# s"-X\ 

# tYj UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 2 290 BROADWAY NEWYORK, NY 10007.1866



## $EC

# s

# s 200$ The Honorable John P. deJongh, Jr. 

### Office of the

### Governor Government House, 

### 2l-22 Kongens Gade Charlotte 

### Amalie St. Thomas,

### VI00802
Dear Governor deJongh: On 

### March 72,2008,the Environmental Protection 

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

### quality siandards 

### 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 (ppnD tob.OZS ppm based on numerous 

### epidemiological studies conducted 

### during the past decade] The studies

### found health effects associated 

### with ozone exposure at and 

### belorithe ievel ofthe 0.08 

### ppm standar,J, 

### which was promulgated 

### in 1997. They include a range 

### of serious respiratory effects-and increased premature 

### mortality. EPA also strengthened the secondary g-hour 

### oron" standard, 

### making 

### it identical to the revised 

### primary standard, 

### to protect against

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

### Within oneyear

### of promulgation of a new or revised 

### NAAQS, section 107(dX1XA) 

### of the 

### clean

### Air Act requires 

### th. 

### gou"-or of each state 

### to subrnit to 

### EPA a

### list of all areas 

### in the state, recommending designations 

### for each as

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

### with respect 

### tothe

## ,i.* oir.,rised standard. We askthatyou 

### provide

### your designation recommendations 

### with respect 

### tothe revised ozone 

### NAAQS, including appropriate area boundaries, 

### to 

### EpA by 

### Maich 12,2009. Establishin 

### g area designations 

### is a

### key step 

### in the process 

### of providing the health protections thatthe Clean 

### Air Act mandates. Areas that are 

### iesignated as not attaining the 

### air

### quality standards

### 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 on the process 

### for designating areas underthe 2008 revised ozone standard" 

### we plan 

### to announce 

### our intended designa-tions as early as possible after receipt 

### of 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 comment on any 

### modifications EPA proposes to

### their recommendations. 

### In accordance 

### with section 

### 107(dx1xB) 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 by that 

### 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 at the 

### time of designation. The approach 

### EPA

### will

Intemet Address (URL) 

### r htQ:/tutww.epa.9ov Racyclod/Rrcyclablc .pr|ntod wlthvcg.tlbl. oll Barod lnkr on Rrclcbd Papor (trllnlmum 30% PoctcoEumc' conton0

# I Ir It 

# f use

### to classify nonattainment areas underthe 2008 revised ozone 

### NAAQS 

### will be established

through a separate 

### notice and comment 

### rulemaking.
We 

### look forward to

### workingwith you and

### your staffto develop area designations 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 Werner, Chief of the

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

Enclosure


### cc: Robert Stuart 

### Mathes, Commissioner 

### Virgin Islands Department 

### of Planning 

### & Natural Resources