UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION IX 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105·3901

OFFICE OF THE REl1IONAl AOMINISTRATOR 

## JUN 14 2011

The HonorableTogiolaT.A. Tulafono Governor Territory ofAmerican Samoa A.P. Lutali Executive Office Building Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 Dear GovernorTulafono: On September9, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter informing you of youropportunity to provide recommendations on airquality designations for the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead throughout American Samoa. This letter is to notify you ofthe EPA's preliminarydecision to designate all ofAmerican Samoa as unclassifiable/attairunent and to inform you ofour approach for completing the designations for the revised lead standards. Reducing levels oflead pollution is an important part ofthe EPA's commitment to a clean, healthy envirorunent. Lead exposure can cause a range ofadversehealth effects, most notably in children. Exposures to low levels oflead early in lifehavebeen linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory, and behavior. On October 15,2008, the EPA substantiallystrengthened the health-based or "primary" National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead by lowering it from 1.5 micrograms percubic meter (flg/m3) - a level set in 1978

- to a level of0.15 flg/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 meetingthe revised lead standards and established new criteria for siting ambient lead monitors and new data collection requirements. Monitors meeting thenew network sitingrequirements were to begin operationJanuary 1,2010. Within two years ofpromulgatingnew orrevised National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Clean Air Actrequires the EPA to complete the initial process ofidentifying ordesignating areas that meet or do not meet an air quality standard. Ifthe Administratorhas 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 completing the 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 data from the pre-2010 monitoring network. For all other areas, the EPA extended the deadline for designations by up to one year so that

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### data from the newly deployed monitors canbe considered in making appropriate designation decisions. States were given an opportunity to update their recommendation letters for those remaining areas for ourconsideration in the second round ofdesignations by December 15, 2010. The EPA intends to complete the second round oflead designations by no laterthan October 14,2011. Consistent with the Clean AirAct, and after carefully considering all the associated technical information for the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the EPA is proposingto designate American Samoa as unclassifiable/attainment. The EPA uses this designation for initial designations to identify areas that have data indicating attainment, orwhere there is no evidence ofa violation. The EPA's preliminary designation decisions and supporting documentation will bemade available to the general publicfor review. Wewill be acceptingcomments through August IS, 20II. 

### We will review any information wereceive from the Ametican Samoa and the general public 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 Ambient Air Quality Standards. Should you have any questions, pleasedo not hesitate to call me, orhave your staffcontactAir Division DirectorDeborah Jordan at 415-947-8715. Sincerely,

cc: Dr. To'afa Vaiaga'e Director, Ametican Samoa EPA Faamao Asalele Assistant Director, American Samoa EPA