UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

REGION Ill 

The Honorable Tom Corbett 

Governor of Pennsylvania 

225 Main Capitol Building 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 

Dear Governor Corbett: 

1650 Arch Street 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2029 

AUG 19.ZOl4 

Thank you for your recommendations, dated December 10, 2013 and July 30, 2014, 

regarding air quality designations for the 2012 revised primary annual fine particle (PM2.s) 

National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) throughout Pennsylvania. I appreciate the 

information Pennsylvania shared with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as we 

move forward to improve PM2.s air quality. This letter is to notify you ofEPA's preliminary 

response to Pennsylvania's recommendations and to inform you of our approach for completing 

the initial area designations for the 2012 revised primary annual PM2.s standard. 

On December 14,2012, EPA promulgated a revised primary annual PM2.s NAAQS (78 

FR 3086, January 15, 2013). In that action, EPA revised the primary annual PM2.s standard, 

strengthening it from 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (flg/m3

) to 12.0 flg/m3; retained the 

existing 24-hour PM2.s standard at 35 flg/m3

; retained the existing 24-hour PM10 (coarse particle) 

standard at 150 flg/m3

; and retained the current suite of secondary PM standards. EPA revised 

the primary annual PM2.s standard based on an integrated assessment of an extensive body of 

new scientific evidence, which substantially strengthens our body of knowledge regarding PM2.srelated health effects. The revised primary annual PM2.s standard will provide increased 

protection for children, older adults, persons with pre-existing heart and lung disease, and other 

at-risk populations against an array of PM2.s-related adverse health effects, including premature 

mortality, increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits, and development and 

exacerbation of chronic respiratory disease. 

History shows us that better health and cleaner air go hand-in-hand with economic 

growth. Working closely with the states and tribes, EPA is implementing the standards using a 

commonsense approach that improves air quality and minimizes the burden on state, local, and 

tribal governments. As part of this routine process, EPA is working with the states and tribes to 

identify areas in the country that meet the standards and those that need to take steps to reduce 

PM2.s air pollution. Within one year of promulgating a new or revised air quality standard, the 

Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the Governor of each state to submit to EPA a list of all areas in 

the state, with a designation recommendation for each area. As a first step in implementing the 

2012 annual PM2.s standard, Governors were required to submit their designation 

recommendations, including appropriate area boundaries, by December 13, 2013. 

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As required by the CAA, EPA then promulgates designations for all areas across the 

country. EPA designates an area as "nonattainment" if it is violating the 2012 annual PM2.s 

NAAQS or if it is contributing to a violation ofthe NAAQS in a nearby area. Consistent with 

designations for previous PM2.s standards, EPA intends to use a designation category of 

"unclassifiable/attainment" for areas that are monitoring attainment or do not have monitors, but 

for which EPA has reason to believe are likely attainment and are not contributing to nearby 

violations. Additionally, EPA intends to designate as "unclassifiable" those areas where EPA 

cannot determine based on available information whether the area is meeting the NAAQS or 

where EPA has not determined that the area contributes to a nearby violation. At this time, EPA 

is proceeding with intended initial area designations using quality-assured, certified air quality 

monitoring data from 2011 to 2013. 

After considering Pennsylvania's December 10, 2013 and July 30, 2014 annual PM2.s 

designation recommendations and other relevant technical information, including 2011-2013 air 

quality data, EPA agrees with Pennsylvania's recommended designations and boundaries 

regarding the Delaware County and Lebanon County areas, and intends to designate those 

counties as nonattainment. In addition, EPA intends to modify Pennsylvania's recommended 

area boundaries for the Cambria County (Johnstown), Liberty-Clairton (Allegheny County), and 

Northampton County (Allentown) areas. A Technical Support Document, which provides a 

detailed analysis to support our preliminary decisions, is enclosed and is also available on EPA's 

website at http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/2012standards/state.htm. EPA intends to 

designate all other areas ofthe Commonwealth as unclassifiable/attainment. EPA will continue 

to work with state officials regarding the appropriate boundaries for the areas in Pennsylvania. If 

Pennsylvania has additional information for EPA to consider, please submit it to us by October 

29, 2014. 

EPA will make its preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentation 

available to the general public for review and comment. We will be announcing a 30-day public 

comment period shortly in the Federal Register. After considering the additional information we 

receive, EPA plans to promulgate final annual PM2_s designations in December of2014. 

EPA is committed to working with the states and tribes to share the responsibility of 

reducing PM2.s air pollution. Current and upcoming federal standards and safeguards- including 

pollution reduction rules for power plants, vehicles, and fuels- will ensure steady progress to 

reduce PM2.s-forming pol I uti on and will protect public health in communities aero s the country. 

We look forward to a continued dialogue with you and your staff as we work together to 

implement the 2012 annual PM2.s standard. Should you have any questions, please do not 

hesitate to contact me, or have your staff contact Ms. Kinshasa Brown-Perry, EPA's 

Pennsylvania's Liaison, at (215) 814-5404 or Brown-Perry.Kinshasa@epa.gov. 

Regional Administrator 
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Enclosure (1) 

cc: Honorable E. Christopher Abruzzo, Secretary 

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 

Joyce Epps, Director 

Bureau of Air Quality, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection