Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0061-0494
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2004-12-13T05:00Z

CITY
OF
EVANSVILLE
ONE
N.
W.
MARTIN
LUTHER
KING,
JR.
BLVD.
EVANSVILLE,
INDIANA
47708
OFFICE
OF
THE
MAYOR
JONATHAN
WEINZAPFEL
December
9,
2004
Michael
Leavitt
Administrator
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Ariel
Rios
Building
1200
Pennsylvania
Ave,
N.
W.
Washington,
D.
C.
20460
Dear
Administrator
Leavitt:

On
June
24,
2004,
the
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA)
proposed
designating
Vanderburgh,
Warrick,
Gibson,
Pike,
Spencer
and
Dubois
Counties
in
Indiana
as
in
nonattainment
for
the
PM
2.5
(
particulate
matter
 
2.5
microns
in
diameter)
annual
National
Ambient
Air
Quality
Standard
(
NAAQS).
The
U.
S.
EPA
proposed
this
designation
for
these
six
counties
based
on
monitoring
data
from
three
PM
2.5
FRM
monitors
located
in
Vanderburgh
County
and
one
located
in
Dubois
County.
These
monitors
each
had
design
values
over
the
15.0
microgram/
cubic
meter
NAAQS.

However,
since
June
24,
2004,
the
monitoring
data
we
have
received
for
the
third
quarter
of
2004
demonstrates
that
all
three
Vanderburgh
County
monitors
now
have
design
values
under
the
15.0
micrograms
per
cubic
meter
limit.
In
other
words,
Vanderburgh
County
can
now
demonstrate
attainment
of
the
annual
PM
2.5
standard.
Furthermore,
the
fourth
quarter
has
historically
demonstrated
lower
PM
2.5
levels
relative
to
the
third
quarter.
At
the
end
of
this
year,
we
expect
Vanderburgh
County
to
conclusively
demonstrate
attainment
with
the
annual
PM
2.5
NAAQS.

Nonetheless,
the
U.
S.
EPA
is
under
a
consent
decree
to
make
PM
2.5
attainment
designations
by
December
15,
2004.
If
U.
S.
EPA
persists
in
designating
Vanderburgh
County
as
in
nonattainment
for
PM
2.5
in
spite
of
the
positive
data
for
the
third
quarter
and
our
expectations
for
the
fourth
quarter,
it
could
still
take
us
up
to
two
years
to
have
a
Petition
for
Redesignation
approved
by
the
U.
S.
EPA
even
though
we
are
currently
in
attainment.
The
nonattainment
designation
could
have
a
serious
negative
impact
on
our
economic
development
efforts.
Page
2
Administrator
Michael
Leavitt
Re:
Nonattainment
designation
December
9,
2004
Although
Vanderburgh
County's
monitors
now
demonstrate
attainment,
the
monitor
in
Dubois
County,
though
trending
downward,
is
still
above
the
15.0
microgram/
cubic
meter
annual
standard.
Research
performed
by
the
Vanderburgh
County
Ozone
Officer,
Dr.
Joanne
Alexandrovich,
indicates
the
Dubois
County
monitor
is
improperly
sited
and
does
not
reflect
actual
ambient
air
quality
data.
We
believe
it
would
be
unfair
and
unfounded
to
designate
Vanderburgh
County,
as
well
as
Dubois,
Gibson,
Pike,
Spencer
and
Warrick
Counties
as
in
nonattainment
simply
on
the
basis
of
an
improperly
sited
Dubois
County
monitor.

Please
reconsider
U.
S.
EPA's
proposal
to
designate
these
six
counties
as
in
nonattainment.
At
the
very
least,
the
nonattainment
area
should
be
limited
to
Dubois
County.

Thank
you
for
your
consideration.
Please
do
not
hesitate
to
contact
me
should
I
be
of
further
assistance
on
this
matter.

Sincerely,

Jonathan
Weinzapfel
Mayor
Cc:
Bharat
Mathur,
Acting
Regional
Administrator,
U.
S.
EPA
Region
5
Norman
Niedergang,
Acting
Deputy
Regional
Administrator,
U.
S.
EPA
Region
5
Steve
Rothblatt,
Director,
Air
and
Radiation
Division,
U.
S.
EPA
Region
5
Joseph
E.
Kernan,
Governor,
State
of
Indiana
Lori
Kaplan,
Commissioner,
Indiana
Department
of
Environmental
Management
The
Honorable
Evan
Bayh,
U.
S.
Senator
The
Honorable
Richard
Lugar,
U.
S.
Senator
The
Honorable
John
Hostettler,
U.
S.
Representative