violating the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards based on datafrom the pre-2010 monitoring network. For all other areas, the EPA extended the deadline for designations by up to one year so that datafrom 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 ourconsideration in the second round ofdesignations by December 15, 2010. The EPA intends to

IntemelAddress (URL). hltp://www.epa.gov RecycledlRe<:ycleble • Printedwlth Vegelable 011 BeHd Inkson Recycled Peper (Minimum 50% Poslconsurrnlrcontent)completethe second round oflead designations by no laterthan October 14, 2011. Therefore, this letter is the next step in the process for completing lead designations by October 14, 2011.
Puerto Rico's October 14, 2009 letter reconunended unclassifiable for the Arecibo area, attainment for the SanJuan metropolitan area and unclassifiable/attainmentfor the rest ofthe areas in Puerto Rico. Consistent with the Clean Air Act, and after carefully consideringPuerto Rico's October 14,2009 letter and all the associated technical information for the 2008 Lead National AmbientAir Quality Standards, including the most recent air quality datafrom 2008-2010, the EPA is proposingto modify your recommendation ofunclassifiable for the Arecibo area and designate as nonattainment. The attached Technical Support Documentprovides a detailed analysis that supports ourpreliminary decisions. The EPA is also proposing to designate the SanJuan metropolitan areaas unclassifiable/attairunent. The EPA uses this designation for initial designations to identify areas that have data indicating attainment, orWhere there is no evidence ofa violation. Lastly, the EPA is proposingto adopt Puerto Rico's reconunended designation for the remainder ofthe Conunonwealth as unclassifiable/attairunent. IfPuerto Rico has additional information that theEPA should consider with respect to ourproposed modification to your designation reconunendation, please submit it to us by August 15, 2011. The EPA's preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentationwill be made available to the general public for review. We will be accepting conunentsthroughAugust 15,2011. We will review any information wereceive from the Conunonwealth ofPuerto Rico and the generalpublic by this date, and weplan to promulgatethe second round offinal designations by October 14, 2011. We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staffas we work together to implement the 2008 Lead National AmbientAir Quality Standards. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me, or have your staffcontact Raymond Werner, ChiefAir Programs Branch ofmy staff at 212-637-3706. Sincerely, 

# J 0Ch-\-- 

# i---­ Judith A. Enck Regional Administrator

Attachment (1)

cc: Mr. Pedro Nieves Miranda, President Puerto Rico Envirorunental Quality Board
Mr. Luis R. SierraTorres, P.E., Air Quality AreaManager Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board GinaMcCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation StevenD. Page, Director, Office ofAir Quality Planning and Standards