ED ST UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 4 REGION IX k PRO

0 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 95105-3901 

## MAV ‘) ‘) ‘ni, OFFICE OF THE

tI L C LU Pt REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR
Rosemary Morillo Chairperson SohobaBand ofLuiseno Indians Post Office Box 487 San Jacinto, California 92583 Dear Chairperson Morillo: The purpose ofthis letter is to provide you with information concerning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) designations process forthe 2012 primary annual PM 2

. 5 national ambient air quality standard INAAQS). YourTribe may find it importantto engage with us in the process of assigning designations for Indian country. Although yourinvolvement is notrequired, we would like to invite you to participate in the designations process and to offeryou consultation. We wantto ensure transparent and effective communication in developing area designations forthe revised PM 2

. 5 NAAQS. Arearecommendations forthe PM- 5 NAAQS were due to EPA on December 13, 2013; however, EPA is prepared to accept designation recommendations via letterfrom tribal leaders until June 13, 2014. On December 13. 2012, EPA revised the PM 2

. 5 NAAQS to increase protection 

### ofpublic health from fine particle pollution. The annual PM 2

. 5 standard was strengthened from 15 

### ug/rn 3 to 12 ug/m 3

. Establishing initial area designations is akey step in the process ofproviding the health andlorwelfare protection intendedby the Clean AirAct (CAA). Withintwo years ofpromulgation ofa new 

### orrevisedNAAQS, EPA must list and designate all areas in the country as either: Attainment

- areas that meetthe standard; Nonattainment

- areas that either do not meetthe standard, or are contributing to a nearby area that does notmeetthe standard; or Unclassifiable

- areas where there is insufficient information to make a detennination as to attainment. These designations are based on current air quality information, recommendations from state governors and tribal leaders, and otherrelevant information as discussed in the April 2013 designations guidance. InitialAreaDesignations/ör

### the 2012 RevisedPrimaryAnnualFineParticleNationalAmbientAir Quality Standard. The guidance is available on the EPA’s PM Designations website at ns/2()1

### 2stalldanls/docs/april2 ance If. Additional information about developing tribal air quality designations is available in the September2013 document. DevelopingDesignation Recommendations/orAreas ofIndian Country, which is available here:
We are sending you this letterbecause we believe thatyourTribe’s area ofIndian countrymaybe in nonattainment forthe 2012 PM 25 NAAQS and 

### you may wantto engage withus through the consultation P,i,ited on Rev€I’! Pope,process. We will keep you informed as we finalize designations for your Tribe’s area and invite and encourage you to participate. Please notify us by June 13, 2014 if you are interested in consulting with us regarding a recommended designation. When requested, consultation will be conducted in accordance with the EPA Polici’ on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes (.w.epa.ov*trihuli’consu1ta1ionicunsult—po1icv.htm). We plan to formally announce our intended designations for all areas by August 14, 2014. At that time we will send another letter to you with our intended designation and offer an additional opportunity to consult with us on the proposed designation status of your Tribe’s area of Indian country. In accordance with section 107(d)(1)(B) of the CAA, we are required to issue final designations for the PM 25 NAAQS no later than December 12, 2014. Our designations will be based on the most recent three calendar years of certified, quality-assured monitoring data available, and any other relevant infonnation. As the designation process moves forward, we will keep you informed of any additional guidance or other support activities. We look forward to working with you to develop area designations under the PM 2 . 5 NAAQS in a timely manner. If your Tribe is interested in consultation or has questions about the designations process, please do not hesitate to contact me or Kerry Drake, Associate Director, Air Division, of my staff at 415-947-4157 or drake.kerrvaepa.uov. Sincerely 7 ared Blumen eld Enclosure cc: Steven Estrada, Environmental Manager

### 2012 PM 2 • 5 

### NAAQS Tribal Designations Schedule
Action Date Recommendations forthe PM 25 NAAQS due December 13, 2013 to EPA (original deadline). Advance consultation opportunity offeredto LateMay 2014 (uponreceipt ofletter) tribal leaders. Deadlineto request advancetribal consultation. June 13, 2014 Optional tribal recommendations forthe PM 2

. 5 June 13, 2014 NAAQS due to EPA (extended deadline). Advance tribal consultation takes place. June

- 

### July, 2014 EPA announces intended designations, August 14, 2014 additional consultation opportunity offeredto tribal leaders. Additional consultationtakes place. September

- 

### October, 2014 EPA issues final PM 75 designations. December 12, 2014